One Year Into Indie Dev Life: Reflections On Leaving Apple
This is the story of how I went from working at Apple to taking a leap into indie development. What led me to make the jump? What did I love about working at Apple? And what made me realize I needed to go solo? Let’s dive in.
#1 - One Year Into Indie Dev Life: Reflections On Leaving Apple
I left Apple to build my own apps, have more creative freedom, and work closer to product and design. In this post, I share my journey from iOS developer to Apple engineer to indie dev—and why I made the leap.
By Mike Gilroy • 15 Feb 2025 View in browser
This is the story of how I went from working at Apple to taking a leap into indie development. What led me to make the jump? What did I love about working at Apple? And what made me realize I needed to go solo? Let’s dive in.
Before Apple: A Decade Of iOS Development
Before joining Apple, I spent nearly a decade working as an iOS developer. I built apps for a variety of companies—startups, agencies, large tech firms—each with its own challenges and ways of working. I shipped features for apps in different industries, learned what makes a good user experience, and got to see firsthand how different teams approached building for Apple’s platforms.
What I enjoyed most in those years was working closely with product and design. The best roles were the ones where I had autonomy but also got to collaborate with smart designers and product managers to bring features to life. That balance of ownership and teamwork was what made the work fulfilling.
But as much as I loved iOS development, there was always one company that felt like the ultimate destination for an iOS engineer: Apple.
Why I Joined Apple
For iOS developers, Apple is the mothership. I was always fascinated by what it would be like to work there—how the software I used every day was made, what the internal culture was like, and what it really took to build at Apple’s level.
When an opportunity came up to join the App Store team, I knew I had to go for it. I’ve always loved apps—not just building them, but also discovering new ones, following trends, and thinking about how people find and use apps. I felt like I had a unique perspective, both as a developer and as a customer, and this was a chance to contribute directly to the App Store experience.
And of course, I wanted to see behind the curtain. How was the sausage made? I wanted to find out.
What I Worked On At Apple
At Apple I worked on the App Store across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. My focus was adding new UI, animations, and functionality across the entire App Store, but I spent a lot of time specifically on the Today tab—the page that showcases curated stories, featured apps, and special collections.
One of my favorite projects was building animated mesh gradients for the Today page story cards. I had never gone this deep into animation before, and it was such a fun challenge to bring these visual elements to life. Apple places a huge emphasis on the details—animations, smoothness, polish—and I had the time to iterate and refine until things looked and felt just right. Working so closely with designers on something that visually cool was a highlight for me.
Animated mesh gradient backgrounds on the Today tab
What I Loved About Working At Apple
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about working at Apple:
The high bar for quality. There was always time given to make things work and look great. Unlike some companies where you ship and move on, Apple prioritized polish.
The impact. The UI I built was used by hundreds of millions of people. That’s a surreal feeling as a developer.
The people. I got to work with some incredibly talented designers, engineers, and product experts. I learned a ton from people who had been refining their craft for years.
And yet, despite all of this, I started to feel like something was missing.
Why I Left To Go Indie
After a while, I realized that I missed being involved in product and design decisions. While I loved building great UI, I wasn’t as close to the bigger picture as I wanted to be. At Apple I was executing on features, but I wasn’t the one deciding what to build or why.
I had plenty of app ideas I wanted to build, but working at Apple made side projects unrealistic due to conflicts of interest—especially since I was on the App Store team. That meant no iOS apps on the side, which took away a major creative outlet for me. Before joining Apple, I had spent years building my own apps, and I really missed that freedom to create and ship.
Then there was the lifestyle factor. I wanted more freedom to travel, more control over my own schedule, and the ability to work on things I truly cared about. Apple was an incredible experience, but I knew deep down that I wanted to take a shot at doing my own thing.
The Leap Into Indie Life
Leaving Apple wasn’t an easy decision. The security, the salary, the prestige—it’s all very tempting to stay. But I knew that if I didn’t take the leap now, I might never do it.
So here I am, one year into indie life. I’ve built and launched multiple apps, experimented with different ideas, and learned more than I ever expected about running a business. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, but I have zero regrets about making the jump.
This is just the start. Going forward, I want to share more about what I’m building, the lessons I’m learning, and the ups and downs of this indie journey. If you’re thinking about going indie yourself—or if you’re just curious about what it’s like—I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next post! 🚀
– Mike