Launching Wave Reader on the App Store was a milestone I'd been working toward for months. Here's what I learned along the way.
Starting with the Core
The first decision was the data layer. RSS feeds are inherently messy — different formats (RSS 2.0, Atom, JSON Feed), inconsistent HTML in content, and feeds that break spec all the time. I spent the first few weeks just building a robust parser that could handle the real world, not just the spec.
iCloud Sync Was Harder Than Expected
Syncing with iCloud sounds simple until you actually do it. Conflict resolution, merge strategies, and the subtle differences between CloudKit and NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore forced me to rethink my data model twice.
The Privacy Advantage
One thing I'm proud of: Wave Reader collects zero data. No analytics SDKs, no tracking, no server-side components. Everything runs on-device. This turned out to be a genuine differentiator — users notice and appreciate it.
What's Next
I'm working on widget support and better article reading experience. The goal is to make Wave Reader the best RSS app for people who value simplicity and privacy.