Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working hard in the evenings and weekends to get my app, Stepwise Improvements, ready for launch. I’ve had over 20 new builds, working on small code cleanup, test coverage, and uncovered bugs to make this one of the most exciting app launches for me.
I have taken my last TestFlight build from yesterday and submitted it to Apple for final review, and asked all my testers to do as much final validation as they can.
And if all goes well, the app should Launch next Saturday!
I have decided that I will be launching at a discounted initial prices of $7.99 (US), and based on country coverage, I will then do a full on update to localize it to the top three countries. I normally, spend a log of time on my new apps doing translation, but given that my competition is either free with rights to your data, or charging a yearly fee, I want to get this out there quickly.
The biggest challenge I have had with the app, was that I was developing it with iOS 18 and watchOS 10.6 as the target. Something I have not done in the past. Usually, when I build an app, I target the latest OSes and launch as close to the hardware launch as possible. I know this really shrinks my available market.
My two main goals for this app this year are as follows:
- Recoup my development costs for the year. In the past, all my apps have been more of a hobby, and I didn’t mind if I had a very long tail of sales. After being forced into retirement, late 2024, and luckily landing a new job six months later, I can’t afford to treat this as a hobby anymore. So, knowing that between hosting, developer fees, test hardware, classes, and setting up a new business entity last year, I have been pretty much in a deep hole for some time. And this year is a hardware upgrade year for me.
- Improve my own personal health. About 10 years ago, I had topped over 300 lbs. For the last 6 years, I’ve been trying to walk at six days a week and swim 1 day a week. I monitor my food intake, and have reduced to a significantly healthier lifestyle. However, my improvements have plateaued. After hearing about the NPR study on 5 minute walks every 30, 60, or 120 minutes during the working day; and it’s positive effects on a myriad of health issues, I decided to make this app. My current job, which requires me to track my hours, even as a salaried employee, makes it really hard for me to get the walks in. I am hoping that Stepwise Improvements will help me get it going.
I am also going to send a press kit to a few sites. I have put a kit together for Product Hunt:
And hopefully a few other sites to see if I can get some interest. Wish me luck!