It's been a while since I released a new Hacking with Swift book, but that changes exactly 10 days from now because that's when I'm launching my next book.

So, mark your calendar for July 14th 2025. It's a big release – easily the most important book I've written so far – and I want to give you a sneak preview now…

We have a problem

Here's an uncomfortable truth for you: there are around 1.5 million apps on the App Store, but only about 1% are considered "financially successful" – that means earning over $100,000.

Obviously that doesn't include apps that were never trying to make money! But for the ones that are trying, it's not because of the code – and that's really annoying for us, because we just love discussing code.

We spend so much time talking about SwiftUI vs UIKit, SwiftData vs Core Data, MVC vs MVVM, and more, and the result is the App Store is littered with apps that worked technically but went nowhere.

Why?

Sometimes it's down to bad ideas. Other times it's bad design. Still other times it's bad marketing. I’ve seen brilliant developers struggle – not with code, but with naming, marketing, screenshots, pricing, launch strategy, and more.

But you can do better

You don’t need more Swift tutorials. You need a plan, and that's where my new book comes in. It's called Everything but the Code, and it's designed to provide everything you need to go from Xcode to App Store – from coming up with killer ideas, to launch strategy, to breakout success.

You already have the skills, and you already have the ambition. This is the roadmap:

Find app ideas with potential
Test, refine, and validate ideas
Stand out in a sea of sameness
Write App Store copy that converts
Create screenshots that pop
Design high-impact purchase screens
Make your launch unforgettable
Grow without spending a penny on ads

And ultimately, how to turn your indie apps into a career.

How this book helps

Honestly, some of these things I'm not great at – I would say I'm a 5/10 on design, I'm a 7/10 on App Store optimization, I'm a 6/10 on pricing strategies. But you know what I do have? A lot of friends who are experts in these things.

So that's why I've been talking to as many people as I can, sourcing their top tips for creators. You’ll hear how the best apps got made – and what they’d do differently today. This stuff isn’t theory. It’s battle-tested advice from people who’ve been there.

You'll get design advice from the Apple Design Award winning team behind Halide.
You'll get advice on building an audience from the Apple Design Award winning creator of CARROT Weather.
You'll get advice on creating apps that stand out in a crowded marketplace from the Apple Design Award winning creator of Crouton.
You'll get advice on generating long-term growth from the Apple Design Award winning creator of Slopes.
You'll get advice on monetization strategies from the Apple Design Award winning team behind Blackbox.
You'll get advice on creating beautifully polished apps from the Apple Design Award winning team behind Flighty.
You'll get advice on user testing from the Apple Design Award winning team behind Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja.
You'll get advice on making app development a full-time job from the newly minted Apple Design Award winning creator of The Art of Fauna.
How about getting monetization advice straight from RevenueCat and Superwall? Or getting App Store optimization advice straight from the creators of AppFigures and Astro?
How about getting analytics tips from the creators of TelemetryDeck? How about getting design advice from ex-Apple designers?

All these and many more are in the book.

I have been talking to so many people I admire to get their advice for you – to boil down the key lessons they learned, the mistakes they made, and the tips they have to help indie developers like you succeed.

Code got you started. This book gets you paid.

This book is designed to be your cofounder – to help you think like a designer, a marketer, a storyteller, and a CEO. It’s the difference between shipping and succeeding.

Everything but the Code will be available to buy on July 14th when the first chapters arrive, with subsequent chapters coming in the following weeks. You'll get a ton of videos too, plus checklists so you have quick reference cheatsheets for key tasks.

My goal is for every reader of the book to have all the tools they need to create their own hit app, because the difference between having an app and having an indie career is Everything but the Code.

Paul

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