This project is from the archive but when I saw it again, I figured I could share my all the work I put into this, even though *spoiler: the app is no longer available :(

I've always wanted to learn how to develop and app, and experience for myself the journey from 0 → 100 of building something from scratch. When I was a kid, I wanted to create a game similar to Temple Run but instead of a man running away from a beast, I wanted my main character to be a rolling coin, chased by a person trying to get it back.

That idea never got developed, but it stuck on my head. Years later that unresolved itch on my head was coming back.

I was now 21 years old, learning how to program and realized that building my own app was a possibility, but I had a problem. To create an app for the App Store, your safest best is using Swift programming language, which is only accesible using an Apple device.

That was my trigger to get my first apple computer: Macbook Pro M1 14'. It was a huge investment at the time for me, but I pulled the trigger.

[BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE]

That computer ended but being my best investment ever, which led me to create Akila Studio™ and Framer ES.

Now that I had my apple computer, I needed one last thing: learn Swift 😅. Even though I was learning to code, Swift was a new language for me. I dedicated 3 months of my life, to learn + build on swift and I got to my first MVP of Calq ↓

After getting the basic functionality working, I focused on "standing out". I didn't want it to be just a calculator app, I wanted to feel unique and most importantly, have killer features no other had.

Date Calculator

Unit Converter

I wanted this app to be an all in one hub for all your possible calculations.

↓

Calq was free to use the regular calculator, and had a one-time payment of $3 to unlock all the other power-ups.

Calq reached around ±500 downloads and made me around $100 bucks. Not bad for an unemployed student with their first app. Most don't even get to publish their app, and less make a few bucks off it.

I continued developing the app full-time, but I had something big coming up in my life. I did a Work and Travel Program in the US [2023-2024] which will leave me 0 time to improve and update my app

In my first few weeks in the US, I managed to add a few more features before shutting it down. These were called 'Utilities', small but powerful mini apps inside Calq.

Tip Calculator

PR Calcualtor

Body Mass Index Calculator

Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator

One-Rep Max Calculator

...

After that update, I had little to no time to keep developing + apple charges $99 anual fee to be a developer (you need this to have your apps on the App Store). At that time I was just a student with no income so I could not renew my subscription.

Nonetheless, this was an amazing journey, and I would not be where I'm today without this app ❤️