From Idea to App Store

In retrospect, I should’ve done more research and taken my time before publishing my app. But most of the advice online said the same thing: ship fast. Get an MVP out there and then iterate. I even heard someone say the first version of your app should be embarrassing—if it’s not, you waited too long. In some ways that’s good advice. Something that lives only on your machine is useless, no matter how polished it is.

Still, I wish I’d looked more into the process of publishing on the app stores. I had an MVP that felt ready, so I registered as an Android developer for a one-time payment of $25 and went through the verification process. My plan was to release on Android first, test viability, and then publish on iOS.

I had read horror stories about the mandatory closed test for first-time developers—apps getting rejected without clear reasons. Surprisingly, my two-week closed test went smoothly, maybe because my app was simple. I gathered feedback, pushed updates, and added features. At the end of the two weeks, it was approved for production.

Then came the surprise: my home address was listed publicly on the Google Play Store. That’s when I dug deeper and learned about Google’s policy on developer transparency and monetization. Any developer who charges for their app or includes in-app purchases must disclose a physical address, and for individuals, that means their home address. The only real workaround is forming an LLC, creating an organization account, and using a virtual office address. Apparently this is due to international regulations, and there’s no way around it.

Apple, on the other hand, handles this differently. If you opt out of publishing in countries that require individual developer contact info (like the EU), your home address isn’t exposed. I understand the intent behind transparency, but publishing on the Play Store as an individual feels riskier than it should.

For now, I’ll stick with iOS development. Maybe it’s time to learn Swift. I’ve been curious about Apple’s Foundation Model and how it could enable on-device AI. There may come a time when forming an LLC makes sense—but for now, it’s not that time.