Recently, I released my first app on the App Store! The app is called Compound Interest Solver. The app's main functionality is to calculate compound interest. Over time, I plan to add additional formulas and math explanations to the app.

Compound interest calculators are very much a solved problem. A quick search will turn up countless varieties. Despite having been done before, I still thought this was a good first idea for a few reasons.

• First, it is a simple idea. The simplicity made it easy for a beginner, like myself, to design and implement.
• Second, the UI could be easily created with some forms and graphs. I thought working with graphing would be a good opportunity to see Swift libraries and find insights into the Swift community.
• Third, it was an idea where the current solutions didn't satisfy me, and I was interested in creating something better.

I'm not above plugging my own software, so please give Compound Interest Solver a download and a review. The app is totally free, and I don't collect any data because I don't advertise. I created it for the learning opportunity, and I'd appreciate the feedback.

What's the takeaway?

If you want to create an app, I bet you have something grandiose in mind. That's great! However, if you're just starting out on your first app, I'd recommend picking a simple idea. Your first app doesn't have to be the next Uber or Airbnb. Reinventing the world is difficult!

I struggled with many false starts. I would start to learn Swift then quickly get distracted and frustrated and give up. By starting with something small, I made myself more likely to finish. Along the way of building the app, I learned a lot. Now I've started to build momentum that I can turn into developing new apps, learning more Swift, and writing this series.

Pick something small and get to building. Great things can come from just getting started.