Matt Birchler used a Sketch template, SwiftUI, and rough early AI tools to become a native app developer — and today, his software earns more than either his blog or his YouTube channel.
Romain Lefebvre spent $100 on ads, refused to hustle on social media, and still built the most recommended media tracker on the internet — because he designed the app to market itself.
Matthew Skiles has spent 15 years hand-crafting the app icons you see all over WWDC videos — and he got his start with no portfolio, no formal training, and a lucky break.
Joe Fabisevich left Twitter three days before the Elon Musk acquisition to build a link-saving app — but a scrappy side project taught him the true power of a single well-placed press email.
Shipaton 2026 — RevenueCat's global hackathon for mobile app builders, August 1 to September 30
Andy Allen built a 2-person app studio whose most expensive subscription tier unlocks essentially no extra features — and it outsells expectations every year.
Eric Duffett had done $12,000 in total sales when a company offered $75,000 for his side-project golf app — and told him they'd crush him if he said no.
Austin Blake built a task manager in the most crowded category on the App Store — and it got featured in the Apple Newsroom.
Daniel Kennett nearly lost his house, his car, and his friendships building his first indie business — and then spent 11 years quietly building another one.
Bria Sullivan pitched a focus timer to Hank Green at the end of a meeting that was already over — and it hit #1 on the App Store.
A practical look at Apple’s new monthly annual subscriptions, what Google Play already supports, and where 12-month commitments might actually help.
Joe Allen built Teleprompter Pro without a CS degree, a marketing budget, or a plan — and it still became his full-time business.
