App stores are dead. Buy the code: someone had the idea and spent the tokens building it. Why waste your own?
Nobody Wants Your Damn App
Nobody wants another app cluttering their phone—so why does every website keep begging us to install one? The web already perfected the experience: click, load, done. Maybe it’s time we stopped trying to ruin it.
Why freemium apps suck for everyone (and how Apple is killing paid apps)
I work on an iPhone app called Reps & Sets as a hobby project in my spare time. This week, my partner and I came to the conclusion that there is no
Manton Reece - App Store rent-seeking
Excellent article today from Ben Thompson. After laying out in detail why Apple has a strong argument in yesterday’s Supreme Court hearing, Ben moves to the larger question of the App Store monopoly:
App subscriptions were always inevitable
The future will be paid for in small increments
‘Vibecoded’ Apps Are Flooding the App Store. Is That Good for Apple?
Mobile apps are easy to make with artificial intelligence. That doesn’t mean people are excited to use them.
Sustainable Indie Software — Helftone
We have seen a large shift in the app economy over the past 7 years which has had a huge impact on indie software. In many ways, we have regressed to state which is simply unsustainable in the long term. If you only look at the highly publicised successes, you might assume independent developers are rolling in cash. Do not be fooled, the situation on the ground, especially on iOS, is actually very different – many indies are struggling to make a living.
Apps are too complex so maybe features should be ownable and tradable
Posted on Friday 29 Apr 2022. 1,955 words, 12 links. By Matt Webb.
WTF Is Happening to Delivery Apps?
Tim Sweeney on Twitter / X
Finally, American developers will be free to compete with Apple’s App Store and payment systems here at home!A solid move to free the United States from the crony capitalist intentions of Big Tech and Big Law. https://t.co/7NXHiQxhEf— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 1, 2025
GREG ISENBERG on Twitter / X
Apple JUST quietly announced something that’s a lot BIGGER than it looks: "the Mini Apps Partner Program"Apple is admitting that the future of software is embedded, lightweight, vertical mini-apps distributed inside bigger appFor founders who want to make $$ building apps:… pic.twitter.com/jZz7dU6w07— GREG ISENBERG (@gregisenberg) November 14, 2025
ZTA: Zero Token Architecture - Kelsey Hightower | PlatformCon 2026
Ersatz Free Trials
On Monday Apple announced that they are officially supporting so-called "free trials" for non-subscription apps. The reaction has been a breathless celebration that Apple has finally relented and given developers something we've been asking, no begging, for since the dawn of the App Store.But what
@pfrazee.com question. is there a technical reason why social-app forks are not able to quickly launch native apps? We have blacksky and mu and witchsky, yet no alternative social-app native apps. @rude1.blacksky.team I recall you putting out a request for development contributions to put out an app
I’m not sure aptroto and funding quite mix Traditional apps have easy moats (data/users), atproto apps don’t have moat unless it’s via features Vc funding pushes us towards are current world (few huge players that have “won”) A world where atproto has won is one of many small businesses
dietrich
🚨 the ecosystem is delicate #atmosphereconf there's a LOT of enthusiasm + talent, but: - no magical investor monies - grant options are THIN - many first time founders - many don't want investment - few other options - scary macro env it's a collective challenge we can just pay for things?
code and tests aren't the moat. they never were. no need for agents to copy a project. forking was always an option. the moat of an oss project is its community, its governance, and its ecosystem connections. agents will never be able to replicate that. don't hide. let's build in the open, together
