001. a new beginning 中
Notes from the Week
Information is surprise. From the perspective of information theory, there are two things especially worth doing:
- Things that surprise others
- Things that give you more options
Do one small thing beyond expectations every week. A life lived by the book is not worth recording.
Useful Tools
app-store-screenshots is a Skill built specifically for creating App Store showcase and marketing screenshots. It supports real-device screenshots, phone frames, marketing copy, and background layouts; includes a visual editor; and automatically exports images in Apple’s required sizes. (A godsend for indie developers.)
Products / Indie Development
A month ago, I submitted a utility app to the iOS App Store. I wasn’t expecting it to make any money, especially since the initial review alone took seven days. But half a month later, I unexpectedly got my first sale, which was incredibly encouraging. That sale also revealed that quite a lot of tax had been withheld. It turned out to be U.S. tax withholding on App Store income, so I eventually completed Form W-8BEN, the Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals). It was approved after a little over a week.
Then came the second sale. A $9.99 lifetime purchase had previously earned me $7.78; after completing the W-8BEN, the second $9.99 lifetime purchase brought in $8.49. My indie-development goal by the end of September is to reach $40 in revenue and successfully withdraw it to a bank account in mainland China.
This Saturday, I used Codex to take another look at the numbers. My app had received more than 2,000 impressions in a month, but only 22 downloads and two purchases. The purchase conversion rate was decent, but the download rate was far too low. One reason was that the App Store screenshots showed nothing but bare UI and weren’t appealing at all. I also had no ASO experience, and there was a gap between the app description and what the app actually did. I made a round of fixes and submitted the update—and, unexpectedly, it passed review within 24 hours. The review speed exceeded my expectations.
Books / Movies / Games
As someone who even uses Spider-Man as his WeChat avatar, I went to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Riding home from the cinema, I looked at the clouds in the distance, breathed in the humid air, and saw people still jogging in the park. I felt unusually happy and found myself humming a tune.