Two months ago, I started building an iOS app for my daughter. This week, I shipped it.

MapSprout is a US geography app for kids — they learn the 50 states + DC through quizzes and a 3D map road-trip mode. It took 67 days from first commit, 920 commits total, pure SwiftUI with zero third-party dependencies, and it's in Apple's Made-for-Kids 9–11 category.

Here's what shipping solo actually taught me.

Why I built this in the first place

My daughter Emma is at the age where she's starting to learn US geography. I looked at what was on the App Store. Nothing felt right.

So I built the thing I wanted her to have.

The build

67 days from first commit to launch. 920 commits. Six commits on day one — welcome screen, home screen, state list, and a first cut of the quiz all landed on the first afternoon. The shape of the app didn't really change after that.…