Just shipped my second indie app (solo dev + full-time job)
I'm a solo dev with a day job. I just shipped my second indie app. Here are the realities.
Apps shipped so far:
🌙 NightCurve — iOS, mindful drinking tracker
🔒 ZipKeep — macOS, secure file archiver
Both shipped this year. Built in evenings and weekends between my full-time work.
Why I'm posting:
1. Just to say hi to the IH community
2. To stop lurking and actually participate
3. To learn from people doing the same thing
What I've learned in year 1 of indie shipping:
NightCurve went through 3 App Store review iterations before approval. Apple's guidance pushed me toward zone-based positioning instead of numerical claims — which turned out to be better UX anyway. Approved on round 4.
Lesson: framing matters as much as features.
ZipKeep started as "I don't trust the other Mac zip apps." Most look like Snow Leopard. I wanted modern UI + encryption. Built it in 4 months between projects.
Brand: I went with "Apps by Marcin" as the umbrella.
— Marcin
