Blog Topics: Career & Indie Dev

Getting Started as Indie

  1. First app idea validation - Is it worth building?
  2. MVP mindset - Ship fast, iterate later
  3. Solo dev vs side project - Time management
  4. Tools for indie developers - Essential stack
  5. Cost of being an indie dev - Apple fees, tools, services
  6. When to quit your job - Financial runway
  7. Legal basics: LLC, sole proprietor - Business structure
  8. Privacy policy and terms - Legal requirements
  9. App Store developer account setup - Step by step
  10. Your first app submission - What to expect

App Store Optimization (ASO)

  1. App name and subtitle optimization - Keywords that rank
  2. Keyword research for App Store - Tools and techniques
  3. App description that converts - Structure and copywriting
  4. Screenshots that sell - Design principles
  5. App preview videos - Worth the effort?
  6. Localization for ASO - Easy wins
  7. App icon A/B testing - Product page optimization
  8. Category selection strategy - Less competition
  9. Tracking keyword rankings - Tools and metrics
  10. Seasonal ASO updates - Holiday optimization

Monetization Strategies

  1. Free vs Paid vs Freemium - Choosing your model
  2. Subscription pricing - What works in 2024
  3. One-time purchase pricing - Race to bottom?
  4. Consumable IAP design - Virtual currencies, tokens
  5. Paywalls that convert - Design patterns
  6. Free trial strategies - Duration, limitations
  7. Price anchoring - Psychology of pricing
  8. Family Sharing implications - Revenue impact
  9. Regional pricing - Purchasing power parity
  10. When to raise prices - Existing vs new users

StoreKit & In-App Purchases

  1. StoreKit 2 basics - Modern IAP implementation
  2. Subscription offers - Introductory, promotional, offer codes
  3. Restoring purchases - User expectations
  4. Receipt validation - Server-side vs on-device
  5. Handling refunds - Detecting and responding
  6. Subscription grace period - Billing retry
  7. Price consent sheets - Handling price increases
  8. Testing IAP in sandbox - Common issues
  9. App Store Server Notifications - Webhook handling
  10. Offer codes for marketing - Generation and tracking

App Store Review Process

  1. App Review Guidelines summary - Key rules
  2. Common rejection reasons - How to avoid
  3. Appealing a rejection - Writing effective appeals
  4. Expedited review requests - When and how
  5. Guideline 4.2 Minimum Functionality - Avoiding rejection
  6. Guideline 3.1.1 IAP requirements - What needs IAP
  7. Guideline 2.1 Crashes and bugs - Pre-submission testing
  8. Metadata rejections - Screenshots, descriptions
  9. Review times expectations - Planning releases
  10. Phased releases - Gradual rollout strategy

Marketing for Indies

  1. Pre-launch marketing - Building anticipation
  2. Launch day checklist - Maximize visibility
  3. Press kit creation - What journalists need
  4. Reaching out to press - Email templates
  5. Product Hunt launch - Tips for success
  6. Reddit marketing - Community engagement
  7. Twitter/X for app marketing - Building audience
  8. App review sites - Where to submit
  9. Influencer outreach - Finding the right fit
  10. Cross-promotion - Partner with other indies

Content Marketing

  1. Blogging for app promotion - SEO benefits
  2. YouTube for app demos - Video content
  3. Building an email list - Pre and post launch
  4. Newsletter strategies - Keeping users engaged
  5. Case studies and teardowns - Learning in public
  6. Building in public - Transparency marketing
  7. Podcasting for indies - Guest appearances
  8. Documentation as marketing - Helpful content
  9. Open source components - Developer marketing
  10. Speaking at conferences - Visibility and networking

Analytics & Metrics

  1. Key metrics for indie apps - What to track
  2. App Store Connect analytics - Understanding data
  3. Retention metrics - Day 1, 7, 30
  4. Conversion funnel tracking - Download to purchase
  5. Cohort analysis basics - User behavior over time
  6. Revenue metrics: MRR, ARR, LTV - Subscription math
  7. Churn rate reduction - Keeping subscribers
  8. Attribution tracking - Where users come from
  9. A/B testing for indies - Simple approaches
  10. Benchmarking your app - Industry standards

User Acquisition

  1. Apple Search Ads basics - Getting started
  2. Apple Search Ads advanced - Optimization tactics
  3. Organic vs paid acquisition - Budget allocation
  4. App Store featuring - How to get featured
  5. Today tab features - What Apple looks for
  6. Seasonal promotions - Holiday visibility
  7. Referral programs - User-driven growth
  8. App bundles - Partnering with other apps
  9. Educational discounts - Volume purchases
  10. Enterprise and B2B - Alternative markets

Sustainability & Growth

  1. When to pivot or kill an app - Decision framework
  2. Building multiple apps - Portfolio strategy
  3. Hiring your first contractor - Scaling up
  4. Customer support as solo dev - Tools and time
  5. Burnout prevention - Sustainable pace
  6. Community building - Discord, forums
  7. User feedback systems - Collection and prioritization
  8. Roadmap communication - Public vs private
  9. Dealing with negative reviews - Response strategies
  10. Exit strategies - Selling your app

High-Traffic Indie Searches

  1. “How much do apps make” - Realistic expectations
  2. “Is the App Store saturated” - Finding niches
  3. “Apple taking 30%” - Small Business Program
  4. “How to get more downloads” - Organic growth
  5. “App not getting reviews” - Review prompting
  6. “Competitor copied my app” - What you can do
  7. “When to launch my app” - Timing strategies
  8. “How to validate app idea” - Before you build
  9. “Side project to full-time” - Transition stories
  10. “Indie dev income report” - Transparency posts