Disclosure: I'm the developer behind all of these apps at CYBORGATE LTD. This is a #showdev post, so feedback, including the harsh kind, is welcome.
A while ago I made a simple rule for myself: ship small, focused apps and let real users tell me what's worth doubling down on. Many months later, there are nine apps live across the App Store and Google Play. This post covers what they are, how I approached them, and what I'd tell anyone thinking of doing the same.
The portfolio
| App | What it does | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Pregsi | Pregnancy week by week with 3D baby views, ovulation and period tracking | iOS · Android |
| CAL AI | Photo-based calorie and macro tracking | iOS · Android |
| ULO AI | AI English speaking tutor with role plays | iOS · Android |
| Easy Expense | Receipt OCR, expense reports and CSV export | iOS · Android |
| UmmahPlus | Prayer times, Qibla, Quran, Ramadan tracker | iOS · Android |
| StoryFlow | Text prompt → script → characters → finished story video | iOS |
| V Shield VPN | One-tap VPN with WireGuard and Shadowsocks | iOS · Android |
| VPN MAX Pro | Simple, privacy-focused one-tap VPN | iOS · Android |
| DeepSearch | AI search across public info on people, companies and topics | Android |
1. Pick problems people already search for
Every app here targets a need people already type into a store search bar: "calorie counter", "receipt scanner", "prayer times", "VPN". I didn't try to invent categories. I tried to make a cleaner, more focused version of things people already want. Discovery is the hardest part of mobile, and building into existing demand makes it a lot easier.
2. One core loop per app
Each app has one thing it must do well:
- CAL AI: photo → nutrition estimate → progress toward goal
- Easy Expense: scan → extract merchant/date/amount → export
- ULO AI: speak → feedback → try again
Everything else is secondary. Whenever I was tempted to add a feature, I asked whether it made the core loop faster or clearer. If it didn't, it went into the backlog.
3. AI where it removes friction, not as decoration
Several of the apps use AI: food recognition in CAL AI, conversation and corrections in ULO AI, script and character generation in StoryFlow, the Ask AI feature in DeepSearch, and an assistant in UmmahPlus Pro. The test I used each time: does AI remove a tedious step the user hates? Typing every ingredient into a food log is tedious, and so is staring at a blank page when you want to make a story video. Those are the places AI earns its spot.
I'm also careful about how I describe what it does. Nutrition values are estimates, ovulation predictions in Pregsi are estimates and not contraception, and DeepSearch surfaces only publicly available information. Honest copy builds trust, and app reviewers care about it too.
4. Monetisation: be upfront
Most of the apps are free to start, with a Pro tier for heavier use (unlimited scans, ad-free use, premium content). I've learned to state clearly what's free and what isn't. Users who feel tricked leave one-star reviews, and they're right to.
5. The store listing is half the product
For a small developer, screenshots, the first two lines of the description and the icon do more marketing than anything else. I rewrite listings far more often than I expected. Clear benefit-first copy ("Snap a meal, track calories and macros") beats a feature list every time.
6. Shipping on both platforms
Seven of the nine apps are on both iOS and Android. StoryFlow is iOS-only and DeepSearch is Android-only for now. Launching on one platform first, learning, and then expanding has worked for me when time is tight.
What's next
I'm putting most of my effort into the apps users actually come back to, based on reviews and retention, not on which ones I personally like most.
I'd love your feedback. Pick any app, try it for five minutes, and tell me in the comments what confused you or what you'd change. Everything lives at cyborgate.uk.
Top comments (1)
Nine shipped apps is a lot, well done. Since you asked for feedback: for the pregnancy and tracker apps, I would double check that each user's data can only be read by that user (test with two accounts), and that no paid API key is stored inside the app. Keys inside an app can be pulled out with free tools.