(THREAD) Today is @coppiceapp's release. It's the start of my journey to hopefully becoming a full time indie dev. However, it's not the first time I've attempted this journey. And by a series of coincidences today is exactly 15 years after the start of my first attempt.

15 years ago today, I'd finished my first paid app: iWriter. It was a port of a Windows app and let you take advantage of hidden functionality in the notes feature on the original iPod. The app wasn't much, but it was the start of a dream job: being an indie dev.

I'd grown up with the Mac and loved the software on it. The extremely high quality, the focus on delighting the user, the individuals and companies that saw each other as colleagues to help out, rather than rivals to crush. It exemplified how I wanted to build software.

I'd dreamed of following in the footsteps of companies like @panic and @omnigroup. I read blog posts from indie devs, listened to them on podcasts. I watched Evening at Adler so many times, trying to learn from the likes of @wilshipley, @ccgus, and @brentsimmons.

I eventually sold off iWriter. At university I worked on my own ideas: Minim, Code Collector, Lighthouse Keeper. By the time I graduated, they weren't making enough to live off, but full of idealism and this dream of being an indie dev I tried anyway.

Unfortunately trying does not always lead to succeeding. I wasn't able to grow my apps. I burnt myself out. My mental health suffered. I failed. I sold my apps off and switched to doing freelance work for others. I could finally earn a proper living, but my dream had vanished.

So fast forward to today, when I'm starting my second attempt at this dream, exactly 15 years after my first. I hadn't actually realised the coincidence until after I'd set Coppice's release date. It's funny how things can work out like that.

15 years is a long time. It's also a lot more experience under my belt. I've worked on many apps, big and small. I've learned a huge amount from this amazing community. And while I still have the same ideals and goals, I now have a realistic plan on how to achieve them.

So I hope you'll join me on this journey. There's a long road ahead, but it starts (again) today. And it starts with Coppice, now available from https://coppiceapp.com