

Under the Radar
Relay
From development and design to marketing and support, Under the Radar is all about independent app development. It's rarely longer than 30 minutes. Hosted by Marco Arment and David Smith.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 12, 2024 • 28min
301: Pending Apple Release
The excitement of submitting updates for iOS 18 buzzes through the discussion. Developers share the challenges they face with new Apple OS updates, especially with timing and change logs. They express disappointment over certain API limitations that may affect user expectations. The podcast also touches on a successful fundraising initiative for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, highlighting the importance of tech in healthcare. Finally, they explore the unpredictable landscape of user engagement as the launch approaches.

6 snips
Aug 30, 2024 • 29min
300: The Aftermath
The conversation dives into the emotional rollercoaster of indie app development. Developers share their struggles with negative feedback and the challenges of redesigning an app while keeping loyal users engaged. They discuss the intricacies of navigating user expectations during updates and the critical role of thorough testing. There's a focus on the unpredictability of development, highlighting how feedback post-release shapes future improvements. It's a compelling look at the delicate balance between innovation and user satisfaction.

5 snips
Aug 1, 2024 • 30min
299: Mid-Summer Update
As summer zooms past, the hosts discuss preparations for iOS 18, highlighting the importance of deadlines and compatibility challenges. They reflect on a quieter development season, which allows for deeper focus on existing projects. The conversation shifts to the evolving features of the task management app, Things, optimized for Apple Vision Pro. A thoughtful debate emerges on the balance of sharing plans in the app community, alongside the secrets that protect app developers from competitor insights during crucial updates.

5 snips
Jul 19, 2024 • 30min
298: The Storm
The hosts discuss the launch of the Overcast rewrite, handling user feedback, and considering pausing the rollout. They reflect on recent app changes, rebuilding challenges, and the importance of testing in software development. Excitement for quality of life improvements and a sponsor mention for hiring platform Indeed. Managing customer feedback, prioritizing issues, and future plans for app improvement.

Jul 3, 2024 • 29min
297: The Storm Before The Storm
The hosts discuss the emotional journey of redesigning the Overcast app and navigating user feedback. They highlight adapting to user preferences, preparing for App Store submission, and implementing a new sync engine for the updated app version.

Jun 20, 2024 • 29min
296: Summer Plans
iOS app developers share their summer plans for feature updates, including beta testing and aligning with new iOS functionalities. They discuss platform maturity, technical refinements, and embracing new technologies like Swift concurrency. Planning app features, adjusting to new iOS versions, and speculation on future emoji releases and challenges with WatchOS adoption.

Jun 13, 2024 • 29min
295: WWDC 2024 Interview
In this special interview episode from WWDC 2024, Serenity Caldwell and Kristin Oro discuss designing great visionOS apps, transitioning from 2D to spatial interfaces, exploring SwiftUI and RealityKit for Vision OS, enhancements of Vision OS 2, and developer resources at WWDC 2024.

Jun 6, 2024 • 30min
294: WWDC Excitement
The hosts share excitement and nerves for WWDC 2024, discussing possible announcements. The evolution of WWDC into an online event, offering accessibility and valuable insights. Transition to interactive forums for developers with Apple engineers. Tips for maximizing in-person WWDC experience, focusing on connections and friendships in the developer community.

May 23, 2024 • 28min
293: Butterflies in the Garden
Exploring self-management challenges and time prioritization in indie app development. Importance of seeking guidance on platforms like Indeed for coding skills enhancement. Significance of project management and structured planning for project efficiency. Setting deadlines and making trade-offs in business for meeting goals.

May 9, 2024 • 30min
292: You Can Always Come Back Later
Explore the challenges of implementing offline map downloading features in apps and the importance of prioritizing core functionality over secondary features. Discover strategies for optimizing storage, maintaining search indexes, and creating user-friendly map management systems. Learn about balancing algorithmic complexity with practicality in app development for optimal performance.


