Weekly Update 🎉: Testing Kickoff, Countdown to Launch
TLDR:
- App store approval achieved - Developer accounts live on Apple and Google Play, now in active testing phase
- Growth momentum building - ~1,350 followers, ~120 waitlist signups, revamped website sections
- Legal foundation complete - Terms, Privacy Policy, and Cookies Policy finalized in plain English
- Vision crystallized - Published comprehensive thought piece on LinkedIn about Nabb's role in the recall industry
- Focus shift - Moving from development to intensive testing and bug resolution
Happy Tuesdays!
Major progress across all fronts this week - let's jump in!
Development Updates
We're officially live in testing environments. Apple and Google Play developer accounts are approved, which means we can now publish test versions of the app. We're not public yet - that requires another approval round - but we've crossed a critical milestone.
I'm now running the app on my phone daily, identifying and cataloging every bug and rough edge. Think of it like this: the sculpture is carved, now we're sanding it smooth before the final polish. The foundation is solid - we're just refining the experience.
This phase can feel deceptively slow because the app isn't user-ready yet, but we're actually very close. All the core infrastructure is built; we're now optimizing performance and user experience.
Growth Updates
Strong momentum continues. We're at ~1,350 followers with ~120 people on the waitlist. This week we launched a redesigned waitlist page that matches our main site's aesthetic - small details that reinforce our brand consistency.
Pushing hard toward 1,500 followers before launch, with our stretch goal of 2,000 still within reach. Every follower now becomes a potential early adopter when we go live.
Business Updates
Legal framework in place. We've finalized our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Cookies Policy - all required for app store publication.
Rather than dense legal jargon, we wrote everything in plain English. Users should understand exactly what they're agreeing to. Trust starts with transparency, and clear communication is our first step toward building that trust.
Vision Updates
Published our industry thought piece. After months of writing and rewriting, I shared my comprehensive article on LinkedIn about the recall industry and Nabb's future role in it.
What started as a simple definition of "recall" evolved into a complete vision document for both our short and long-term strategy. This process has been incredibly grounding - forcing me to articulate not just what we're building, but why it matters and where we're headed.
The piece serves multiple purposes: starting industry conversations, positioning Nabb as a thought leader, and creating a reference point for future fundraising discussions. If you're curious about our deeper strategy, give it a read and please feel to free to share it with your network.
This Week's Focus
Testing everything that could possibly break. Now that we have a functional app, my primary focus is comprehensive testing. We're deliberately trying to break things - exploring every edge case and "unhappy path" users might encounter.
The goal is more reliability before we invite our first test users. Better to fix the low hanging fruit before people start using it.
Looking Ahead
Having an actual app in my hands - rough as it still is - represents a massive milestone. For most of my career, I’ve worked alongside product teams to help grow what they’ve built. For the first time, I'm the one making the decisions and seeing the vision come to life.
The thought piece publication was equally significant. Crystallizing our vision on paper has energized me about the problem we're solving and the impact we can have.
We're in the final stretch. The countdown to putting this product in your hands has officially begun.
Pat