I Built a 'Give & Take' Feedback App Because Nobody Was Reviewing My Side Projects

Source: Dev.to

The Frustrating Reality of Indie Development

I’ve shipped a few apps as a solo developer. Getting downloads? Possible with some marketing. But getting real, actionable feedback? Nearly impossible.

App store reviews are mostly “great app” or “doesn’t work” – nothing in between. I tried posting on Reddit, Twitter, and Discord communities. Sometimes I got lucky, but most responses were just polite encouragement, not the honest critique I needed.

I realized other indie developers probably felt the same way.

The Idea: What If Feedback Was a Trade?

I thought about how feedback works in creative communities. Writers have beta readers. Designers have critique circles. Why don’t indie developers have something similar?

So I came up with a simple concept:

Give feedback → Get visibility

The more detailed feedback you provide to others, the more your own app gets promoted to the community. It’s like a mutual aid system – everyone helps everyone.

I called it FeedApp (품앗이 피드백 커뮤니티 in Korean, which roughly translates to “mutual help feedback community”).

How It Works

• Register your app/web/game with screenshots and description
• Browse other creators’ projects and leave detailed feedback
• Earn visibility – your project gets shown to people you helped
• Receive feedback from other creators who understand the struggle

There’s also a “feedback rate” system – if you don’t reciprocate within 10 days, your rate drops. This keeps the community active and fair.

Tech Stack

I chose Flutter because I wanted to ship on all platforms with one codebase. Firebase made the backend simple enough for a solo developer to manage.

Challenges I Faced

1. Preventing “low‑effort” feedback

Early on, I worried people would just write “nice app” to game the system. I added a 30‑character minimum requirement, but the real solution was the community itself – creators naturally want quality feedback, so they give quality feedback.

2. The “cold start” problem

A feedback exchange only works if there are people to exchange with. I initially seeded the platform with my own projects and invited developer friends. It’s still small, but growing organically.

3. Cross‑platform auth headaches

Implementing Kakao login (popular in Korea) alongside Google and Apple across iOS, Android, and web was… painful. Each platform has its quirks.

What I Learned

• Start with the smallest possible loop. My MVP was just: register → browse → feedback. Everything else came later.
• Community moderation matters early. Even with 50 users, you need clear guidelines.
• Solo development is lonely. Ironically, building an app about feedback made me realize how much I needed feedback myself.

Current Status

• ~100 registered services
• Web is live, mobile apps under review
• Still early, but the core loop is working

Try It Out

• 🌐 Web: feedapp-prod.web.app ← Live now!
• 🤖 Android: Under review (coming soon)
• 🍎 iOS: Under review (coming soon)

You can register your service on web first – it’ll sync when the mobile apps launch!

I’d Love Your Feedback (Ironic, I Know)

• Does this concept make sense?
• Would you use something like this?
• Any features you’d want to see?

As a solo dev, every bit of feedback helps. Thanks for reading! 🙏

If you’re also an indie developer struggling to get feedback, let’s connect. Drop a comment or find me on the app!