Navigating the Busy Days and Planning Ahead
Balancing Short-Term Hustle with Long-Term Vision
Hey friends 👋,
Have you ever noticed how some are swamped with work and others are wondering what's next? My recent experiences have been exactly like this. And I believe it all comes down to one element: planning.
However, last week was particularly hectic. Along with launching Brew & Build and revamping my personal website, I found myself immersed in three distinct projects, each at a different stage of development: one in the planning phase, another in marketing, and the third undergoing an update. Let's dive into the details.
Planning: Short and Long-Term
I'm an organized person.
Each week, I set goals, write down to-do lists, and schedule calendar events. While most of my plans are short-term, I always have a few longer-term objectives in mind. Actually, these short-term objectives contribute to long-term goals.
But, as I mentioned in my previous issue "A Quick Update", I only recently came back to work after a prolonged pause. And because of that, I was focused on the urgent and short-term goals.
Once these tasks were completed, I found myself at a loose end. Despite having ongoing projects and potential improvements, the absence of long-term plans left me feeling directionless, leading to unintended downtime.
And that was when I realized it was time to refocus on long-term goals. Once I made this shift, I went all-in working on different projects.
The importance of long-term plans lies in maintaining a sense of direction and purpose. Without it, there's a risk of losing momentum and falling into periods of unproductivity, even when energy and motivation are high.
Updating Mockup with StoreKit 2
Mockup is a freemium app; it's free to download but contains in-app purchases and subscriptions to unlock full features.
To handle in-app purchases and subscriptions, Mockup uses the StoreKit framework. StoreKit 1 requires server-side verification for purchases. I noticed that many errors can occur between the app and the server, or between the server and the App Store. Despite handling the majority of them, a few users occasionally faced weird issues that required them to restore purchases.
I'm aware that third-party services exist to solve these problems, but I always do my best not to rely on them in my projects.
Many of these issues were addressed when StoreKit 2 was released two years ago. I couldn't use it before as it was available only on iOS 15 and newer. But now that Mockup has dropped support for iOS 14, the transition was seamless.
I explored Apple's sample project and adapted my code for StoreKit 2. The integration was seamless and the result was smooth. This update is expected to reduce user issues related to subscriptions and purchases, enhancing their overall experience.
Trying Out Google Ads
Remember that new app I was experimenting with? It gained initial traction — impressions, downloads, and even subscribers.
However, the stats soon dipped. It appears that the App Store algorithm boosts new apps for a couple of days before they fall into their normal position.
The initial numbers indicated potential, but high competition in the App Store made visibility a challenge.
To address this, I've started experimenting with Google Ads. The goal is straightforward: if the ad spend leads to profitable returns from subscriptions, it's a winning strategy. If not, I'll have to look for other ways to put the app in front of those interested.
That's a wrap for this week. Thank you for joining me on this journey of development and discovery.