When Shane Hudson launched Value Study in 2020—a mobile app designed to help artists practice tonal values—he envisioned a free tool for personal use. Four years later, his creation is used worldwide across iOS, Android, and macOS, forcing hard decisions about sustainability that illuminate deeper truths about platform economics. Hudson's recent reflections reveal why Android monetization remains uniquely challenging for indie developers.

The Pricing Pivot

Hudson initially committed to keeping Value Study free, fearing criticism as a non-expert in art. But as adoption grew, maintenance costs mounted. His solution? Reframing "free" as "affordable," introducing two payment options: a lifetime purchase (<$10) or a yearly subscription (~$2). This pivot wasn't greed-driven but pragmatic—a necessity to fund ongoing development without excluding users.

The Android Conundrum

Android's rollout proved unexpectedly complex, both technically and culturally:

  • Payment Resistance: Only a small fraction of Android users convert to paid, contrasted with iOS's healthier conversion rates. When Android users do pay, they overwhelmingly choose lifetime access over subscriptions—the inverse of iOS behavior.
  • Review Culture: Android users leave more critical reviews, often attacking the mere existence of pricing ("it costs money, don't download") despite clear labeling.
  • Technical Fragmentation: Maintaining separate Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android) codebases creates synchronization challenges. Hudson uses Claude Code to manage cross-platform consistency, noting: "It’s not magic and it’s not painless, but it’s a practical use of modern tools."

Tooling Triumphs

Three tools proved indispensable:

  1. RevenueCat: Replaced hand-rolled StoreKit solutions, handling payment edge cases and providing revenue analytics that revealed platform disparities.
  2. AppFollow: Monitors App Store keywords on a budget-friendly tier.
  3. RocketSim: Enhanced iOS simulator functionality for tasks like standardized screenshot generation.

The Influencer Wake-Up Call

A collaboration with artist Christian (with millions of Spanish-speaking followers) backfired when the influencer demoed Value Study exclusively on iOS. Android users flooded reviews with low ratings due to undiscovered platform-specific bugs—a painful lesson in platform parity. Hudson notes: "I had underestimated just how Android-heavy usage would be."

Why This Matters

Hudson’s journey underscores critical industry realities:

  • Monetization isn't one-size-fits-all: Platform cultures dictate pricing strategy. Android’s resistance to subscriptions demands alternative models.
  • Native isn't dead, but AI assists: Maintaining separate codebases remains viable with AI-powered synchronization tools.
  • Indie sustainability requires trade-offs: Charging fairly enables investment in quality—from testing devices to edge-case fixes—without compromising accessibility.

As Value Study stabilizes on Android, Hudson reflects: "What started as a small personal tool has slowly become something other people rely on." His experience offers a masterclass in adapting principles to reality—a necessary skill in the volatile indie development landscape.

Source: Shane Hudson's blog