Release Notes

Release Notes is a weekly podcast about building online businesses and financial freedom. We discuss inspiration, design, marketing, promotion, business, trends, and tools – everything but the code. Each week, we cover topics for the new or curious independent developer looking to launch or grow online business. Whether your business is SaaS, desktop software, mobile apps, consulting, or a productized service, here you’ll find tips for success as well as warnings about the pitfalls we’ve encountered along the way. The show is hosted by Charles Perry, owner of RelaNet, and Joe Cieplinski, Creative Director of Bombing Brain Interactive.

#450: Finale

Episode 450! Today we announce that this will be final episode of the Release Notes podcast. We talk about what led to this decision, what comes next, and we take a look at the journey we shared for the last 8+ years.

01-03
31:22

#449: I Feel Like Taking a Nap

It’s the end of 2021, so today we look forward to 2022 and what we hope to achieve. Joe talks about the upcoming inflection point he faces with his current long-term contract, and Charles discusses his marketing and technical goals for the upcoming year. Mailing List Every month there are more great articles and content […]

12-27
30:52

#448: More to the Right than Up

Today we continue with our look at how we did living up to the goals that we set for ourselves in 2021. Last week we focused on Joe. This week it’s Charles’ chance to be in the hot seat as we evaluate his progress in 2021. Mailing List Every month there are more great articles […]

12-20
35:56

#447: More Like an Envelope

As is our tradition, today we start taking a look at how we did living up to the goals that we set for ourselves in 2021. In this episode we review Joe’s goals and get caught up on how he did this year. Mailing List Every month there are more great articles and content about […]

12-13
34:37

#446: Smallest Fish in the Pond

Today we discuss Charles’ ad campaigns in 2021 and look forward to 2022. We talk about why RelaNet’s final advertisement in 2021 was rejected, risks that this cancellation have revealed in RelaNet’s marketing plan, and RelaNet’s advertising plan for 2022. Mailing List Every month there are more great articles and content about the business of […]

12-06
30:00

#445: Not JavaScript

Today Charles takes his turn on the couch and talks to Joe about some problems he’s been dealing with. We talk about a feature update that has taken much longer than expected, how to push a contractor to make more progress, and a newly discovered issue with Charles’ e-signature tool that could be catastrophic if […]

11-29
31:49

#444: Hundreds and Hundreds of Rejections

Today we are again discussing the Apple vs Epic lawsuit. This time we talk about the recent court order that denied Apples motion to delay removal of the App Store anti-steering provisions, what Apple’s next move might be, and we read the tea leaves a bit to try to better understand how the court might […]

11-15
32:27

#443: Sort by Revenue

Charles has returned from Hawaii, so today we discuss how indies can plan ahead to have more relaxing vacations. We talk about things you can do before your vacation to minimize work interruptions, the seeming necessity of doing at least some work while on vacation and how that work can be minimized, and the inevitable […]

11-08
32:55

#442: Love Letters to Laptops

Today we talk about the recent Apple Event and the new line of laptops that Apple announced. We discuss the new technology in Apple’s new CPUs, the return of ports on MacBook Pros, and why Joe isn’t as thrilled with the announced changes as everyone else seems to be. Mailing List Every month there are […]

11-01
37:51

#441: Jonathan Rhyne (part 2)

We are joined again today by Jonathan Rhyne, CEO and Co-Founder of PSPDFKit. We invited Jonathan on the show again because PSPDFKit just raised its first round of funding. Today Jonathan continues addressing the question Charles and Joe were both asking: “Why take funding now, after so many years of bootstrapping?” Mailing List Every month […]

10-25
38:18

#440: Jonathan Rhyne (part 1)

We are joined today by Jonathan Rhyne, CEO and Co-Founder of PSPDFKit. We invited Jonathan on the show again because PSPDFKit just raised its first round of funding. Jonathan gives us an overview of the company, and then he starts to answer the question Charles and Joe were both asking: “Why take funding now, after […]

10-18
30:30

#439: Locked in the Pokey

In this episode Charles shares the story of how he can’t get Apple to quit sending him money. Charles hasn’t had an app available in the iOS App Store for years, and yet he hasn’t found the magic incantation that is required to cancel all auto-renewing subscriptions. Until today that is. (Maybe.) Mailing List Every […]

10-11
30:30

#438: A Series of Red Flags

Today we catch up on the goings on in our businesses. Joe talks about dumping the Apple Card and selecting a new credit card, we discuss the differences between personal and business credit cards, and then Charles shares the story of a customer that he fired after only one day. Mailing List Every month there […]

10-04
27:47

#437: Definitely a Pipe Dream

Today we look at the recent settlement between Apple and the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) that will allow so called “reader apps” in the App Store to direct their customers to outside payment methods. We talk about what exactly has been announced about the settlement, and then we read between the lines to try […]

09-27
33:17

#436: Photos of Bugs

Today we’re talking about the recent Apple event, and the hardware that was introduced. We discuss the trouble that Joe ran into ordering his new iPhone, all the new hardware that was announced, and which iPhone Charles is going to order this year. Mailing List Every month there are more great articles and content about […]

09-20
32:07

#435: Swimming with Turtles

Today we talk about a grab bag of issues that have been on our mind. Joe talks about a tax problem that he’s run into, Charles shares a nice resource for writing checks, and then we talk about the importance of getting away and disconnecting on vacation. Mailing List Every month there are more great […]

09-13
29:43

#434: More Than a Vibe in the Air

Joe attended a conference! Live and in-person! So today Charles talks to Joe about his time attending 360iDev in Denver. We find out what it was like attending an in-person conference in the midst of a pandemic, hear about some of the talks that were presented (including his own keynote), and get his thoughts on […]

09-06
33:09

#433: We’re Looking at You, Comic Sans

Today we continue the discussion about website design that we began last week. We talk about how to select great fonts for your website, being careful with contrast, and some considerations to keep in mind when looking at stock photography for your website. Mailing List Every month there are more great articles and content about […]

08-30
31:05

#432: Poopy Brown

Today we’re talking about design, specifically website design. We start with an brief introduction to color theory and talk about tools that can be used to help you choose color schemes that look great. Then we shift gears to discuss logos, and talk about the importance of creating different versions and formats of the same […]

08-23
28:43

#431: The Longest Sherlock Ever

Today we talk about the latest fuss to overtake our technology community: 1Password and its decision to use Electron for the next version of its password manager rather than native technologies. We discuss the background of the change, why people are upset, and why this is probably the right move for 1Password despite the controversy. […]

08-16
32:49

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