Top Takeaways:
🏗️ The framework doesn't matter — the app does
Users don't care whether you used SwiftUI or RealBasic; they care whether the app is polished and fits the platform.
💸 If they can afford a $4,000 camera, charge accordingly
Pricing for a professional audience means resisting the race to the bottom; your users' willingness to pay reflects the value of the tools they already own.
📈 Slow, steady growth is still growth
A consistently rising line over five years, even without a single breakout moment, can eventually replace a full salary — if you don't panic and quit.
🔄 Multiple revenue streams are a survival strategy, not a luxury
An SDK licensing business and a webcam app built on existing infrastructure turned a COVID revenue crash into a three-week turnaround.
🧱 Architecture decisions you make early can pay off years later
Pulling camera connection logic into a standalone framework was an accidental decision that later became both a licensing product and the foundation for a pivot app.
💍 The people closest to you live through your failures too
Having a partner who saw the worst of it and still supported the next attempt — with sensible goals and financial guardrails — made the difference between a reckless gamble and a calculated bet.
🎯 Subscription-only can alienate a professional audience
When Adobe went subscription-only, it angered the entire photography industry overnight; offering both subscription and one-time purchase options lets customers choose their relationship with your app.
About Daniel Kennett:
🚀 Senior macOS and iOS developer, currently running an independent software company, Cascable AB, that ships professional photography tools like Cascable Studio, a professional camera control app that empowers photographers with advanced features for non-iPhone cameras.
👋 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ikenndac/
🌐 Learn more about Cascable - https://cascable.se/
🌐 Daniel’s Website - https://ikennd.ac/about/
More content from the RevenueCat family:
👉 Sub Club – Our sister show that features interviews with the experts behind the biggest apps in the App Store: https://www.youtube.com/@SubClubPodcast
👉 StartApp School – Practical courses on monetization, growth, acquisition, and everything else that turns an app into a business. Completely free: https://www.startapp.school/
👉 RevenueCat blog: Venture capital funding vs. bootstrapping for subscription apps: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/mobile-app-funding/
👉 A guide to lifetime subscriptions: are they right for your app?: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/lifetime-subscriptions/
👉 App portfolios vs. single-app focus: which strategy drives more revenue?: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/app-portfolio-vs-single-app/
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Episode Highlights:
[0:00] Introduction to Daniel Kennett and Cascable Studio
[1:00] Daniel’s background: From a self-taught coder to indie developer
[5:00] The story behind Cascable Studio
[8:30] The early days of indie development: Challenges and successes
[12:00] Reverse engineering and building a tool for photographers
[15:30] How adding camera support transformed the app's growth
[18:00] Learning from failures and the importance of not giving up
[20:30] Why a niche market can lead to success: Focusing on non-iPhone cameras
[24:00] Managing financial challenges and building a sustainable indie business
[27:00] The role of simplicity in app design and user experience
[30:00] Expanding into new markets: Licensing SDKs for other developers
[32:30] Why Daniel prefers to build with minimal outside funding
[35:00] Lessons from working with hardware manufacturers and building partnerships
[37:30] What's next for Cascable Studio and future goals for indie development
[40:00] Daniel’s advice for future indie developers: Focus, perseverance, and learning