Under the Radar

131: Dot-App and Microsoft's 95%

10 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you need one of the new .app domains, and the ramifications of Microsoft's lower app-store commissions.

130: Lightning Round V

03 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lessons from Android's success, hot new things from past WWDCs that didn't pan out, and trying to improve or avoid social problems with our apps.

129: Lightning Round IV

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Planning out our apps before writing any code, deciding which ideas NOT to pursue, a converged "Marzipan" world, and accessibility.

128: Lightning Round III: Servers

19 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In our third Q&A episode, we address the many questions we received about running servers.

127: Lightning Round II

13 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our second-ever Q&A episode, including questions on React Native, reusable code vs. duplication, learning beyond Hello World, and the art of packing l...

126: Retention

05 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The fast drop-off of typical usage over time, and how to improve our customer-retention rates.

125: Privacy Policies and GDPR

29 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Minimizing the collection and storage of your users' personal data, and high-level strategies to think about in the dawn of the EU's new GDPR law.

124: Sleep++ and Permission Prompts

23 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The development and release of Sleep++ 3.0, and best practices for prompting the user for permission to access iOS-protected data or features.

123: WWDC 2018 Preview, Watch Stats

16 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Whether to sign up for a WWDC 2018 ticket and what to do if you don't get one, and the ramifications of David's latest Apple Watch usage stats.

122: Ten Years of the iPhone SDK

08 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the first iPhone SDK release, imagining alternate timelines that could have been, and remembering what we were...

121: Fear and Change

01 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Considering the temptation and pitfalls of developing features out of fear of missing an opportunity. Also, how best to communicate changes to custom...

120: Productivity by Inefficiency

23 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Adopting inefficient hacks to save developer time, since hardware is so fast that it's often a worthwhile tradeoff.

119: Second Locations

15 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Considerations for travel, coffeeshops, offices, vacations, and other secondary work setups.

118: Original Research

09 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tackling complex math, data analysis, or other challenging problems to give your app a competitive advantage.

117: The iMac Pro

01 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Desktops vs. laptops, single vs. multiple monitors, and how we're enjoying our iMac Pros so far.

116: The Going Indie Spreadsheet, Part 2

25 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A two-part crash course in starting an indie business. In part 2, we cover health insurance, retirement planning, professional services, and other com...

115: The Going Indie Spreadsheet, Part 1

18 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A two-part crash course in starting an indie business. In part 1, we cover business entities, taxes, and income.

114: Platform Wish List for 2018

12 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What we're hoping to see from Apple's APIs and developer platforms in 2018.

113: Grading the App Store in 2017

05 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How the App Store's 2017 changes have panned out so far, and our hopes for 2018.

112: Ideal vs. Pragmatic

29 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Being pressured by users or reality into features or choices we don't think we should need to do.

111: Universal Mac Apps?

21 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Considering the potential benefits and ramifications of the rumored unified app framework between macOS and iOS.

110: Workouts++ 2.0 Launch Diary

14 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

David keeps a diary of what the day was like while he launched Workouts++ 2.0. It didn't turn out exactly how he'd hoped.

109: Search Ads in Practice

08 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our experiences and best practices we've found for App Store Search Ads after a year of use, and whether to use the new Search Ads Basic.

108: Punch-List Mode

30 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Getting from when you think it's 99% complete to being actually releasable.

107: Free with Benefits

22 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Possibilities for value when apps don't bring in money directly.

106: Long Projects

16 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Getting through long projects while maintaining motivation and perspective.

105: iPhone X Reality

09 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Rethinking designs now that we have the iPhone X in-hand.

104: Public Beta Testing with Slack

02 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lessons from Overcast's public beta, and using Slack as a feedback and bug-reporting channel.

103: Usability-First Design

26 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Prioritizing usability over design trends — even Apple's.

102: Procrastiworking

19 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Procrastinating by working on other productive tasks instead of the big one we really don't want to do.

101: Anchoring vs. Simplicity

12 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Real-world results of switching in-app purchases from multiple price tiers to a single option.

100: Longevity

05 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

(Sent with Balloons) How to view and start projects that have a good chance of making it to episode 100.

99: Effecting Change

28 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Trying to get Apple to change something, and knowing what you can and can’t change.

98: The Accidental Episode

20 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

An "off-the-air" discussion working through the challenges of standalone Apple Watch podcast playback.

97: iPhone X and LTE Watches

15 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

New design challenges to tackle for the iPhone X, and new potential unlocked by the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE.

96: Risky Business

08 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Building apps for popular third-party services, or in opportune but high-risk areas.

95: Privacy and Responsibility

01 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The responsibilities we have to ensure that we're protecting and respecting our users' privacy when we embed third-party code in our apps.

94: Release Notes

24 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Effectively communicating changes and improvements to our apps via release notes.

93: New Screen Sizes

18 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Supporting multiple screen sizes and device types, and strategies to make adoption of new sizes easier.

92: Notifications to Increase Engagement

11 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Using notifications to bring users back to your app without being spammy or annoying.

91: Removing Features

03 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Deciding to remove a feature, or having that decision made for you.

90: Trademarks

26 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What trademarks do, searching for conflicts before you name something, and whether indies should file for their own.

89: Computers for the Self-Employed

19 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Which Mac models are usable for software development, and the benefits and drawbacks of using desktops, laptops, or both.

88: Working From Home

12 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Options, benefits, and challenges of working at home.

87: Old Code Vs. New APIs

06 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Deciding whether to adopt the newest iOS styles and APIs in existing apps that may not have needed them.

86: iOS 11 App Store Pages

29 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Adopting the new fields and changes in our apps' product pages in the redesigned iOS 11 App Store.

85: iOS 11

22 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What's new in iOS 11 and how it can benefit our apps.

84: WWDC Wrap-Up, watchOS 4

15 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How and when to efficiently watch WWDC session videos, and reviewing the new capabilities in watchOS 4.

83: Live at CocoaConf

09 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our initial impressions of WWDC 2017, recorded live at CocoaConf Next Door.

82: WWDC Wish List

01 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Developer-related wishes and expectations for WWDC 2017 next week.

81: Profiling

25 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Optimizing performance using Instruments, Xcode, and the iOS Simulator — and when not to bother.

80: Debugging

18 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How we debug our apps, and avoiding common bugs in the first place.

79: New Discovery Metrics

11 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The new Sources and Metrics in iTunes Connect that show us more about where our customers come from within the App Store.

78: Difficult Indulgences

04 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tackling hard problems to improve our skills, or simply as a form of intellectual indulgence.

77: iTunes Connect, Part II

26 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of a two-part series, we discuss app creation in iTunes Connect, including screenshots, keywords, descriptions, and other metadata.

76: iTunes Connect, Part I

20 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a two-part series, we explore the non-app parts of iTunes Connect, including reporting, sales, and analytics.

75: Responding to Reviews

13 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Deciding which App Store reviews to respond to, and the types of responses worth giving.

74: Taxes & Accounting

06 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Minimizing the mental burden and labor cost of accounting and taxes by optimizing for simplicity.

73: WWDC Event Planning

29 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Planning for WWDC attendance (or not), and the value of the other conferences and social events around WWDC 2017.

72: Selling Apps

22 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Building apps with acquisition in mind, calculating your app's valuation, and what to expect in a sale.

71: Apps as Annuities

17 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Accumulating a portfolio of apps that provide long-term income with minimal maintenance.

70: The Hacks We Ship

08 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The difference between good and bad hacks, and some glorious hacks we've shipped in our apps.

69: Features You Don't Want

02 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Adding features to your app that you don't want or won't use in order to satisfy requests or reach new markets.

68: Overcast 3

22 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the challenges and decisions that led to the newly released Overcast 3.

67: Dealing with Old Code

16 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Maintaining, testing, and modernizing old apps.

66: State of Swift

10 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Where we are on our gradual conversion to Swift programmers.

65: Getting Sherlocked

02 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Preparing for and reacting to Apple implementing your app's core functionality themselves.

64: App Store Reviews, Redux

26 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The potential impacts of the new "rate this app" API and our upcoming ability to respond to App Store reviews.

63: Missing Skills

19 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Experiences and skills we lack by being indie developers, and whether our career path may ever include them.

62: App Store Reviews

12 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The significance of App Store star ratings and reviews, and how to tastefully ask people to review your app.

61: Back to Work

05 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to get back into the zone after the holidays.

60: Transferable Skills

29 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Unrelated abilities and techniques that prove surprisingly useful in indie app development.

59: Launch Day Diary

22 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

David's audio diary recorded throughout the launch day of his newest app, Workouts++.

58: Prerelease Testing

15 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

How we test our apps before release.

57: Secrecy

08 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Deciding how much of your app to keep secret before release, and how to slowly reveal it.

56: Surviving the Winter

02 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Strategies for surviving the ups, downs, and increasing challenges of today's App Store and nearby businesses.

55: Black Friday Sale

25 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The effectiveness and side effects of sales and price changes.

54: Parametric Design

17 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Appearance managers, self-theming views, and rapid design iteration with code and variables.

53: Seasonality

11 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Planning for annual events and marketing opportunities, and accommodating variable cycles of productivity.

52: Learning, Sometimes Willingly

03 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The challenges of learning new languages, APIs, and tools, how we avoid facing these difficulties, and what drives us to overcome them.

51: Speaking at Conferences

27 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Overcoming fears of speaking at conferences, how much work it really takes, and deciding whether it's worthwhile.

50: Checking the Weather for the Last Time

21 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Responsibly shutting down a failed app.

49: App Store Search Ads

13 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

An overview of advertising terms, costs, and metrics, and getting started with App Store Search Ads for indie developers.

48: Late Bloomers

06 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Adopting techniques, tools, and APIs long after they've been introduced, with specific examples from Overcast's development.

47: Data Persistence

29 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Choosing a database or scheme for local data storage, including Core Data, SQLite, property lists, JSON, user defaults, and NSURLCache.

46: Legacy Support

23 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When to require new iOS versions, and the real-world need for test devices.

45: Ads ★★☆☆☆

15 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

David's app income shifting to ads over time, and Overcast switching to ads.

44: Fall Cleaning

08 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Ramifications of pruning very old apps from the App Store and cracking down on title-keyword spam.

43: Pending An Apple Release

01 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Preparations in the final week before a major iOS release, and handling Apple requests for promotional artwork.

42: Getting Next Year's Customers

25 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Lessons from Vesper's shutdown and strategies to navigate the difficult environment for paid apps today.

41: Internationalization

17 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Why and how to localize and internationalize your iOS apps.

40: Rethinking Apple Watch Apps

11 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Using lessons and analytics from watchOS 1 and 2 to rethink our Apple Watch apps for watchOS 3, using Overcast's app as a case study.

39: Lightning Round 1

04 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Quick takes on eight topics submitted by listeners.

38: Psychological Tricks

28 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Techniques often used by games to increase engagement, revenue, and addictiveness, and their potential ethical uses in our apps.

37: Code Reuse

21 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Creating and managing shared code, using Git submodules effectively, and whether to open-source your libraries.

36: Should You Release Every App?

14 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Pros and cons of releasing your personal utility apps, focusing mostly on Mac apps.

35: Ideas

07 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The value of app ideas, evaluating their feasibility, and considering the business you want to be in.

34: tvOS 10, macOS 10.12 and Swift 3

30 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Concluding our WWDC 2016 coverage, we discuss what's new (or not?) for indie developers in tvOS, macOS, and Swift.

33: iOS 10

24 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Following on from last week's discussion of the newly announced changes to watchOS 3, this week we dive into iOS 10. We discuss what changes are espe...

32: watchOS 3

17 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Live from WWDC 2016, we discuss what's new for developers in watchOS 3.