After months spent designing, redesigning, refining, scrolling StackOverflow, asking ChatGPT to correct code errors, making failed API calls, encountering build errors, and code rewrites later, I’m finally launching Preview SMS.
Along with Preview SMS, I’m publishing the blog section of my personal site. You can read my previously written posts (only now going live) to retrospectively read about my process in building Preview SMS. Some posts are technical, others theoretical. When I was building Preview SMS, I found immense value in obscure blog posts wherein someone solved a small piece of the puzzle, and I hope that by publishing my process it helps at least one person to figure out how they can solve what they’re building.
This post will be a short one, as frankly I'm exhausted. Last night, I pulled an all-nighter to get the finishing touches of the application ready for launch. Haven't pulled an all-nighter in years. It doesn't get easier as you age (no surprises, there).
A lesson I re-learned while creating this application is that the seemingly small things can take the most time. It wasn't difficult to get to application to "work", but it was extremely difficult to get it to work in the way I imagined. That's the beauty (and agony) of making something new - there are a lot of unknowns you'll navigate to string together ideas all in an effort to create something original.
I ask that you give the application a try. Email me, tweet (X?) me, and let me know what you think. All honest feedback is appreciated, however critical. This application is the result of a one-man-band. There are bugs, certainly. There are things I'm rapidly improving. There are new features being built.
Most importantly, though, I'm proud of what I created. With the all the tools we have these days, it easy to forget that it's still difficult to create a great application. I've learned a ton, and have even more respect for application developers. Time to get a few hours of sleep, and then resume the adventure.