Weekly Update 🎉: Why the App Feels Down (and What’s Next)
TL;DR
- Last week: hitting 100 signups revealed our authentication was tied to a dev environment capped at 100
- This week: fixing that uncovered a bigger issue, we need to split all systems (auth, backend, database) into dev and production
- Lost Saves: That work caused sign-in problems and the loss of ~200 saves from 8/20–8/26
- Short term: the app may feel “down” or unstable until production is live
- Long term: this sets us up with a stable Apple and Google App Store release and a safer home for your saves
Hi Everyone,
Two weeks ago we hit 100 signups, and last week’s update ended with us fixing the signup cap that came from using a development environment for authentication. What we found as we dug into the issue is that it wasn’t just authentication, our backend and database also needed to be split into true dev and production environments. That became our focus this week.
We know the app has felt rough lately. The sign-in issues and disappearing saves are frustrating, and I want to thank you for sticking with us. These challenges are part of the growing pains of building something new, and we’re making daily progress toward a more stable, reliable experience with Nabb.
Bugs and Fixes
This infrastructure work created a ripple effect. Because authentication, backend, and database were all tied together, users were effectively in the same environment we used for testing. That’s why sign-in fixes and experiments sometimes caused saves to disappear or fail. In the process of splitting things properly, we had to rely on a backup database, and about 200 saves were lost. If you saved something between 8/20 and 8/26, you’ll likely need to re-save it once you’re back in the app.
Here’s how things will work going forward:
- Development Environment: TestFlight only, with its own backend and database. This is where we’ll test fixes and new builds.
- Production Environment: The Apple and Google App Store apps, with its own backend and database. Only updated once fixes are tested in dev.
This separation means bugs and experiments won’t put your real data at risk. While it’s not the work I expected to be doing so early, it’s ultimately a good sign, we grew faster than planned, and now we’re putting the right foundation in place. I will let you all know once its time to download the production app and get back to saving!
User Growth and Engagement
I know losing saves is annoying, especially as many of you are starting to use Nabb regularly and trusting your data to be there. The point of these changes is to ensure that going forward, your saves will be reliable.
Because this week was focused on rebuilding the foundation, growth numbers are essentially flat from last week, with the exception of the drop in total saves from ~925 to 702 due to the saves lost in the migration. Rather than share the same stats again, I’d rather be transparent that growth is on pause while we finish this work. Once the production app is live, I expect we’ll be back to seeing strong engagement numbers again.
Hiring and Team Planning
This week reinforced how important it will be to grow the team. My dev shop is critical, but adding local technical and product support will allow us to move faster and more confidently. I’ve started a few networking conversations and I’m excited to keep exploring how I can grow the team.
This Week’s Focus
- Finalize the dev/production infrastructure split
- Release the production app on Apple and Google stores
- Transition all users into the production environment
- Keep refining the pitch deck and having early investor conversations
Looking Ahead
This hasn’t been the easiest week: sign-ins failed, saves were lost, and growth has been paused. But the root cause is a good one, engagement grew faster than we planned! Once the production app is live, we’ll have the stable foundation to push growth again and deliver the reliability you expect.
Thanks for riding through the bumps of early testing. I’m confident this sets us up for long-term stability, and I’m eager to get you a product you can rely on every day.
Pat