All tests run on an 8-year-old MacBook Air. All results from shipping 7 Mac apps as a solo developer. No sponsored opinion. Seven apps. Twelve months. One developer. Here's what I'd tell myself at app number one.
Ship earlier than you're comfortable with
The first version of every app I shipped was incomplete. That's correct. The users who buy version 1.0 are telling you what they actually need. No amount of building in isolation produces that signal. The features I was most proud of at launch often weren't the ones users cared about. The features users wanted most were often things I hadn't thought of. Ship, then iterate.
Free tools are more valuable than paid tools at the start
HiyokoLogcat is free and open source. It's driven more paid app sales than any other marketing I've done. A free tool that solves a real problem builds trust and audience. Users who trust your free tool buy your paid tools. The funnel works.
