Do you know Adam Tow?
If not, you definitely should - he has some fantastic stories to tell. Did you know he once ran into Steve Jobs at a Sushi takeout restaurant which later led to a fairly in-depth email exchange between the two of them about the Newton? Or, that he organized a Newton protest outside of Apple? I learned all this from this recent talk at Deep Dish Swift 26’, and it was a delight.
Or, how about our favorite neighborhood alternative App Store developer Riley? He has battled Apple tooth and nail, and somehow came out on the other side. Armed with the wit and determination only found in a man who has the patience to actually make another App Store, his recount of how it was all finally approved is simply hilarious. In short, he basically gave Apple an ultimatum on which of his two apps they should accept during a long notarization process. I won’t spoil it, you should just watch the talk. Especially if you’ve ever been burned by App Review, you’ll find a little poetic justice somewhere in there.
…and I, of course, could go on. So many great talks, and even better people.
This week, I began to realize I’ve…kinda been around the iOS scene awhile now? Ya know? Like, I’m not new here anymore. If you will allow it, here’s how my oldest looked when I first started on Spend Stack, and what he looks like now:
🥹 They grow up so fast!
And, as the years tick on, as they do for all of us, life thankfully starts to arm you with more wisdom, perspectives on life, and new angles to look at things. In an industry where, currently, everything is changing, we tend to forget the best part of any app — it’s the person behind it.
This is the primary reason I lament Apple’s modern approach to W.W.D.C. — the community is fractured at the one single time during the year when it should be united most. Going to Apple Park, I’m sure, is a fantastic experience for the few who win the lottery. Though, it’s nothing compared to when seemingly every single person in this industry was in one central place.
AltConf going on next door, running down the halls of San Jose convention center, packed with iOS developers, designers, and Apple employees — you just can’t beat it. Every year, I plead with Apple on the developer survey to go back to this. I don’t think they ever will, though. And that’s a shame, because the relationships you formed, the people you met, the kind folks at Apple you could network with, all of those things could change the trajectory of your career. The best parts I’m talking about.
And, it’s the same still with social media. Twitter, in the before times, was a community and it felt like we were all there. Now, that’s obviously fractured too. Some are on Mastodon, others on Threads, a few kicking around on BlueSky, more still on X, etc. It’s changed quite a bit. For me? It was surreal to realize how others associate me with certain chapters of my career. Some personally know me from Spend Stack. Others, it’s the book series. Yet again, there’s more who associate me with Alyx or Elite Hoops. And, yeah, some hotshot bros know me as a vibe coder noob apparently. And honestly? I enjoy meeting every single one of them.
Where was I going with this again?
Oh yes — the people! The relationships. Events, social media, the places we can go, the way dub dub is held — all of that stuff will always change. No matter the landscape, though, I would encourage you to get around your people at least once a year if you can. Your other indie friends, the ones who work at giant companies, new kids on the scene eager to learn and show off their app. We don’t wake up and decide to start in this career just to met new people, it’s not why we do this, but it is certainly the best part.
Until next time ✌️