Two weeks of a Swift Course and Two Apps on the App Store

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Alexandre started the Swift and iOS 8 Apps in 31 Days course and already has two apps on the App Store. Learn about his background and how he's spent his time learning to program new iPhone apps in Swift.

I have found his work to be very inspiring and I hope that you join me in making and selling your first iPhone app.

Not only has he submitted multiple apps to the App Store, but he's also been blogging about the process, struggles, and accomplishments. If you want to learn, this is one of the best ways to get started.

Learn about Alexandre's programming experience and work ethic.

What's your work/education background?

I have a French management business school degree. I'm an entrepreneur; in 2000 I built a recruiting agency in the information technology field.

In 2009, with two partners we created a software company that developed recruitment software in the cloud.

I'm in charge of the sales department.

When did you start programming in Swift? 

I started programming in Swift on September the 20th, after Apple released Xcode 6.0 

Did you have any programming experience before starting Swift?

I have a little experience in Python (our developer team works in Python, so I’ve learned the language to be able to understand them). A long time ago, I played with my HP48 calculator in a language similar to Pascal.

How much time have you spent each week working on programming?

I was really invested in learning Swift and I’ve spent ten to fifteen hours each day for three weeks to catch up on the iOS Developer.

Now I spend four to five hours a day working with Swift.

What do you recommend to other students who are learning Swift?

I would recommend coding their own projects while learning on good materials. I've found it very effective to follow great courses/learning resources and mix that with my own code at the same time.

Watching a video or reading a tutorial is great, but it will bring all its power if you try to make something on your own with that new knowledge. 

Did you have any issues or problems when you were learning Swift?

The main issue was before the beginning, when I tried to picture the amount of things to learn (the language, its concepts, Xcode, Cocoa, etc., etc.). It could be overwhelming.

But "the goal is the way." If you start with a good teacher, it is not about the mountain to climb but about the next step to take.

One step at a time on the right road and everything begins to feel accessible. It is a great journey and a lot of fun. 

How many apps have you submitted to the App Store?

I have two apps on the App Store.

Table Plan

Table Plan

Table Plan was a development to test if I could build an App. It was a nice learning project because it dealt with math (ellipse), gestures, popover and access to the address book. I'm happy to have published the app, because my mother uses it now. :)

Casual Poet

Casual Poet

Casual Poet is the result of the first App Challenge. It was an insane weekend of development (near forty hours of work in two days). But what a pleasure at the end to have something that looked like a complete App.

It’s more of a proof of concept right now, and it needs more developments to become a real game. I'm working on it now. 

Do you like making apps? What's your goal?

Making apps is really fun and rewarding. It is like a painting: at the end we have created something.

I want to take time to give back to the Swift community too. I've started a blog to share some coding topics I encountered during my developments that could help other developers.

My goal is to continue learning and build great apps. I'm really exited with the Apple Watch. Next year will be a great coding year.

The next step will be to release an App with a high level of quality and a profitable economic model.

Final Words

Awesome Thanks for all the insight into making apps with Swift! Follow Alexandre on Twitter or read his Swift programming blog!

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