Launched

On the podcast, we talk with Ryan Jones about the power of product-driven growth, why traditional marketing strategies often fall short, and the challenges of acquiring users while staying focused on building great products. Top Takeaways: ✈️ Product is the growth engine Flighty doesn’t run ads or chase growth hacks. Instead, it builds features that users love enough to share. When the product delights, users do the marketing. Growth follows craft.📲 Design for shareability Virality isn’t an accident. Flighty’s most powerful loop came from obsessing over a digital flight log that people are proud to show off, building for moments users want to share, and driving organic reach without paid spend.🛠️ Stick to your superpowerTry traditional growth tactics, then walk away. Every time the team moved attention from product to marketing, growth stalled. Knowing your edge (and staying there) beats chasing trends outside your zone.📈 ASO over adsApp Store Optimization remains Flighty’s only paid channel. Beautiful screenshots, clear messaging, and owning key search terms outperform broad ad campaigns and let the product speak for itself.📵 Say no to distraction Ignore the conventional playbook: no Facebook ads, no paid UA, no spray-and-pray marketing. Flighty’s team builds what they’d want to use, stays close to user problems, and lets clarity guide the roadmap.About Ryan Jones:  🛫 CEO & Co-founder of Flighty.📱 Ryan leads the product, design, and growth strategy behind Flighty. It is one of the most loved travel apps in the world. He’s built Flighty into a top-ranked app through obsessive attention to detail, viral feature design, and user-first thinking.💡 “Every time we focused on product, we grew. Every time we chased marketing tactics, we stalled. We just keep building what users love—and they do the rest.”👋 LinkedInFollow us on X: Charlie Chapman - @_chuckycRevenueCat - @RevenueCatLaunched - @LaunchedFM Episode Highlights: [0:00] The elevator pitch: giving flyers real-time confidence[2:14] How Flighty’s digital passport became a viral growth engine[4:37] The unexpected power users: pilots, flight attendants, and crew[5:48] Why building product beats running ads (and how Flighty proved it)[10:03] Designing frictionless sharing for one-to-one and one-to-many moments[10:49] From failed “Spotify Wrapped” to viral success: the passport playbook[14:29] Why screenshots are Flighty’s most underrated growth lever[15:12] Owning App Store search: inside Flighty’s ASO strategy[17:51] How Flighty landed in Apple keynotes and why it matters less[19:58] Building for the dynamic island before users knew they wanted it[21:22] What’s next: exclusive features, new foundations, and staying ahead of copycats

Klemens Strasser joins the show to talk about his indie iOS game development career, winning an Apple Design Award, and how he built and launched his latest game The Art of Fauna. Video Version Watch the video version on YouTube Links & Show Notes Klemens on Bluesky Klemens on Mastodon Klemens on Twitter Klemens website The Art of Fauna Flexibits Ryan McLeod Vidit Bhargava Patterned Alba ARCtic Conference AppleVis Riveo Josh Mobley Music Leo Mehlig Jordi Bruin Hidde van der Ploeg Andy Allen Frederik Riedel More Launched Youtube Channel Website - launchedfm.com Bluesky - @launchedfm.com Mastodon - @Launched@mastodon.social Threads - @LaunchedFM Twitter - @LaunchedFM

Riley Testut, a talented app developer known for the iOS emulator Delta and the AltStore, shares his inspiring journey from Dallas to the world of app creation. He discusses the challenges of navigating Apple's strict app approval processes and the community-driven spirit behind AltStore’s creation. Riley also delves into the emotional ups and downs of solo development, emphasizing the need for collaboration and support among indie developers. His experiences highlight the importance of passion, innovation, and the quest for independence in tech.

In this festive chat, Jordan Morgan, an indie app developer and advocate at Superwall, shares his journey in tech and his side project, the Elite Hoops app for basketball coaching. He discusses transitioning from traditional engineering to developer advocacy while emphasizing work-life balance. From networking to creating apps that resonate with users, Jordan reveals the delicate dance between personal passion and market needs. He also reflects on crafting viable apps and the importance of strategic advertising for profitability. Get ready for insights and cheer!

Live in Chicago at Deep Dish Swift 2024, prolific Youtuber Sean Allen joins the show to talk about building his successful iOS development focused Youtube channel and his recent indie app Creator View. Video episode on Youtube Links & Show Notes Sean on Twitter Sean on Mastodon Sean on Youtube Sean's iOS Dev Courses Storyboards vs Code (first iOS video Charlie ever watched) PodcastAI @AetherAurelia Apple's Swift Student Challenge Deep Dish Swift More Launched Website - launchedfm.com Youtube - Launched Podcast Twitter - @LaunchedFM Mastodon - @Launched@mastodon.social Threads - @LaunchedFM Become a sponsor

Christian Selig, developer of Juno app, and Devin Davies, developer of Crouton app, join the show to discuss the launch of Apple Vision Pro and their experiences developing their apps. Topics include challenges of developing for a new platform, converting measurements in recipes, attending Apple labs, building a YouTube app, lack of access to Apple's APIs, the impact of being mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, challenges in the tech industry, and their social media presence.

Indie developer Jordan Morgan joins the show to talk about indie careers and the future of Launched. They discuss juggling creative projects, app branding, boosting Instagram posts for app marketing, and their goals and plans for the future of the podcast.

Jonathan Ruiz joins the show to talk about building and launching the link saving app Bridges. Edited by Jonathan Ruiz Links & Show Notes Jonathan on Mastodon Bridges Relay FM Mark Fransen Swift Playgrounds Hacking with Swift 🚀 Rocket Patrons Cameron McEfee More Launched Website - launchedfm.com Twitter - @LaunchedFM Mastodon - @Launched@mastodon.social Threads - @LaunchedFM Become a sponsor

Neil Jhaveri, the developer behind the Mac email client Mimestream, discusses the challenges and costs of building an email app, the significance of a reliable email client, transitioning from consulting to Apple, and the pros and cons of bootstrapping versus seeking venture capital for a business.

Ariel Michaeli, co-founder and CEO of AppFigures, and Neil Patel and Steve P. Young, internet entrepreneurs, discuss topics including nostalgia for old games, the transition to app development, pricing psychology, and the benefits of having an app. They also touch on Apple's AI team, Twitter's rebranding, and where to find the guest's work.