PodcastsBusinessWorklog with Shawn Hickman

Worklog with Shawn Hickman

Shawn Hickman
Worklog with Shawn Hickman
Latest episode

9 episodes

  • Worklog with Shawn Hickman

    The Day Nintendo Crashed Sofa's Podcast Player Launch

    12/04/2025 | 56 mins.
    In this episode of Worklog, I talk about the launch of Sofa's new podcast player. Specifically, the marketing work I did before the launch, how the launch day/week went, and what I've been working on after the launch.

    📺 Watch on YouTube

    Chapters
    0:00 Intro
    0:46 Small Talk
    1:05 CommunityKit
    5:58 Framous
    8:03 Camera Talk
    15:32 Not Just a Goof
    17:30 Podcast Player Launch
    19:48 Making Videos
    21:45 Website Updates
    25:01 Podcast Ecosystem
    29:45 Podcast Button Builder
    35:07 Dealing with Bugs
    36:33 API Server
    38:11 Launch Day/Week
    43:34 Post Launch
    50:06 What's Next
    55:30 Outro

    Things Mentioned
    CommunityKit
    Framous: Screenshot Frames
    Watch Not Just a Goof
    The 5 Best Things in Sofa’s New Podcast Player
    A Full Walkthrough of Sofa’s New Podcast Player
    Sofa Podcast Player
    Subscribe to Worklog with Shawn Hickman
    Podcast Button Builder
    Installer Newsletter
    Indie App Spotlight: 'Sofa' keeps you organized during your downtime
    Sofa Gains Podcast Playback
    Sofa Roadmap

    Links
    Sofa's Website
    Download Sofa from the App Store
    Worklog Podcast Website
    Shawn's Blog
    Notion and spreadsheet templates

    Follow Me
    YouTube
    Threads
    Instagram
    Bluesky

    Share Feedback
    Have feedback? Send me an email:
    [email protected]

    (00:00) - Intro

    (00:46) - Small Talk

    (01:05) - CommunityKit

    (05:58) - Framous

    (08:03) - Camera Talk

    (15:32) - Not Just a Goof

    (17:30) - Podcast Player Launch

    (19:48) - Making Videos

    (21:45) - Website Updates

    (25:01) - Podcast Ecosystem

    (29:45) - Podcast Button Builder

    (35:07) - Dealing with Bugs

    (36:33) - API Server

    (38:11) - Launch Day/Week

    (43:34) - Post Launch

    (50:06) - What's Next

    (55:30) - Outro
  • Worklog with Shawn Hickman

    The Final Push: App Launch, Marketing Prep, and iOS 19 Rumors

    21/03/2025 | 40 mins.
    In this episode of Worklog, I chat about some exciting Apple rumors for iOS 19, dig into the home stretch of launching my new podcast player (including solving tricky audio issues with ChatGPT Deep Research), and share behind-the-scenes marketing prep, from creating landing pages to capturing relatable photos of podcast listening in everyday life.

    📺 Watch on YouTube

    Chapters
    0:00 Intro
    2:15 iOS 19 Rumors
    7:59 Airpods 4
    9:28 DJI Action 5 Pro
    11:58 Severance
    12:23 What I’ve been working on
    31:11 Marketing prep
    39:39 Outro

    Things Mentioned
    iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History
    Someday, by Spike Jonze | AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
    Osmo Action 5 Pro - Be All In - DJI

    Links
    Sofa's Website
    Download Sofa from the App Store
    Worklog Podcast Website
    Shawn's Blog
    Notion and spreadsheet templates

    Follow Me
    YouTube
    Threads
    Instagram
    Bluesky

    Share Feedback
    Have feedback? Send me an email:
    [email protected]

    (00:00) - Intro

    (02:15) - iOS 19 Rumors

    (07:59) - Airpods 4

    (09:28) - DJI Action 5 Pro

    (11:58) - Severance

    (12:23) - What I’ve been working on

    (31:11) - Marketing prep

    (39:39) - Outro
  • Worklog with Shawn Hickman

    Deadlines, Launch Mode, and Knowing When to Ship

    11/03/2025 | 59 mins.
    In this episode of Worklog, I introduce my new podcast, where I share the journey of building Sofa, an app designed to help you be intentional with your downtime. I talk about why I'm branching into podcasts—both to better understand the podcasting experience I'm building into Sofa and to give listeners another way to enjoy my content. I also share updates on recent Sofa developments like CarPlay, Widgets, Shortcuts, and performance improvements. Lastly, I dive into "Launch Mode," explaining my strategy around deadlines, prioritizing tasks, and managing my workload leading up to a launch.

    📺 Watch on YouTube

    Chapters
    0:00 Intro
    1:24 Small talk
    7:34 Worklog Podcast
    21:19 What I’ve been working on
    40:30 Launch Mode
    58:48 Outro

    Links
    Sofa's Website
    Download Sofa from the App Store
    Worklog Podcast Website
    Shawn's Blog
    Notion and spreadsheet templates

    Follow Me
    YouTube
    Threads
    Instagram
    Bluesky

    Share Feedback
    Have feedback? Send me an email:
    [email protected]

    (00:00) - Intro

    (01:24) - Small Talk

    (07:34) - Worklog Podcast

    (21:19) - What I’ve been working on

    (40:30) - Launch Mode

    (58:48) - Outro
  • Worklog with Shawn Hickman

    When to Remove Features from Your App

    14/02/2025 | 26 mins.
    In this conversation, Shawn Hickman discusses the often-overlooked aspect of app development: the removal of features. He emphasizes that sometimes it's more beneficial to remove features rather than continuously add new ones. Through personal experiences and examples, he outlines the reasons for feature removal, including when features aren't working as expected, are broken, or when the product has evolved. He also shares best practices for effectively communicating these changes to users and managing feedback.

    Chapters

    Links
    Sofa's Website
    Download Sofa from the App Store
    Worklog Podcast Website
    Shawn's Blog
    Notion and spreadsheet templates
    Follow Me
    YouTube
    Threads
    Instagram
    Bluesky
    Share Feedback
    Have feedback? Send me an email:
    [email protected]
  • Worklog with Shawn Hickman

    Should You Offer a Free Trial? Here’s Why I Said “No” for My App

    30/01/2025 | 15 mins.
    In this video, I’m sharing why I don’t offer a free trial for my app, Sofa.
    When I first launched the Super Sofa subscription, I struggled with decisions around pricing and whether or not to offer a free trial. Most advice said, “You should offer a free trial because that’s what everyone does.” But that never sat right with me.
    Now, after a few years of running a subscription app without a free trial, I’ve gained clarity on why I don’t do it — and why Sofa’s freemium model works better without one.
    I’m not against free trials! They can work great for certain products. But for Sofa, it doesn’t make sense. In this video, I’ll walk through my thought process and explain why.
    📺 Watch on YouTube
    Chapters

    (00:00) - Intro

    (00:15) - A little context

    (02:05) - Camera car mount

    (03:11) - In the car

    (03:45) - Purpose of free trials

    (05:16) - Sofa is a freemium product

    (09:02) - What I've learned about Sofa

    (13:09) - Some advice

    LinksSofa's Website
    Download Sofa from the App Store
    Worklog Podcast Website
    Shawn's Blog
    Notion and spreadsheet templates
    Follow Me
    YouTube
    Threads
    Instagram
    Bluesky
    Share Feedback
    Have feedback? Send me an email:
    [email protected]

More Business podcasts

About Worklog with Shawn Hickman

Building an indie app business is a journey full of challenges, insights, and lessons learned. Worklog is a behind-the-scenes look at my experience designing, developing, and growing Sofa, an iOS app that helps you be more intentional with your downtime. I’m Shawn Hickman—a designer, developer, and indie app creator—sharing my process, what I’m working on, and the hard (and fun) parts of running a solo business. Whether it’s app development, YouTube, marketing, or unexpected lessons along the way, Worklog is an open journal of everything that goes into turning an idea into a sustainable indie business. If you’re an indie maker, aspiring developer, or just curious about the process, tune in—and don’t hesitate to reach out! 👋 https://www.shawnhickman.me/worklog-podcast/
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