Independent Mac developers face increasing competition for attention as artificial intelligence makes software creation more accessible, while AI-generated promotional emails make it harder for established creators to distinguish serious products from quickly assembled applications. Glenn Fleishman examined the challenge in an article published by Six Colors on October 27, 2026.
Fleishman described receiving three to five promotional emails daily from developers introducing new iPhone, iPad, and Mac applications. His colleague Jason reportedly receives dozens of similar messages each day.
These emails commonly reference the recipient’s previous technology articles before introducing an application designed to address a particular problem. However, Fleishman said many messages appear to have been written by chatbots, sometimes with additional editing to make them sound more personal.
He described one possible instruction used to generate such messages as:
“Try not to sound like an LLM,”
The growing volume of AI-assisted promotions creates uncertainty about the quality of the applications being advertised. Fleishman argued that developers using artificial intelligence should not automatically be judged as inexperienced because the technology can help people create software they previously lacked the technical ability to build.
He also distinguished between using AI to generate creative content and using it to produce software. Programming operates within defined technical constraints, making it possible to test whether generated code performs its intended functions.
Fleishman illustrated the difference with a simple software-generation request:
“Gemini, write me a Markdown editing app”
He explained that generating functional software requires more than issuing instructions to an AI system. Developers still need experience with application design, debugging, testing, and user interactions to produce reliable products.
Despite decades of programming experience, Fleishman said he had never mastered Objective-C or Swift. However, he used Claude to develop Mister Plimsoll, a Mac application designed to monitor available drive space.
The project required dozens of hours of debugging, refinement, and feature development based on user feedback. Fleishman said he reviewed most of the generated code rather than writing substantial portions himself.
He described the simplicity he initially wished AI-assisted development could offer:
However, the actual development process required considerable involvement. Mister Plimsoll became his first Mac application, and he released it for free because of its specialized purpose and his desire to contribute to the Mac ecosystem.
Fleishman also explained that he avoided sending promotional emails about the application. Instead, he hoped users would discover it through ordinary internet searches.
One search phrase he identified as relevant to the application’s purpose was:
“notify me when my Mac drive is getting full app”
He noted that Google had not yet delivered the organic discovery he hoped for. Tips received through the application had amounted to less than $80 at the time of writing.
The discussion also raises questions about the future of independent Mac software businesses. Fleishman identified third-party developers, including small teams and individual creators, as an important part of the platform’s software ecosystem.
He pointed to established applications such as BBEdit, PCalc, and A Better Finder Attributes as examples of products that demonstrate the continuing role of independent developers.
According to Fleishman, many software developers already use agentic AI tools for tasks such as building testing systems, stress-testing applications, writing smaller code components, and managing App Store build processes. The use of AI therefore extends beyond developers creating applications without traditional programming experience.
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