Just shipped my first iOS app after 4 months solo.
Wrapped a 4-month solo build and shipped Reflect on iOS last week.
It's a journal app — voice transcription in 10 languages, paper-journal OCR, and AI insights over your own entries (Yearly Narrative, "Ask AI" with citations from your writing).
Stack:
- React Native + Expo SDK 54, EAS Build
- Firebase (Firestore + Cloud Functions on Node 22)
- Gemini via Vertex AI server-side, ADC — no client-side key
- RevenueCat for subs
- Native Apple Watch companion
- ~52 screens, 10 languages (EN/FR/ES/PT/DE/IT/AR/KO/JA/HI)
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6762427801 (Disclosure: my app.)
Happy to answer anything about the architecture, Expo 54 stability, or the server-side Gemini setup.
A few things I'd love this sub's take on:
- Vertex AI vs. AI Studio key. I went Vertex + ADC to keep the key off the client. It added boilerplate. Worth it for you, or do you stick with a key behind a proxy?
- Apple Watch companion. Has yours actually driven discovery, or is it purely retention?
- Cold launch with 0 followers. Beyond ASO, what actually worked for your initial distribution?
- Localization. Did shipping in 5+ languages pay off commercially, or would English-only have been fine for early validation?
u/reflectdiary — 2 hours ago