Creators’ Journey #2: Resurrecting MixTapes with Code & Music ft. ‘Caset’ App Developer Ashwin
On one of my rare visits to the App Store to check out some new games and fun productivity apps, I came across an app called Caset.
‘Next-Gen Mixtapes’ was a part of it’s title, and it immediately piqued my interest. The first thing I do before downloading an app is look at the screenshots provided by the developer, and so I did.
With all its rich animations, pop-ups, and new notification styles shown in the proposed UI, made me feel this app was built natively by Apple itself.
Since I was a kid I was fascinated by how things were made and the thought that went behind them and watching the creators work, build and present their masterpieces has been one of my favorite things in the world. I instantly wanted Caset’s Developer onboard, to share more about the inception of the App’s idea.
Ashwin, who was busy with the launch of the Caset app in February, took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down and answer some questions I had about his app Caset, his journey into app development, and also his productivity rituals.
So bring out your coffee cup, sit back, and enjoy the lighthearted (yet highly productive) banter between me and Ashwin ☕️
Ashwin, thank you for joining me for this series and Congratulations on having Caset featured on the App Store.
One of the most beautiful things about Caset is that it takes a concept from an older generation of creating mixtapes, integrates it with existing technology, and reintroduces it to a newer audience belonging to a newer generation. It’s so beautiful to think about what this app does now but I would have not thought about it myself before I had seen or heard of it. How did this idea come to you?
The idea was to recreate the magic of sharing music through physical mediums such as cassette tapes or CDs because it’s simple and easy to understand. Once I understood what the essence of the app was, it became easy to conceptualize what the experience could look like using modern technology.
How did this journey of developing Caset start for you?
I started as a hobbyist developer and to some extent I still am. I believe if you are blessed with creativity, you should leverage it to create wonderful things for the world. So I put my creative thinking and passion for design with novel engineering skills I picked up through online courses, to bring Caset to life.
How important is collaboration for an App Developer?
On the contrary, I don’t think it is very important. To me, app development is a new art form. I don’t think many world-renowned artists collaborated either, they just brought their vision to life with paint on canvas, like how developers bring apps to life with code. But it is very important to listen to your users, their needs, and feedback.
What kind of challenges did you face while developing Caset?
The biggest challenge I felt as an indie developer was balancing my design ambitions with my engineering skills.
If you had to give advice to three people stuck people at different stages of their app development journey what would it be:
Say, Person #1 who doesn’t know where to start off from, what languages to learn first, and which tutorial/courses to follow?
If you’re planning to develop iOS apps, start off with Hacking with Swift’s 100 days of Swift challenge.
Say, Person #2 who has already begun App Development and knows much about languages and frameworks to be used but is not able to figure out a perfect roadmap for his app idea?
You don’t need to have a perfect roadmap at all. Just get started and show it to your friends. Hear what they have to say and then you will know what to do next.
Say, Person #3 who has already developed V1.0 of his app but is not sure how to lead ahead with publishing and marketing the app?
There is a common misconception that when you publish your app, there needs to be a launch event with big press coverage. Chances are that is unlikely to happen, to start with your friends and family, then find other ways to recruit new users, either IRL or online.
What future projects and goals are you working on since launching Caset?
I don’t have any future projects planned at this moment, but I plan to further make Caset an app where you can share music with friends across different services.
Alright, that sounds great!
Now I have some questions about your daily routine as a Developer. On my Medium page, I write a lot about productivity habits, tips, and tricks. These are not something to be used by someone every day, all the time but rather tools that help you better streamline your working process and track your progress.
Did you use any productivity hacks like Pomodoro Timers or fill your Calendar and Reminders with events/tasks?
I have a notebook and a pen. I write things down and plan my next few weeks ahead.
What kind of activities help you relax on a taxing day?
I love to go on a run and on trails on weekends.
What does your daily routine look like on a normal day: starting from when you wake up in the morning to the minute you turn off the lights to go to bed? (Or the other way round if you are a night owl and prefer working at night)?
I start the day off with 6AM coffee & some light meditation. I like to work through the sunlight and wind down in the evenings with some music and exercise.
What does your desk setup look like and how cluttered or de-cluttered do you like it?
I like my desk to be as clutter-free as possible.
And just because I can’t resist the excitement for new and upcoming features, I had to ask these final two questions:
What new features can we see being implemented in the next version update of Caset?
SharePlay support is coming up next.
Any Secret Project you would like to give us a sneak peek of?
Nothing at the moment ;)
Thank You so much for your time Ashwin.
All the best with Caset and we hope to see it reach a greater audience in the upcoming months.
So that was Ashwin, everyone! Being an IT student, learning to code myself, I had a nice time talking to an App Developer like him and understanding his workflow. I am definitely going back with some key takeaways and if you are interested too, here they are:
1. Learn to make things on your own and share them with your friends and family for feedback first. It’s fine if you don’t have incredible success when you’re sharing for the first time🗣.
2. Working as an independent developer/creator necessitates meticulous planning. You can gain a better perspective of your goals by planning for the next few hours, days, or weeks ✍️.
3. Keep your desk as clutter-free as possible (Actually, this is more of a reminder to myself 😓).
I can’t wait for SharePlay support on Caset. I have made about four tapes that I share with my family and friends. Here I am making a fifth one that I would like to share with all my readers if you are want to have a mixtape with me 👇
Invite Link: https://mixtape.caset.app/BgiPFy79AeufzvSV8
Until next time, keep mixing tapes and sharing!
~Aditya Darekar
More from the Creator’s Journey:
