Daniel and Manton talk about Manton’s impending rollout of Micro.blog to backers starting next week, and the merit of picking a specific launch date and sticking with it. They respond to a listener question about accounting practices, and discuss Apple’s apparent decision to stop updating the Workflow app, and what it means for the future of such functionality on iOS.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.
• Digimarc: The best mobile scanning solution today. The only solution for tomorrow.

Links:

• Micro.blog – Manton’s forthcoming microblog publishing service.
• The Gates of Chaos – Halle Winkler’s NSConference 2015 talk.
• Study Accounting – iOS app for learning the fundamentals of double-entry accounting.
• Baremetrics – Subscription sales analytics service.
• MoneyWell – Mac bookkeeping app by Kevin LaCoste.
• OmniFocus – Mac task management app from The Omni Group.
• Less Accounting – Online accounting software.
• Xero – Another online accounting app.
• No Updates Planned – Story from 9to5mac about Apple’s apparent cessation of Workflow updates.
• The Future of Workflow – Federico Viticci’s reaction to Apple’s acquisition.
• Automator – Documentation for Apple’s Workflow-esque Mac-based automation tool.
• AppleScript – Apple’s documentation about the canonical scripting language for Mac.
• Frontier – UserLand’s web-based outliner and scripting language.

Manton and Daniel react to Apple allegedly using private API from Clips, and what it means for their App Store apps to enjoy special privileges. They talk about Daniel’s consideration of a freemium approach for the next major release of MarsEdit. Finally they examine Apple’s new TestFlight features, speculate about the cause for a looming iTunes Connect shutdown, and follow up about the efficacy of responding to App Store reviews.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Zendesk: Bring native, in-app support to your app.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• Fancy Screwdrivers – Stephen Hackett and Federico Viticci talk about Clips’s private API usage.
• MarsEdit – Daniel’s Mac-based blog editing app.
• What’s New in TestFlight – Apple’s announcement about changes including support for multiple builds.

Daniel and Manton react to Apple’s surprisingly transparent “roundtable” meeting with several members of the press, and celebrate the many positive signals coming out of the event. They engage in a friendly debate about the likelihood that Mac users will defect to Windows. Finally, they talk about the merits of professional software, and the negative impacts that a poor market for such software may be having on iOS as a platform.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• TextExpander for Teams: The Productivity Multiplier.
• Indeed Prime: Apply to 100 Top Tech Companies with 1 Application.

Links:

• The Mac Pro Lives – John Gruber writes about Apple’s special press event outlining the Mac Pro’s future.
• The Reset Button – Matthew Panzarino writes about the Mac Pro announcements.
• Osborne Effect – Age-old adage about the risks of premature product announcements.
• Workflow Acquisition – TechCrunch story on Apple’s acquisition of the popular iOS automation app.
• This Might Be Our Fault – The Connected podcast discussion of Workflow’s acquisition.
• Panic 2016 Report – Panic’s reflections on the year and its struggles with iOS app sales.
• Coda for iOS – Prime example of Panic’s professional-grade app development for iOS.

Manton and Daniel discuss the opening of the WWDC ticket lottery, the correlated announcements about details of the WWDC Bash location, and Apple’s promotion of 3rd party events happening in the orbit of the conference. Manton reflects on his new decision to say yes to public speaking, and Daniel takes stock of recent reading around a “Going Pro” mentality. Finally, they react to the new ability for developers to reply to App Store reviews, and whether and how developers should choose to do so.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Zendesk: Bring native, in-app support to your app.

Links:

• San Jose Drainage Ditch – Image from Wikipedia of the Guadalupe River, near WWDC’s San Jose venue.
• Discovery Meadow – Location of the WWDC Bash.
• San Antonio River Walk – Texan example of a riverside parkway.
• Beyond WWDC – Apple’s guide to conferences and events happening outside of WWDC.
• Relay FM Meetup – WWDC-peripheral meet-up hosted by the Relay.fm podcasting network.
• CocoaConf Next Door – Conference near WWDC 2017 at which Manton will be speaking.
• The Power of Habit – A book about the effects of habits and how to establish or modify them.
• The War of Art – Steven Pressfield’s motivational book about pursuing your dreams with vigor.
• Turning Pro – Follow-up to The War of Art.
• Responding to Reviews – Apple’s advice to developers about how to respond to customers on the App Store.
• Customer Support – 2007 post from Manton about his rules for customer support.
• Sunlit.io – Photo-based storytelling app by Manton Reece and Jon Hays.
• Appfigures – Web-based service for tracking app sales and reviews.

Daniel and Manton talk about Manton’s decision to hire Jean MacDonald as Micro.blog’s Community Manager, and the psychological effects of transitioning from a single to multi-person company. They also react to this week’s Apple announcements, focusing mainly on Apple’s new Clips app and how it relates to Apple’s historic focus on facilitating user creativity.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Digimarc: The best mobile scanning solution today. The only solution for tomorrow.

Links:

• Guiding the Micro.blog Community – Manton announces the hiring of Jean MacDonald as Community Manager.
• @macgenie – Twitter account of Jean MacDonald.
• Smile – Mac software company where Jean MacDonald was formerly a partner.
• App Camp for Girls – Summer day camp for girls, founded by Jean MacDonald.
• MarsEdit – Daniel’s Mac-based blog editing app.
• Inessential – Blog of Brent Simmons, original developer of MarsEdit.
• History of Technorati – Summary from the company which appears nothing like it used to be.
• Clips – Apple’s forthcoming socially-oriented, visual mash-up app.
• Internet Explorer for Mac – Wikipedia page about the history of the once-dominant Mac web browser.
• Aqua Introduction Keynote – Steve Jobs announces Aqua at Macworld SF in 2000.
• Paper Airplane Icons – Daniel’s post about the use of paper airplanes as a metaphor for mail.

Manton and Daniel discuss Apple’s short-lived restrictions on editing App Store descriptions, weighing the merits of adding more semantic fields to App Store pages, and supporting a separate review process for metadata-only updates. They talk about Apple’s rejection of apps using Rollout.io technologies, and larger risks of depending on any 3rd party binaries or open source. Finally they consider the power of assuming certain labels such as “entrepreneur,” and how it frames your business thinking moving forward.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• Editing App Store Descriptions – 9to5mac reports on the change of policy by Apple, and subsequent reversion to status quo.
• Firewatch – macOS game from Campo Santo and Panic.
• Rollout.io Statement – Rollout responds to Apple’s rejection of apps using their hot-patch technology.
• CocoaPods – A popular package manager for iOS and Mac.
• SXSW – Austin-based film, music, and technology conference.
• Open Coffee Club – Worldwide directory of meetups aimed at uniting investors and entrepreneurs.
• Open Coffee Austin – Manton’s local club.
• 15 Years of Blogging – Manton celebrates his long blogging career, and looks back at some favorite entries.

Daniel and Manton rethink WWDC’s Apple Bash location, and celebrate the recently announced scholarship program for the conference. They catch up with Daniel’s productivity challenges, and lament the discipline required to finish any major release. Daniel checks in with his blogging habits and how they may relate to passion for MarsEdit. Finally, the two look to Marco Arment as an example of repeatedly trying new ideas and iterating on the aspects that work.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Zendesk: Bring native, in-app support to your app.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• WWDC Scholarships – Apple’s official invitation and guidelines.
• Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – Location of the 2016 WWDC Apple Bash.
• San Jose City National Civic – Possible location for the 2017 WWDC Apple Bash.
• MarsEdit – Daniel’s Mac-based blog editing app.
• Inessential – Weblog of Brent Simmons, original author of MarsEdit.
• Black Ink – Daniel’s Mac-based crossword editing app.
• Overcast – Marco Arment’s podcast listening app for iOS.
• Under the Radar – Indie development podcast from Marco Arment and David Smith.
• Castro 2 – Supertop’s iOS podcasting app.
• Supertop Podcast – From the makers of Castro.
• @manton2 – The sequel.
• Overcast Ads – Current inventory and pricing.
• Do What You Can’t – Inspirational video from Casey Neistat.
• Hardware Mind Virus – Episode 211 of ATP in which Marco elaborates on ad successes and priorities.

Manton catches Daniel up on Micro.blog process, while Daniel bemoans a loss of motivation and focus in recent months. They discuss strategies for increasing productivity through personal rules and changes of habit. Finally, they reflect upon the news that WWDC will return to San Jose, compare notes on plans to attend, and wonder about US border policy’s potential impact on international attendance to the conference.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• TextExpander for Teams: The Productivity Multiplier.

Links:

• New Schedule for Usernames – Manton’s latest Micro.blog campaign update.
• OmniFocus – Personal productivity app from The Omni Group.
• SelfControl – Open source time management utility for blocking access to distracting websites.
• WWDC17 – Announcement from Apple about this year’s developer conference.
• Moof Braü – Flickr photos of the Moof-branded beer that Apple may have offered to an underage Manton.
• OS 9 Is Dead – Macworld coverage of WWDC 2002’s mock funeral for the classic Mac OS.
• Jamba Juice – Popular California-based juice chain whose smoothies were once featured at WWDC.
• C4 – Wolf Rentzsch’s developer conference, which famously revived the Jamba Juice tradition.
• Erik’s DeliCafé – California sandwich chain that once operated a location at the 1 Infinite Loop campus.

Daniel and Manton react to the promo trailer for Planet of the Apps, and discuss whether it lives up to Apple’s name. They compare the show with other reality television such as the Great British Baking Show and Project Runway. Then they revisit the Siri/Alexa comparisons in response to Eddy Cue’s recent comments on the subject, and debate the wisdom or foolishness of Apple’s conservative approach with SiriKit intents.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Digimarc: The best mobile scanning solution today. The only solution for tomorrow.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• Planet of the Apps – Apple-backed reality show about “app development.”
• Motorola ROKR – Video of Steve Jobs presenting the iTunes/Motorola phone.
• Great British Baking Show – The PBS rebroadcast of the Great British Bake Off.
• Project Runway – Popular American fashion design competition show.
• Gary Vaynerchuk – Motivational entrepreneur and judge on Planet of the Apps.
• Dan Bricklin – Co-creator of VisiCalc.
• Mitch Kapor – Founder of Lotus.
• Jean-Louis Gasee – Medium blog of the former Apple CEO.
• Dave Winer – Inventor of RSS.
• Marissa Mayer – CEO of Yahoo!
• Bozoma St. John – Apple Music’s head diva of global consumer marketing.
• Eddy Cue and Ben Silverman – Interview at Code Media 2017.
• Starbucks Reorder – Alexa skill for automating Starbucks orders.
• SiriKit – Apple documentation for Siri’s comparatively more constrained developer API.
• TwIM Review – John Voorhees of Macstories reviews a SiriKit based Twitter messaging app.

Manton and Daniel talk about MarsEdit’s selection by The Sweet Setup as the “Best Mac WordPress Client,” and reflect on the psychological boost of having one’s work appreciated. They talk about the potential upside to Mac development and the privilege of having a head-start as long-time Mac programmers. Finally they discuss rumors of Apple’s “Spaceship” office building and what the office layout is rumored to be.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• Best WordPress Client – Stephen Hackett writes about MarsEdit on The Sweet Setup.
• @ismh – Stephen Hackett on Twitter.
• MarsEdit – Daniel’s blog editing app for the Mac.
• Inessential – Blog of Brent Simmons, original developer of MarsEdit.
• Future of Computing – Marco’s piece from last week about Mac’s possibly bright future.
• Channeling Steve Jobs – Julia Love writes about Apple’s forthcoming “Spaceship” campus.
• Which Is It? – John Gruber contrasts claims from Julia Love’s article with earlier claims by Mark Gurman.
• We Work Austin – Manton’s part-time co-working space.
• University of Texas at Austin – Manton’s alma mater.
• The Joel Test – Classic blog post from Joel Spolsky about optimizing work environments.
• Presentable #17 – Episode of Jeff Veen’s product development and design podcast on Relay.
• Typekit – Internet font service now owned by Adobe.