Side Project Spotlight

About Side Project Spotlight

Side Project Spotlight is a podcast for app builders, documenting the process of producing real apps for the Apple App Store using Swift, SwiftUI, and other technologies.

Publisher

Philly CocoaHeads

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Oct 2021

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

122 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   #122: No App Like Home...View

   Apple has a new home screen, but where does that leave app developers? The Trio sizes up HomeView, the Apple Home Collection, and the cost of going all in on a smart home. Steve needs to replace a misbehaving HomePod mini, Kotaro makes the case for Apple TV as a gaming box, and Aaron weighs whether an upgrade is worth it. ## Chapters 00:00 HomeView and the Kitchen Island 09:36 The Apple Home Collection 16:26 What Can Developers Build? 29:06 HomePod mini and Phantom Touches 31:44 The $300 Apple TV 4K 35:00 Apple Arcade as a Console Alternative 42:23 Upgrade Decisions 45:40 Wrap-Up & One More Thing... 47:06 Tag ## Show Notes - Steve comes away from the HomeView launch video thinking about a hole drilled through an expensive kitchen island. - The Trio compares HomeView to an Apple Watch, an iMac G4, and a HomePod with a screen. - Cameras, locks, thermostats, and sensors make the Apple Home Collection shopping list add up fast. - Steve wants smart home convenience without devices reporting everything back to the internet. - The Trio questions what developers can build for HomeView while app support and documentation remain unclear to them. - A world clock makes the cut, but Kotaro has questions about the missing calculator. - Steve describes the phantom touches and reset loops that sidelined his HomePod mini. - Kotaro pitches Apple TV and Apple Arcade as a console alternative, while Steve questions the game library. - Steve anticipates spending $450 on an Apple TV and HomePod mini, while Aaron is in no rush and Kotaro can stick with his current Apple TV. - Kotaro gives AppJawn a shout-out and plugs PhillyCocoa's in-person event at Vanguard. ## Links **Apple Home** Apple HomeView: https://www.apple.com/apple-homeview HomePod mini 2: https://www.apple.com/homepod-mini/ Apple TV 4K: https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-4k/ Apple Home Collection: https://www.apple.com/shop/home/accessories/apple-home-collection **Gaming** Apple Arcade: https://www.apple.com/apple-arcade/ **Side Project Shout-Out** AppJawn, makers of ClipDish, MioVino, and Minimalist Meditation Timer: https://appjawn.com/#apps **PhillyCocoa Events** Beyond the Simulator: Perspectives on Modern App Development (November 12): https://luma.com/3e80ogfl **PhillyCocoa:** https://phillycocoa.org Intro music: "When I Hit the Floor", © 2021 Lorne Behrman. Used with permission of the artist.

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   #121: Finding the Fun with AI and Mohammad Azam

   Mohammad Azam turned a childhood game into Block Bop with AI and three days of work. He joins The Trio to talk expressive blocks, playtesting, and paid level packs, with a detour through a 3,000-line ContentView.swift. Azam and Steve weigh the fun of fast prototypes against token limits and the need to understand your code, while Kotaro makes the case for watching people play. One More Thing: BarCamp Philly is back. ## Chapters 00:00 Introductions & Welcome Mohammad Azam! 03:05 From Childhood Game to Block Bop 07:27 Building with Codex 18:34 Playtesting and Level Design 25:05 App Review and Paid Packs 33:34 SpriteKit, Retro Games, and New Ideas 40:35 AI Dependence and Code Ownership 55:48 Wrap Up and One More Thing... 57:40 Tag ## Show Notes - Azam returns after episode 44 with Block Bop, inspired by a stone-stacking game he played in Pakistan. - Codex through Xcode handled the code and geometric graphics, while Azam used ChatGPT for background music. - Three days of prompting included a 3,000-line ContentView.swift that Codex later split into a few files. - Azam's cousin flagged unclear onboarding and punishing levels, prompting a longer timer for level 10. - Kotaro recommends watching people play to spot the joy and frustration that written feedback misses. - Azam chose one free ten-level pack and $1.99 themed packs over ads or consumable purchases. - Kotaro pitches holiday packs and iMessage stickers using Block Bop's expressive characters. - Azam can prototype games quickly, but running out of tokens leaves him stuck on code he hasn't learned. - Steve argues that cheap code generation doesn't remove the need for thoughtful design and human accountability. - One More Thing: Kotaro recommends BarCamp Philly on October 17, 2026, with talks chosen on the day and great T-shirts. ## Links **Mohammad Azam & Block Bop** Block Bop: https://azamsharp.com/block-bop.html Azam's website: https://azamsharp.com/ | AzamSharp School: https://azamsharp.school/ Azam on X: https://x.com/azamsharp | Azam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@azamsharp Azam's App Store apps: https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/mohammad-azam/id392527683 Previous appearance, #44: WWDC23 with Mohammad Azam: https://podcast.phillycocoa.org/episodes/44-wwdc23-with-mohammad-azam **Events & Ideas Mentioned** SwiftCon 2026: https://www.nextappcon.com/swiftcon Shipaton 2026: https://www.shipaton.com/ Conway's law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_law **One More Thing** BarCamp Philly 2026: https://barcampphilly.org **PhillyCocoa:** https://phillycocoa.org Intro music: "When I Hit the Floor", © 2021 Lorne Behrman. Used with permission of the artist.

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   #120: Mike Zornek Fights For the Users

   Mike Zornek explains local-first software, Automerge, and CRDTs to The Trio, sharing insights from building the offline-syncing expense tracker LocalCents.

Who has been a guest on Side Project Spotlight

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Mike Zornek
• Bill Atkins
• Kotaro Fujita
• Alex Hillman
• Steve Yegge

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

86

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact Side Project Spotlight

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Side Project Spotlight