Ape Chirp
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Quick update on Ape Chirp.
I put it up around 18 Aug. Public feed. Share a link, vote, comment. No ranking algorithm. Sign up is only required to vote, comment, or submit.
Just shipped: easier reading on mobile, light/dark mode, and a few other UX fixes.
If you want to look: https://www.apechirp.com Browse without an account. Feedback is in the app.
I thought I could vibe code & release an app in 4hrs. In reality it took me closer to 30 or more hours. I lost track of the actual time it took to release Ape Chirp. I started as a Q&A app, similar to StackOverload, but for home music producers. Then I did a pivot to a Hacker News style link sharing app.
This is a fun side project. I have a list of features to add and improve the app. However I'm holding back on adding new features until I get some real world user feedback. Partly because I have 8 other apps that are in the works.
If the stars align on this Ape Chirp app then I'll keep working on it, or pivot the app to leverage the existing code base. If after a decent amount of effort to get early users and feedback the app isn't taking off then I'll put it on pause and work on another app idea. Unless inspiration hits and I cant help myself from adding more features that no one will use.
Let me know what you think, thanks in advance !
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The decision to stop adding features until you have real user feedback is probably the right constraint. With the product already pivoted once, seeing what people actually use should tell you whether Ape Chirp deserves another round of building.
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Yes, however there is also blind ambition that might lead me to another pivot, or some crazy, silly, useless idea that people actually want to use. Although I do feel like I'm trying to find a problem to solve, since social media is such a super saturated market. I am wondering if serving a niche audience is the right path. What ever that niche is.
From personal experience I find the manipulation of social feeds in other apps to be a big turn off most of the time. So with a human curated angle to my feed that may have some appeal. The hard thing nowadays is that most people are inundated with apps and information, and entertainment & news all available online 24/7.
So getting the first handful of users is my #1 challenge (I think).-
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That makes sense. The niche question is probably worth exploring as you learn from the first users. Would you be open to sharing the best email to reach you on?
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