Andrey Ilnitsky

17/10/2025

Built my first Pomodoro timer.

                        

24/09/2025

nothing is worse than living for engagement.

likes and views are nice, but if numbers on a screen are your only motivation, both your product and your life feel empty.

focus on building systems, learning, and solving real problems.

                        

23/09/2025

how to pick a niche?

I love running, I know the space, and I’m excited to build in it.

why would I need more than that?

10/09/2025

Most devs dream of building their own.

But many don’t know how to do it. I get it.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for 20+ years.

Now I’m going solo in iOS, step by step.

Want to know what building a solo iOS business looks like?

I started a Substack to share the real story as it happens.

Hope to see you there.

Building a profitable one-person iOS app business. Sharing my proven steps to help you do the same. Click to read IndieUp.me Newsletter, by Andrei Ilnitskii, a Substack publication. Launched 5 months ago.

16/05/2025

Want to know who to look at before launching your app?

Look at the apps featured by the App Store.

Why it matters:

– Apple promotes apps that reflect its values

– They shape what users expect

– They set the bar for design, presentation, and quality

Even if you're building something unique - it's useful to see what Apple considers worth highlighting.

It’s a free and reliable way to study the market.

04/05/2025

I used to feel all over the place when prepping for a launch - so I built myself a structured checklist in Notion.

It’s a set of 120 questions to help indie iOS devs spot weak points before shipping.

Free. Might help someone here too:

What is it?This is a self-checklist of 120 questions for iOS developers preparing their app for the first release.Provided as a Notion page - easy to use right in your browser.How it helpsTo understand the structure and flow of building an app.It also helps you clear your thoughts, spot weak points,...

02/05/2025

Here’s what helps me stay clear and steady as an indie dev:

- Eat plant-based to stay light and focused
- Avoid alcohol to stay clear-headed
- Train daily to get out of my head
- Do yoga to slow down and reset
- Avoid comparing my timeline to others
- Create things I wish existed when I was younger
- Trust the system more than my moods

02/05/2025

Naming is one of the first challenges when creating an app.
I started digging into it - and, as is often the case, Apple isn’t very specific.
But here’s what I’ve found so far.

Apple doesn’t require complete uniqueness, but:

- if your name is too similar to another app, it may get rejected during review,
- trademark holders can file complaints - and your app might be removed.

To minimize the risks, here’s what I do:

1. Check for similar names in the App Store
2. Check trademarks:
- tmsearch.uspto.gov (US)
- tmdn.org (TMview, EU and beyond)
3. Read Apple’s official sources:
- App Store Review Guidelines → sections 4.1 and 5.2.1
- App Store Connect Help → App Information

Takeaway: even if your app name seems simple and “invisible,” it’s worth checking - it might save you time and a rejected submission.

01/05/2025

There’s a lot of noise around AI productivity hacks - Cursor, Copilot, ChatGPT on steroids.

But for me, the real game changer has been investing in my own operating system - mind & body.

Here’s what’s been working lately:

- Same sleep schedule every day (for an artist, that’s the real challenge 😅)

- Daily light workouts - nothing heroic, just movement

- Yoga, easy to pair with a podcast

- Fully switched to whole-food vegan - no junk, no shortcuts

Before I upgrade tools, I upgrade myself.

01/05/2025

If you’re stuck, start small.

Whether it’s running or coding, daily effort - even if tiny - adds up to something extraordinary.

29/04/2025

The system won’t guarantee your app’s success.

But it can help you spot mistakes early and stack the odds in your favor.

I put together a 120-question checklist to help with exactly that.

Take a look 👇

What is it?This is a self-checklist of 120 questions for iOS developers preparing their app for the first release.Provided as a Notion page - easy to use right in your browser.How it helpsTo understand the structure and flow of building an app.It also helps you clear your thoughts, spot weak points,...