The Advantages of Working On an App You Care About — Christian Selig, Apollo

Sub Club by RevenueCat

On the podcast: The benefits of building something you personally care about, how to balance user feedback with product intuition, and why process, frameworks, and outside advice are often worth ignoring.

Key Takeaways:

🚀 You don’t need complex processes to build a successful product

Building something meaningful doesn’t always require elaborate processes or formal business structures. With passion, a clear vision, and consistent execution, developers can create successful products without overcomplicating the journey.

🔄 A strong feedback loop with your community can drive product evolution

Engaging with an active user community creates a continuous feedback loop that helps developers iterate faster and build more relevant features. Listening to real users and balancing their input with your vision can transform a product into something that truly resonates.

📈 Pricing strategies require experimentation, not perfection

Initial pricing doesn’t need to be perfect. By experimenting with different price points over time, you can find a balance that works for your users. Significant price increases might not impact demand as much as you’d expect, giving you room to adjust and optimize without overthinking the starting point.

💡 Reactive development can lead to faster, more informed decisions

Acting quickly in response to persistent customer requests can help validate new features and insights faster. Instead of over-analyzing, shipping updates rapidly provides real-world feedback that guides better decision-making.

💸 Plan for risks when relying on third-party dependencies

Building heavily on a third-party API can expose you to unexpected changes in pricing or policies, potentially leading to unsustainable costs. Always evaluate the long-term stability and alignment of external platforms with your business goals to safeguard against disruption.

About Guest

👨‍💻 Indie iOS developer and creator of the Apollo for Reddit app.

📱In addition to Apollo, Christian is also the creator of Juno, Pixel Pals, and a burgeoning YouTube channel.

👋 LinkedIn

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Episode Highlights

[3:33] Origin story: Christian’s time at Apple and path to indie development.

[4:58] Positive feedback loop: How collecting user input from Reddit users helped shape Apollo.

[8:23] Go your own way: There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for creating a successful app.

[15:25] Passion project: Truly caring about what you’re building is one of the most important factors for success.

[26:48] Just say no: How to decline feature requests without alienating your users.

[30:10] Choose your own adventure: Understanding the venture-backed model versus indie development.

[36:30] End of the line: How and why Christian made the decision to shut down Apollo.

[47:40] Vision for the future: Christian’s post-Apollo projects: Juno, Pixel Pals, and YouTube.