Building Dogear Taught Me to Validate Before I Ship

In a recent experience, the author learned a valuable lesson about validating an idea before releasing it to the public. Initially, they announced their iOS app, Dogear, on Twitter/X with great confidence. However, the response was less than enthusiastic, with people questioning the usefulness of the app. Despite this, the app was already under review by Apple, forcing the author to make a difficult decision.

They chose to pull the app, go back to the drawing board, and pivot the concept before resubmitting it to the App Store.

The author realized that jumping into building a product without first validating the idea was a mistake. They learned to slow down, talk to potential users, and understand the problem they were trying to solve. This painful but enlightening process taught them that building something without addressing a real need would lead to wasted time and effort. The author now advises others to do the same research and validation before starting to code. This approach can save significant time and resources in the long run.

The author revamped Dogear into a personal digital library designed to help users maintain their book collection, capture ideas while reading, and ensure those ideas stay top of mind. This pivot came from listening to users rather than guessing what features to add. They focused on solving a clear problem: people forgetting most of what they read and struggling with a simple system to capture and revisit those ideas.

The author advises against falling in love with the first idea and instead emphasizes the importance of loving the problem you're solving. They encourage spending time talking to users to understand their needs and behaviors before investing heavily in a solution. This initial work can help avoid building the wrong thing, wasting months on a pivot, or launching something that doesn't meet user expectations.

Now, Dogear is in TestFlight while the App Store version is under review. The author invites readers to try the app and provide feedback on whether the personal digital library and idea capture concept resonates with them. They are also interested in any suggestions on what features would make the app more useful or what feels confusing or unnecessary.

The author is also participating in the Shipaton 2026 competition, where Dogear is an entry in the design category. The author remains open to further iterations and improvements based on user feedback.