Ahoy! 👋

This time, Anton Gubarenko has a new piece for us to look forward to. In this week’s issue, he discusses what it takes to be an independent developer.

Follow him on X/Twitter & LinkedIn.

In case you missed previous issues:

• 5 Screenshot Hacks by Teodora owner of Designerants.

• App’s MVP by Damjan owner of dabo.dev.

• App Featured by Journalists by Grant owner of Pressdeck.

• How To Do Keyword Research by Wilmer owner of ASO.report.

• Building in Public by Anton Gubarenko.

Handle Out-of-Scope Expertise Collaboration

Being an indie developer is a big challenge and requires a wide range of skills. From taking responsibility for your decisions to managing different aspects of development — prototyping, design, marketing, and, not to mention, the actual coding — it can all get tangled depending on your mood or the complexity of the project. And that’s in the ideal situation, where you’re capable of handling everything yourself.

However, in most pet projects or indie apps I’ve worked on, there’s usually one common thing: helpers and caring people who want to join the journey with you — whether for free, for a share of the company, or just to get noticed. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how you work together.

Let’s split this all into step, shall we? We are working with structured programs and steps after all.

Know Yourself

Sounds pretty self-aware, but honesty in independent development is crucial. You might want to ship the app for a chosen few, but reaching a wider audience and having the general desire to make something useful — and something that looks professional (even if it’s for educational purposes from the start) — is always appealing. You want the app to look great, the UX to be smooth, the UI to feel like a magazine cover, and the screenshots to attract lots of users, etc. At this point, it’s better to check everything before you start. Will you do it alone, or will you need help? And believe me, even a small fraction of a company can be a tiny cost for a big unicorn to be born.

Example: I personally can’t draw well. Back in school, my best attempts were geometry drawings and blueprints. Landscapes? Still life? No way. That’s something that would take years of practice — and still, the result might not be satisfying. Should that block the app’s creation? Totally not. That’s why I didn’t stop when I took on an even more challenging task: an iMessage sticker pack with IT slang and phrases — TecTalk. More about it later.

You might say: “AI can do anything these days — why do I need to bother communicating or finding someone to help?” That’s a fair point. ASO, translations, and many other things can be done with AI assistants. That’s what I thought too when the first stable versions of text-to-image tools started to appear.

So, what was lacking for me?

Stability

Even the latest AI services still hallucinate, write strange text, and can’t maintain a consistent style — especially the one I chose, which was cartoon-style, to be honest. Let me show you the latest generated example:

Cartoon-style sticker design inside a single white cloud shape. A cute programmer leans over a small yellow rubber duck on a desk with a tiny monitor and keyboard. The programmer gestures animatedly while the duck has a comic-style speech bubble that says, “Are you sure about this variable?” Simple, bold outlines, flat colors, minimal background, cohesive composition contained fully within the cloud. Playful, tech-themed sticker with clean vector-style look.

And after that, I still needed to adapt the size (because of iMessage restrictions), make it fit into a bubble, and add text. So much work for a non-artist tech guy. You could try extending the prompt to 2,000 characters and waste your entire daily limit for just one sticker — doesn’t sound so convenient.

Feedback and Ideas Sharing

Brainstorming with AI that agrees with your every step and just says “Yes” is out of the scope of this article :) After a month of working with another person, they start to understand what you want — your preferred style, fonts, colors, and how to express the concept in a better way. You get different variants, better texts. There’s always room for a designer in the project.

We found what weak spot we have in a project and now we need to find the right person.

How to Find the Right Partner?

Choosing the right collaborator can make or break an indie project. You don’t just need someone talented—you need someone aligned. Look for key qualities:

• Clear and open communication.

Set expectations early: how often you’ll sync, how you’ll make decisions, and how you’ll handle disagreements. Pay attention to how they explain ideas, how they take feedback, and whether they follow through. Good communication solves problems before they become drama. And that applies to all sides! You need to provide the detailed task description so the participants can work.

Tip: Don’t pick the first one and skip the others. I’ve reached out to 10+ designers — half of them replied after two weeks. Would that be acceptable? It’s up to you. Yes, that might be due to timing conflicts or other circumstances. But remember, you’re searching in the moment while you have traction and passion. Will you keep that energy for two weeks waiting for a response? Doubtful. And even if someone is busy, they could simply say, “Sorry, I’m not available at the moment.” But a few times, I’ve seen messages read and interest appear a month later. Gather a list of interested people and choose among them.

• Realistic availability and commitment.

Indie projects live in the margins of people’s schedules. Be honest about time constraints—if one person treats it as a weekend hobby and the other sees it as a startup, it won’t work. Consistency beats intensity every time.

Another tip: Wait for your partner if needed. I’ve found perfect matches through previous work examples, but sometimes the designer was occupied with current work for a week. It’s worth waiting, since the result quality will outweigh the delay in the long run.

• Plan the steps and delivery schedule

Start with a small part to work on — a few screens, one feature, one sticker — and see how it goes. Will the deadline be met? How many edits will it require? Will the result meet expectations?

Where to Find Collaborators

The indie world is full of creative people looking to build something cool - but they’re not always in the obvious places. Try these:

• Reddit — subreddits like r/IndieDev, r/gamedevclassifieds, r/iOSProgramming, or r/SideProject often have collaboration threads.

• Twitter / X — indie dev Twitter is surprisingly active. Share your project progress, post about what you’re looking for, and you’ll often get organic replies.

• Discord communities — many have dedicated “collab” or “looking-for-team” channels (e.g., Indie Hackers, Indie Worldwide, iOS Developers, Swift, or niche design servers).

• Specialized platforms — sites like IndieHackers.com, WorkWithIndies.com, or Buildspace can help you meet serious builders.

For designers, for example, I can recommend Behance — the largest platform for showcasing skills and projects. You can search by keywords or specific design styles. That’s how I personally found a couple of designers for initial communication.

• Closed channels and invite-only groups — sometimes the best matches come from small circles or private communities. Ask friends, join relevant newsletters, or participate in hackathons where teams form naturally.

Start by talking, not hiring. Join a few spaces, chat with people, and see who vibes with your vision.

Win Strategy - Programatic Strategy

You’re working together, everything meets expectations, sync calls are going smoothly. And all of a sudden, the results start changing… delays in responses, mistakes in deliverables, no edits or suggestions. Many of these things can happen. Don’t let the obstacles you face stop you or ruin the project. People lose passion, get other projects, or decide to switch to different work. We need to carry on and move forward.

And the final result will amaze you — and then your users or customers. Like the first-of-its-kind IT Slang Sticker Pack for iOS: TecTalk. Ever heard about “Yak Shaving,” “Spaghetti Code,” or “Imposter Syndrome”? Now you can share your thoughts with others and express emotions however you like.

Want to learn more?

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