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nikolai_tarasov

5 karma · joined March 27, 2023

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nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
You can send an email to hello@swiftapplab.com.
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
Fixed, thanks for pointing this out. I was going to add an additional question - answer there and it slipped from my attention.
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
I've been trying to be active on X and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/swiftapplab/). Also I tried cold emails campaign recently (via Instantly).
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
Thanks for your feedback! I just added an email on the bottom of the page. Also there are links to my LinkedIn and X (Twitter) where you can DM me.
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
I appreciate your feedback! While some clients prefer to outsource development overseas, others prefer to work with "local" US agency, since I'm located in Texas. Some clients may also have a project with sensitive information they don't want to send offshore (I worked on such projects). The local presence and commitment to client confidentiality can further differentiate SwiftAppLab from overseas outsourcing options.
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
A "productized agency" is a type of agency that offers standardized services packaged as products, often with clear pricing, deliverables, and processes. Productized agencies often specialize in specific areas, such as iOS development with SwiftUI, like SwiftAppLab. This means you're working with experts who have in-depth knowledge and experience in their field, leading to better outcomes for your project. Additionally, productized agencies typically offer transparent pricing and clearly defined deliverables, making it easy to understand what you'll get for your investment. This eliminates guesswork and helps you budget effectively.

I used to work for Fidelity Investments, helping them build their enterprise-wide Design Language System for iOS in SwiftUI. I remember how challenging it was to find SwiftUI experts. Many candidates who claimed experience with SwiftUI on their resumes actually had only basic knowledge. SwiftUI significantly speeds up iOS development that's why it's in high demand currently.

When you work with a productized agency, you don't need to "hire" them. Some clients schedule a quick intro call, while others subscribe to a plan and start adding their tasks immediately. The beauty of productized agencies is that you can pause or cancel your subscription, unlike with "non-productized" agencies, where you have a contract. In productized agencies, there are no terms like "hire" or "fire", but rather "subscribe", "pause", "unpause", or "cancel".

This way of working isn't for everyone. If you require your developers to attend meetings or need invoices with line items and hourly breakdowns, SwiftAppLab may not be the best fit. Additionally, while I specialize in native iOS development with SwiftUI, I can't be an expert in everything. If you need help with ReactNative or Flutter, for example, I'm not the best fit.

nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
Good idea, thanks for your valuable feedback!
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
A request is a task on the board. Usually it is a bit of work which can be accomplished in up to 2 days. If takes more than 2 days, then create a separate task. For the Pro plan, it states "2 requests at a time" which means I'll have to work 2x harder to complete 2 tasks during the same time frame I would complete 1 request in the standard plan. In subscription model there's no concept of "business day" and "weekend", every day is a business day. So if a client creates a task on Friday evening, for me it is still up to 2 days to complete it regardless if it's a weekend or not. Usually I try to deliver as soon as possible and to keep the high quality at the same time. I value client satisfaction and believe in long business relationships and a word of mouth.

Also, in SwiftAppLab client portal (Login button), I use Breeew for tasks and subscription management (see more at https://breeew.com/). By the way, Breeew was built by an indie hacker and the tool is pretty powerful, convenient and user friendly.

nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: Solo founder launched iOS Development Agency as a Subscription
The original plan was to run the agency with a co-founder, but since the beginning and in the nearest future I'm going solo, until my co-founder frees up from his full time job. That's why I used "we". Now there's a trend with productized agencies so I wanted to show mine because I haven't seen many such agencies in native iOS development. If you have any constructive feedback - I welcome it ;)
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: iOS Development as a Subscription
Actually that text is a leftover and it supposed to be updated. Thank you for pointing out! You're completely right, the point of subscription-based model is that you don't worry about the clock but just get your feature requests done for a fixed monthly fee. There's no contracts in this model and the subscription can be paused, for example, when there's operational pause or no dev work to do, or cancelled anytime for any reason.
nikolai_tarasov··on Show HN: A single developer from Dallas TX is building an iOS app startup
The app is going to have an ability to make a picture of a repair/improvement service. For example, I need to install a new ceiling fan so in just a few quick steps I will be able to post my project which will include pictures. Providers will be able to send offers for projects. For them a mobile app maybe convenient since they are all day on wheels traveling from one customer to another. I decided to start with iOS apps because I am an iOS engineer. If this works out, I'll plan to expand it to other platforms with some additional help.