I'm excited to announce a significant pivot for my podcast AppForce1, transforming it from a weekly news format into what I'm calling the "AppForce1 Work Log." After a stint in developer relations at Stream, where I spoke at conferences like NS Spain, Swift Heroes, and AppDevCon, I've returned to my true passion – building iOS apps. I'm now working at Dawn Technology (formerly eGenic), the company behind the AppDevCon conference, where I'm focusing on actual development rather than just talking about it.
The new AppForce1 Work Log represents something notably absent in the iOS podcast landscape – a raw, honest look at day-to-day iOS development challenges. While many podcasts cover the latest news, frameworks, and WWDC announcements, few dive into the messy reality of debugging sessions that take hours, architectural decisions that keep developers up at night, and those moments of realization when you've been approaching a problem incorrectly. I aim to fill this gap by sharing my journey in real-time, documenting the wins, struggles, lessons learned, and code that actually works, without corporate speak or unnecessary fluff.
The new bi-weekly format will feature episodes of approximately 25 minutes – perfect for commutes, workouts, or coffee breaks. Each episode will follow a consistent structure: a week in review covering what I worked on and what shipped, a code deep dive into specific technical challenges and solutions, discussions about tools and libraries I used in real projects, lessons learned from mistakes, and a look ahead at upcoming work. I want to emphasize that this will include actual code snippets, real project challenges, and honest assessments of what's working and what isn't – no fake demos or oversimplified examples that don't reflect real-world development.
Currently, I'm working on a particularly fascinating project – a Bedrijfshulpverlening (company emergency response) app that helps organizations manage emergency procedures, first aid protocols, and safety compliance. What makes this project especially interesting is that the codebase is over eight years old – practically ancient in iOS development terms. Built before SwiftUI existed, it's entirely UIKit-based with patterns and practices that were cutting edge in 2016 but are now considered outdated. This presents exactly the kind of challenge that excites me – the opportunity to modernize legacy code while keeping the application running smoothly for users who depend on it for potentially life-saving information.
Alongside my development work and podcast, I'm also organizing Do iOS 2025, set to be one of Europe's premier iOS conferences. Taking place in November 2025, the conference will focus on practical, real-world iOS development content without corporate presentations or marketing fluff. Interestingly, my employer Dawn Technology supports my conference work, seeing it as valuable community involvement that enhances their organization. Throughout future episodes, I'll share updates about Do iOS 2025, including speaker announcements and behind-the-scenes insights into organizing a developer conference. I invite listeners to connect with me through various platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Mastodon, LinkedIn, or through my website to share feedback, suggestions for topics, and their own development challenges that could shape future episode content.
