building apps since iphone 1 100+ apps | net worth $6.4M → $10M usd
Joined November 2021
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19 years. $6.4M net worth. I started from zero. Here’s what I learned building apps since the first iPhone. 🍎📱
launch-day downloads are a vanity spike. week-1 paid still-active (and what people say when they cancel) is the real signal
acquisition threads get likes. the cancel reason / support thread is free consulting most founders ignore while they sketch App N+1
habit: before you start the next app or feature, read the last 20 cancel/support notes. ship one fix that answers them
Apple made retention messages available for auto-renewable subscriptions
they appear in the cancellation flow and can include text, images, or a special offer. configure in App Store Connect (eligibility + wait between messages). Retention Messaging API access is available by request for per-subscriber message choice
developer.apple.com/news
developer.apple.com/help/app…
developer.apple.com/document…
tbh shipping code was never the scarce bit. getting through the gate clean and keeping people who already pay still is
when a vibe-coded first app sits in Waiting for Review past Apple’s 50% / 24h and 90% / 48h targets, it’s usually missing demo login, incomplete notes, or first-app scrutiny — not Apple secretly slowing the queue
write Review Notes like the only user who will ever see them is the reviewer
developer.apple.com/distribu…
developer.apple.com/help/app…
App Review Information is a product surface, not paperwork
demo account. special setup notes. a walkthrough video when the path is hard to reproduce. Apple says missing that info can delay or fail review, and on average over 40% of unresolved issues sit under guideline 2.1 App Completeness (crashes, placeholders, incomplete info)
habit before Submit: open Review Notes and ask “could a stranger approve this in one sitting with only what I wrote?”
developer.apple.com/distribu…
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Apple opened a Siri AI Developer Preview now. customer shipping “in a few months.” App Store submission in the spring
when the platform gives you a quiet preview window before the store opens, use it. don’t wait for “final” docs. ship to yourself and internal TestFlight, try asking your app the things real users would say, and fix the intents while nobody’s reviewing you yet
builders who treat previews as homework always feel late on submission day. the ones who practiced early look overnight when it goes public
developer.apple.com/news
I’m Ray 👋🏻
I’ve been building apps for 19 years.
If you’re a founder or just love tech, let’s #connect 💪🏼
Ray | $68K MRR retweeted
one concrete habit from years of App Store submits: a TestFlight build does not prove you tested on a real iPhone
reviewers still bounce apps for missing physical-device demo proof. here’s what I actually paste in Review Notes: device model + iOS version + the taps I made. cheap insurance. saves a full re-queue
I’m Ray 👋
iPhone developer in Kyoto rn.
Let’s #connect.
What r u building? 🧑💻
one concrete habit from years of App Store submits: a TestFlight build does not prove you tested on a real iPhone
reviewers still bounce apps for missing physical-device demo proof. here’s what I actually paste in Review Notes: device model + iOS version + the taps I made. cheap insurance. saves a full re-queue
Last 28 days, $71753, 85% margin.
I made $107,142 in October 2026
⭐️ TrustMRR — $42,531
📈 DataFast — $31,103
🏴☠️ Ship or Die — $18,990
🐥 Twitter — $5,619
🧑💻 CodeFast — $4,134
📧 MailCheap — $2,050
⚡️ ShipFast — $1,694
🕵️♂️ Stalkr — $290
🍜 Indie Page — $205
🛡️ ByeDispute — $202
🧾 Zenvoice — $118
🎞️ YouTube — $91
🦐 SuperShrimp — $68
🌱 HabitsGarden — $19
📚 WorkbookPDF — $19
💩 PoopUp — $9
I added a new revenue stream with MailCheap.AI, and PoopUp is back.
That’s 16 revenue streams with 0 employees, 90% profit margins, and time for the gym every day.
A new personal record, I think 🤗
imo the ops lesson most founders skip: review time is part of the product plan
you don’t control when a human looks at the binary. you do control when you submit, whether you have a simple update path, and whether marketing assumes a same-day approve
what I’d do: pick the ship date, then work backward with a review buffer. best-case clears are a gift, not a plan
This is pretty ridiculous..
Former Apple App Review chief said that relying on approval is the crime. Basically, getting approved doesn't mean your app isn't violating rules.
If the update never goes live on the App Store, 3.2(f) termination is unlikely. However, if it passed, the violation going live turns into the evidence used against you.
tbh App Review feels like two stores rn — one where a bugfix flips same day, one where a first binary waits
official line is still the same: ~50% under 24h, ~90% under 48h. what changes the experience is history + complexity, not the screenshot someone posted of a 60-second approve
imo: treat median review as a bonus. plan your ship date for the long tail
developer.apple.com/distribu…
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