Building Helm: Turning App Store Pain Into a Product Developers Love

Helm is an indie tool for iOS developers, created by Hidde van de Ploeg and Pol Piella, that emerged from their personal frustration with the limitations of App Store Connect, particularly in terms of slow releases and clunky metadata updates. Rather than trying to replicate App Store Connect, Helm focuses on alleviating specific pain points for developers, such as providing fast TestFlight access, AI-powered translations, and streamlined release workflows, prioritizing user delight over feature completeness. Helm's growth has been driven by word-of-mouth recommendations and memorable marketing initiatives, like sponsoring a football team named Swift, as opposed to traditional advertising methods. The product’s development reflects a collaborative approach, with both founders engaging across different roles, ensuring resilience and alignment within their small team. Helm's story underscores the potential of addressing specific, personal problems to create meaningful and widely appreciated tools within the developer community.