Why I Decided to Become an Indie Developer

The journey is more important than the destination.

Backstory

For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of creating my own company and embarking on an entrepreneurial journey where I could be my own boss. However, I kept postponing it, partly because I’ve been fortunate to have great bosses and genuinely enjoyed my work.

During the pandemic, I found myself with more free time and decided to explore web development. My goal was to create an app to manage online education—a pressing need at the time as everything was shifting to the web. But after several months, I hit burnout; tackling such a massive project alone proved overwhelming, and I eventually set it aside.

Later, during the Hollywood strikes, which brought movie and TV production to a halt, many artists were left out of work or reduced to part-time roles. I was among the lucky ones working part-time. This extra time gave me an opportunity to reflect on the entrepreneurial journey I had put off for so long. I decided to learn Swift, and the rest of the story can be found in my first post, First post of the journey

Defining “indie”:

For me, being an indie developer is the ideal way to pursue entrepreneurship. It allows me to do what I love while gradually achieving financial independence. I have full creative control over my projects while also learning essential skills like marketing and product sales.

From a financial perspective, this approach is less risky. I can keep my current job while working on my apps, which reduces stress. I don’t want to find myself in a situation where I’m uncertain about how to pay the bills next month.

Freedom is another significant benefit. As an indie developer, I can choose how and when to work on my projects. Don’t get me wrong; being indie often means working longer hours. However, not being tied to a strict 9-to-5 schedule is a huge advantage—especially when you have kids and value family time.

Long-term vision

My ultimate goal is to create apps that I can share with others while earning a living from them. This would be the dream—doing what I love while maintaining a fulfilling career.

I envision a gradual transition. For now, my full-time job pays the bills, but I aim to flip the dynamic: eventually, my apps will generate enough income for me to work part-time, and ultimately, I hope to become a full-time indie developer.

I’m aware the journey may be long or short, depending on luck and the effort I put in. Whether I run or walk, the most important thing is to embrace the journey and learn as much as I can along the way.

I recently took a course about becoming an indie developer, which I highly recommend to anyone considering this path. From Side Project to Going Indie

Update of the journey

This week’s update is fairly light. I’ve had a few downloads for the macOS app, but overall activity has been slow. On the bright side, I’ve made significant progress on the iOS app, particularly the budget view—the most complex part. Once this section is complete, I anticipate releasing the app a few weeks afterward. My target release date is by the end of February.

One unexpected benefit of working on the iOS app is how it’s improving the macOS version. While developing new features and refining the UI for iOS, I noticed several areas for enhancement in the macOS app. It’s exciting to see these improvements come together and elevate the overall quality of both apps.