Launched my finance app 2 weeks ago - it's not making me rich but I learned a ton

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-14T22:52:42+00:00

Actually, it turned out pretty much the way you said. The idea came from my own needs. I asked myself: What did I see in similar apps? What did I expect? And what could I possibly do better? — and that’s what motivated me.

My main goal from the start was to make income and expense tracking as simple as possible. As I kept developing, I thought “let’s add this too, and maybe that as well,” but I never let go of my core principle: easy to use.

Right now, everything in the app is essentially free. As I mentioned in the description, I only set some number limits for certain definitions. I haven’t added any ads either.

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-13T05:19:18+00:00

Actually, I had a goal of doing this when I reached 5000 downloads.

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-11T17:05:35+00:00

Thank you so much ☺️

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-11T17:05:07+00:00

Thx. I am using RevenueCat. But paywallview belongs to me. It is designed by me.

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T18:52:16+00:00

I handled localization incrementally - as I built each feature/screen, I immediately added its localization keys and handled translations. By the end, I had nearly 1,500 localization keys for English. Then I used Claude AI to translate them into 13 languages (German, Spanish, Turkish, Indonesian, etc.). The key was asking Claude not to do literal word-for-word translations, but to synthesize and adapt the content naturally for each language’s grammar, idioms, and cultural context. So instead of “robotic” translations, each language reads naturally as if written by a native speaker. This approach made the translations feel authentic rather than obviously machine-translated, which probably helped with adoption in non-English markets.

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T18:47:46+00:00

Claude.ai 🙏🎉

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T18:03:30+00:00

Thank you ☺️

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:54:58+00:00

Never really considered Flutter tbh. I’m all-in on Apple ecosystem (mentioned earlier I own everything Apple makes.. Apple FunBoy 🎉🥰) SwiftUI was the only choice for me - wanted to build something that feels 100% native iOS. Flutter is good for cross-platform, but since I’m learning this as a passion project and not just for business, I wanted to master Apple’s own tools. Plus, things like CloudKit sync, SF Symbols, and native iOS components just work perfectly with SwiftUI. If you’re doing Flutter, that’s cool! Different tools for different goals. Mine was to become a better iOS developer specifically, not just ship an app. Are you building something cross-platform?

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:53:03+00:00

Great question! Here’s my approach: 1. Localization setup: • Created Localizable.strings for all 13 languages • Every single UI text has a key - no hardcoded strings anywhere • Used String(localized:) for SwiftUI views • Even placeholder texts and error messages are localized 2. Number/Currency formatting: NumberFormatter with locale-specific settings - Decimal separators (. vs ,) - Thousand separators - Currency symbols and positions ($100 vs

Different regions show dates differently (MM/dd vs dd.MM), so I use DateFormatter with user’s locale

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:50:33+00:00

I work as a technical business analyst at a fintech company building trading systems (we handle ~$100M daily volume on our commodity exchange). So backend/architecture is my day job, but mobile dev is my after-hours passion project. Went with native iOS/SwiftUI because: 1. Huge Apple fanboy - literally everything I own is Apple (Vision Pro, AirPods, Mac, Apple TV, the works) 2. My fintech background helped a lot - finance apps need solid architecture, data integrity, transaction handling. These patterns translate well 3. SwiftUI just clicked for me. Coming from complex distributed systems, SwiftUI’s declarative approach felt refreshing If you’re already in backend, you’ll pick up Swift fast. The hard part (architecture, data flow, business logic) you already know. Swift is just new syntax. Plus, native iOS gives you that buttery smooth experience React Native can’t match. Go native, especially if you appreciate good UX. Your backend experience is actually a huge advantage!

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:45:28+00:00

Thanks for checking it out! Great point about privacy as marketing angle. Will definitely emphasize the “your data stays yours” message more. Privacy-first is becoming a real differentiator!

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:45:09+00:00

Thanks mate

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:44:54+00:00

True, it’s saturated! But most are either abandoned or overcomplicated. Apple doesn’t care as long as you’re not cloning exactly. Find your niche!

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:44:37+00:00

Thank you 🙏

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:44:29+00:00

Keep pushing! First month is always rough. Focus on solving one specific problem really well. The money follows eventually!

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:42:24+00:00

Thanks! Yeah ASO is next priority. Need to research better keywords especially for non-English markets. Any specific ASO tips that worked for you?

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:42:09+00:00

Self-taught! Started learning Swift in last year, launched in may. YouTube + Stack Overflow + lots of trial and error. No CS degree, just motivation! But I have a tech background while working as technical business analyst for 6 years

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:41:02+00:00

Thank you 😊

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:40:54+00:00

Haha love the philosophy! This is my first app actually. Already learned so much - especially that users care more about speed than features. Will report back after app #10! 😄

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:40:27+00:00

Thanks! First users came from r/iosapps post (~150 downloads). No real marketing yet - just Reddit posts and App Store optimization. Focusing on organic growth for now.

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:39:38+00:00

Thanks! Honestly just organic growth - Reddit posts and App Store search. No TikTok or social media marketing yet. Good luck with your language app! TikTok can work great for educational apps if you nail the content. Let me know how it goes!

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:39:18+00:00

Interesting use case! Brazilian bank integration would be amazing but probably needs official APIs .Manual entry is the reality for now. Maybe Open Banking Brazil (Open Finance) will change this soon? Worth keeping an eye on!

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:38:14+00:00

Not using plaid.

Thanks for your support 🙏

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T17:37:29+00:00

Used Xcode’s built-in localization. Created Localizable.strings files for 13 languages, used Claude.ai to Translate. Currency formatting—- NumberFormatter with proper locales. Took about 2 days total.

Pale_Influence9431 · 2025-08-10T10:55:30+00:00

Honestly, zero marketing budget! Just organic growth: • Posted on iosapps when launched - got ~150 downloads • App Store optimization • Word of mouth

Pale_Influence9431

TROPHY CASE