Build log

Building AppScout in Public

Every release, every fix, every lesson. Radical transparency about what we built, what broke, and what we learned.

We share failures because developers value authenticity over polished marketing.
v1.2.0 Major Latest

From F- to Production-Ready in 48 Hours

Trust building F- to B+

We received an F- grade from a skeptical Shopify developer. They called us "amateur weekend project". We fixed everything in 48 hours, and now that same developer is testing our platform.

Key changes

  • Professional UI overhaul replacing all emoji icons with SVGs
  • Circuit breaker pattern for OpenAI quota management
  • Freemium browsing + trial-based onboarding shipped
  • 336 tests passing with comprehensive coverage

Result of listening to harsh feedback

The developer who gave us an F- grade is now actively testing our platform. Addressing criticism head-on builds trust.

v1.1.0 Major

Core MVP Launch

Feature release

Initial public launch with core features for discovering Shopify app opportunities.

Key changes

  • Automated Shopify Community forum scraping
  • GPT-5 powered insight generation
  • Full user dashboard with authentication
  • Three insight types: App Ideas, Competitor Analysis, Feature Gaps
v1.0.0 Major

Project Inception

Foundation

Initial development and foundation building.

Key changes

  • Architecture planning and setup
  • Basic forum scraping proof of concept
  • Database schema design
  • Authentication system

Our commitment to transparency

Why we build in public

  • Developers value authenticity over polished marketing
  • Our mistakes teach others what to avoid
  • Community feedback makes us better faster
  • Trust is earned through radical transparency

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