Building and Shipping 3 Consumer Apps Through Iterative Product Development
See the Results →Built and shipped 3 consumer applications in 3 months to rapidly validate different product approaches and development methodologies. Each product taught different lessons about technical constraints, user behavior, and product-market fit.
I validate ideas through rapid prototyping rather than extensive planning. This approach reveals user needs and technical constraints quickly, enabling faster iteration and more informed product decisions.
I approach products from a systems perspective, mapping relationships between features and user workflows. This helps with strategic product decisions while sometimes requiring focus to prevent over-engineering.
Claude helps me translate conceptual ideas into working code quickly. This accelerates learning and lets me test assumptions through actual functionality rather than mockups.
Coming from biomedical engineering, building software feels similar to prototyping physical devices - you discover constraints and opportunities through the act of building.
Originally planned a complex network effects model with user engagement features. Realized the path to revenue was too long and uncertain. Learned that subscription models are more predictable for solo founders.
Built multiple features before discovering Apple's Screen Time API limitations for family sharing. The permissions I needed weren't available for distribution, only development. Now I check technical feasibility first.
Added too many habit-building games because I was excited they were working. The app became overwhelming with too many features. Learning to validate core functionality before adding variety.
Spent time building features with one storage approach before realizing I needed Core Data for persistent storage. iOS development has more gotchas than I expected coming from web development.
Shipping multiple focused products teaches more about product development than building one complex product. Each application highlighted different aspects of user behavior, technical constraints, and business model validation.
Started with social goal tracking. Learned about user authentication, real-time data, and the complexity of building secure web applications. Realized maintenance burden was too high for solo development.
Switched to iOS development for better security and simpler deployment. Built digital wellness app with screen time blocking. Discovered Apple's API limitations and over-built features from excitement.
Built Chinese reading app while Lotus was in App Store review. Moved much faster on second iOS app, applying lessons about scope and technical validation from Lotus experience.
Experimenting with MCP server to automate development workflows. Building tools to help Claude directly modify Xcode projects. Early proof of concept working.