Hi, I'm Peter Zhang.

What I work on

Currently 3 apps live across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS. 10 more in various stages from "ready next quarter" to "scoped but not started." All share four principles:

• •Local-first. Your data stays on your device. No accounts, no cloud round-trips, no telemetry SDKs.
• •One-time pricing. No subscriptions. Free tier with optional one-time Pro unlock.
• •Focused scope. Each app does one thing. Feature creep gets spun out into a new app, not bloated into existing ones.
• •Native, modern macOS / iOS. Built in Swift, leveraging Apple frameworks (Vision, VideoToolbox, HealthKit, WatchKit, sips). No Electron.

Currently shipped

Why a portfolio of small apps?

The orthodox indie-dev advice is to pick one app and grind on it for years. That doesn't match how I work — I get bored after 6-8 months of focused work on a single app. The portfolio model trades compound MRR for the compound interest of staying engaged across years instead of burning out at year 2.

For the long-form version of this argument: 13 Mac & iOS apps, 0 subscriptions.

Selected writing

I write occasionally about Apple-ecosystem tools, indie development, and the practical details of building local-first apps. Highlights:

• macOS sips command — the complete guide
• What is CRF in video compression?
• The Apple Watch caffeine widget I actually want — and how SipNote built it
• Full archive →

Get in touch

Best way to reach me is email. I read every message and the next version of every app is built from these conversations.