David Smith’s Expert Tips for Widgetsmith

This developer built 60 apps, with Widgetsmith being the most famous—a tool for customizing your iOS home screen.

Three key takeaways:

1. You only learn the real market size once you build and launch. What you think you love might be niche, and what you assume is too niche could blow up—so ship an MVP early to test real reactions.

2. Don't let low initial costs fool you into going free. As users pour in, support and scaling costs can spiral into something that tank your finances.

3. Widgetsmith's steady download streak is tightly linked to users sharing photos of their home screens on social media. If your product doesn't spark conversation and sharing, it's unlikely to take off.