Chris Raroque

What this batch adds

• Product feel is built from details. Animations, haptics, icon consistency, mascot empty states, and real-device design iteration are treated as a serious growth surface, not decoration (how-i-make-apps-feel-10x-better, my-app-design-process, app-branding-masterclass).
• Launch readiness is operational. The checklist is waitlist, analytics, feedback board, email sequences, App Store listing, landing page, beta retention, then public announcement (things-i-always-do-before-launching-new-apps, how-i-make-landing-pages-for-my-apps).
• AI products need production economics. Ellie’s assistant exposed token costs, rate limits, kill switches, model routing, Vercel AI SDK leverage, and mobile-first dictation as real product decisions (so-shipping-ai-apps-is-hard).
• Small features can become systems. Luna’s accounts feature turned into account types, starting balances, reconciliation, transfers, and transaction-screen complexity, proving that simplicity has to be actively defended (this-simple-feature-almost-broke-my-app).
• Performance is part of craft. Ellie’s calendar speed work uses a cache-first IndexedDB pattern, filtered cache updates, schema versioning, and clear-cache escape hatches (how-i-improved-my-apps-performance-10x).
• Stability is scheduled. Chris blocks “spring cleaning” periods after major features to fix small bugs, ship optional settings, and work through feedback-board requests (how-i-keep-my-app-stable).
• Idea selection depends on ambition. Personal pain and tiny scope are enough for learning and small revenue; larger goals need market size, willingness to pay, and often business buyers (i-built-3-apps-heres-how-i-pick-winning-ideas).

His product lens

• Ellie — daily planning and time-boxing app; central example for AI assistant, performance, search design, stability, widgets, and integrations.
• Luna — budgeting app; central example for haptics, icons, landing pages, and the account-feature complexity trap.
• Mogul — personal CRM that started as a Google Sheets API wrapper for Chris’s own networking workflow.
• Lily — meeting assistant whose ghost mascot shows how a character can become an empty-state system.
• Subscription Monster — business-finance/subscription product used to explain naming, mascot metaphor, and AI-assisted brand exploration.

His videos in this wiki

Product craft: my-app-design-process · how-i-make-apps-feel-10x-better · app-branding-masterclass Launch and pages: things-i-always-do-before-launching-new-apps · how-i-make-landing-pages-for-my-apps Engineering reality: so-shipping-ai-apps-is-hard · this-simple-feature-almost-broke-my-app · how-i-improved-my-apps-performance-10x · how-i-keep-my-app-stable Strategy: i-built-3-apps-heres-how-i-pick-winning-ideas

Use this hub when

• You need the product-quality layer after vibe-coding gets the MVP working.
• You are deciding whether a feature request improves the app or bloats the core workflow.
• You are preparing a launch and need the instrumentation/feedback/email layer in place before traffic arrives.
• You want app-design process examples grounded in real devices and real data rather than abstract inspiration boards.

Do this, not that:

• Start from personal pain and tiny scope - don’t chase shiny AI or crypto ideas because the timeline looks exciting.
• Treat design references as research - don’t invent every interaction from scratch.
• Make empty states, haptics, icons, and performance part of the product - don’t treat them as “nice later” polish.
• Install analytics, feedback, and email before launch - don’t wait until churn has already happened.
• Defend simplicity against valid feature requests - don’t assume user demand means the first implementation is safe.

Related Concepts

app-product-craft · vibe-coding · idea-validation · launch-playbook · product-led-growth · app-tool-stack