Christian Selig, an indie iOS developer known for his work on Apollo and Pixel Pals, discusses the challenges of design, the negative impact of changes in the Reddit API, using chat GPT for automating tasks, the impact of subscriptions in the iOS world, SwiftUI limitations, and upcoming features for Pixel Pals.
Christian Selig built Apollo, a Reddit app, to provide an exceptional user experience and became a full-time job for him.
Reddit's decision to monetize its API with unexpectedly high prices caused tensions and ultimately led to the decline of the third-party ecosystem.
Christian is currently working on Pixel Pals for iOS 17, prioritizing delivering a solid release and exploring new possibilities like interactive widgets.
Deep dives
Christian's Background as an iOS Developer and Indie Developer
Christian Seeleg is an experienced iOS developer from Eastern Canada. He has been working as an indie developer for almost 10 years, focusing on creating apps like Apollo and Pixel Pals. Christian's apps were driven by his desire to provide an exceptional user experience, offering something different and improving upon existing options in the market.
The Story Behind Apollo: Scratching His Own Itch
Christian's motivation for creating Apollo, a Reddit app, stemmed from his personal use and love for Reddit. He aimed to build an iOS-focused and user-centric Reddit experience that was unlike any other available at the time. Christian's goal was to create an app that he would want to use himself, and his vision resonated with the Reddit community when he previewed Apollo on Reddit. The app quickly gained popularity and became a full-time job for Christian.
The Challenges of Designing and Developing Apps
Christian discussed the challenges he faced while designing and developing Apollo. One of the key challenges he mentioned was finding a balance between design and programming. Designing interfaces posed a more nebulous challenge compared to programming, which had clear endpoints and solutions. Christian also discussed the difficulties in making design decisions to enhance user experience, such as incorporating swiping gestures while considering trade-offs and user preferences.
The Clash Between Apollo and Reddit
Christian explained the events that unfolded between Apollo and Reddit. Reddit decided to monetize its API, which posed financial burdens on developers like Christian. The API pricing introduced by Reddit was unexpectedly high, causing backlash from the developer community. As tensions escalated, communication broke down between Apollo and Reddit, ultimately leading to the decline of the third-party ecosystem. Christian shared his experiences of the misunderstandings and character assassinations that occurred during the discussions, highlighting the unprofessionalism displayed by Reddit's upper management.
Future Endeavors and Current Focus
Christian is currently focusing on working on Pixel Pals for iOS 17. He is excited about the possibilities offered by interactive widgets and plans to incorporate them into Pixel Pals. While he has some other ideas in mind, Christian prioritizes delivering a solid iOS 17 release for Pixel Pals before exploring new projects. He also mentioned his interest in the future potential of VisionOS and the possibilities it brings for innovative development.
