Heliographe

"A suite of focused, privacy-respecting photography apps for Apple platforms that each do one thing well, built by a photographer for photographers."
0
heliographe.net
Maker: heliographe
no rev. info provided

Marketing Channels

Primary

Apple App Store

Revenue generated through App Store distribution; sole current sales channel

Secondary

Hacker News

Show HN thread generated positive awareness and user discovery

Planned

Cross-platform expansion

Creator actively looking into ways to expand beyond Apple platforms

Growth Levers

  • Expand to non-Apple platforms (Android, Windows, web) to multiply addressable market
  • Leverage the portfolio effect — users of one app (e.g. 65x24) discover other apps in the suite
  • Emphasize the 'Data Not Collected' privacy stance as a differentiator in marketing
  • Target photography communities and forums where niche tools are valued
  • Continue the UNIX philosophy of composable single-purpose tools to build a loyal power-user base

First Customer Strategy

The creator built tools to solve their own photography needs first, following a dogfooding approach. Distribution relied on the Apple App Store, with organic discovery aided by a portfolio of well-scoped, privacy-respecting apps that stand out in the market.

Pricing Insight

Revenue comes through the App Store. The creator mentions revenue has been increasing in recent months, enough to incorporate, but not yet enough to justify full-time work. Plans to evaluate full-time viability by 2026.

New Market Opportunities

  • Cross-platform (Android/Windows/Web) Creator is actively exploring expansion beyond Apple platforms to grow the user base
  • Vintage/experimental photography enthusiasts Trichromy app connects to historical trichromatic photography process, appealing to art photography and experimental communities

Key Takeaways

  • • Building tools that solve your own problems creates authentic products that resonate with similar users
  • • A portfolio of small, focused apps can create a discovery flywheel where users of one app find the others
  • • Privacy as a feature ('Data Not Collected') is a genuine differentiator that users notice and appreciate
  • • The UNIX philosophy of small composable tools translates well to mobile app strategy
  • • Side projects with growing revenue can transition to full-time businesses if given patience and a timeline
  • • Incorporating early when revenue grows helps keep things organized for eventual full-time transition

Sentiment Analysis

4 Pos

Notable Quotes

"Always a pleasure discovering a portfolio of apps from an indie developer that genuinely do one thing well, are well designed, and all have the coveted 'Data Not Collected' app privacy card to boot. — snackernews"
"I'm a user of the 65x24 app, I didn't know that the same person made the trichrome app, what amazing work! — gaoryrt"
"I'm happy for you. You are so smart and capable. — keen-keen"

Comments

0 total

No comments yet.