1
Figuring out what to build
Before any code, the part most people skip.
2
Building it
The part that looks like magic from outside.
3
Making it something people pay for
A reason to come back, and a way to charge.
4
Getting it out there
From “it works on my laptop” to “it’s on the App Store”.
5
Finding your first users
Building was the easy half.
1.1
How apps actually make money
Most people start by asking what they should build. Fair enough, that's the fun…
1.2
Where good ideas come from
Something stops a lot of people before they've written a line: the belief that you need…
1.3
Finding out if anyone wants it
Here's the most expensive mistake in software, and nearly everyone makes it at least…
1.4
Deciding what not to build
Ask somebody what their app does and you'll often get a list.
1.5
Getting set up with Claude
This is usually where people brace themselves. Installing things, terminal windows,…
Chapter 2 · Building it2.1
How to talk to Claude about code
Two people can ask for the same feature and get wildly different results.
2.2
What a screen is made of
Every app screen you've ever used is three things stacked together, and once you've…
2.3
Where your data actually lives
Close your app and open it again. The stuff is still there.
2.4
Logins, and why they're harder than they look
A login screen has two boxes and a button. It looks like the easiest thing in the app.
2.5
Why some apps just look better
You open two apps that do roughly the same thing. One feels solid and considered.
Chapter 3 · Making it something people pay for3.1
Why people come back (or don't)
Most apps get downloaded, opened once, and never touched again.
3.2
The first minute someone uses your app
Somebody opens your app for the first time. You have roughly a minute, probably less,…
3.3
Free vs paid
At some point you draw a line through your app. This side free, that side costs money.
3.4
Picking a price
Picking a number is uncomfortable in a way that surprises people.
3.5
How money reaches your bank
Someone taps a button and money appears in your account.
Chapter 4 · Getting it out there4.1
Knowing it actually works
Your app works. You've been using it for weeks.
4.2
The security stuff you can't skip
Security writing tends to be either terrifying or so detailed you close the tab.
4.3
Putting it on the internet
Right now your app runs on your machine, at an address only you can reach.
4.4
Submitting to the App Store
Getting an app approved has a reputation for being arbitrary and painful.
4.5
Launch day
Here's what launch day is actually like for most first apps: you press the button, you…
Chapter 5 · Finding your first users5.1
Explaining your app in one line
Somebody asks what you're building. You have about one sentence before they decide…
5.2
Where the first users come from
Building is the half people plan for. Getting anyone to use the thing is the half that…
5.3
Which numbers are worth watching
Once people start using your app you can measure almost anything, which is exactly the…
5.4
Why people leave
Most people who try your app will stop using it. That's true for every app, including…
5.5
Keeping it going
The apps that work out usually aren't the ones built by the most talented person.