Update #6 · October 30, 2026

Week five: speed is fun.

TL;DR: A reflection week. I'm winding down my time on Dream in a Jar, grateful for all it taught me. That led to an updated value: speed is fun. Next week we start designing our next project.

What Dream in a Jar gave us

Dream in a Jar started during my parental leave, made for my own family. It was never meant to be grown or monetized, but building it taught me a lot:

Designing and building a product end to end with AI
Navigating the App Store
Which HQ tools we need to build good products

I'm grateful for it. 🫙💛

Planning marketing for Dream in a Jar also made me realize there are two very different kinds of marketing work:

Marketing momentsCreating video assets, or getting five friends to build a dream wall for a social campaign.Needs me

Marketing operationsPosting across social media, and planning a schedule of content and posts.Automatable

Moments take real effort, and it doesn't make sense to spend that on a project that was never about growth. So I'm winding down my time on it. We'll still release it once Apple approves it, and I might add a few features over time if families ask for them:

Swapping jars and shelves with friends
Collaborating on dreams, like two kids featured in the same dream
Spanish and Chinese
Multiple kids

It's tough to resist improving it with every piece of feedback, but it was always meant to be our first experiment in how I want to run the LLC.

WaitingApple usually reviews 90% of apps within 48 hours, but we've been waiting a week. It seems everybody is building apps with coding agents now, and the queue has gotten much longer.

An updated value: speed is fun

While I'm working alone, moving and iterating quickly is what keeps things light and exciting. Slowdowns like a long App Store queue, or marketing moments that take a lot of effort, drag on the bigger goal. Winding down my time on Dream in a Jar was a tough call, but it keeps things moving, and it keeps me excited to build GAppL. So we're updating one of our values: “Don't forget to have fun” becomes “Speed is fun.”

Build good products
Always be learning
Don't forget to have fun
Speed is fun

Next week

Start designing our next project. Most likely the referral app (Warm Intro) or the Ivy League coach.
Film a YouTube video. About GAppL, the making of Dream in a Jar, or both.

David