Writing
Notes from the build.
What we learn shipping our own products, written down while it's still fresh. Numbers included.
25 Sept 2026
Resend vs SendGrid: which one a small product should pick in 2026
We send every MeltsWell email through Resend: 13 transactional emails, one file of wiring. Here's how it compares to SendGrid on price, free tier, developer experience and deliverability, and when SendGrid is still the right call.
stackbuildingmeltswell
25 Sept 2026
PostHog vs Mixpanel for a small team: why we picked PostHog
Both have a free tier of 1 million events a month. The difference is what else you get and what you can build on top. How MeltsWell uses PostHog for 50 events, creator dashboards and a ranking score, and when Mixpanel is the better pick.
stackbuildingmeltswell
25 Sept 2026
MVP development for startups: what to build first, and what to leave out
How we scope an MVP for a startup: the one flow that has to work, the features that wait, real prices and timelines, and the parts of MeltsWell's first version we'd cut if we did it again.
foundersbuildingmvp
25 Sept 2026
How to build a marketplace app: what shipping MeltsWell taught us
A two-sided marketplace, built and launched in 2026: which side to build for first, the four features a marketplace MVP needs, why we didn't handle payments, the stack, what it costs, and what we'd do differently.
meltswellbuildingfounders
25 Sept 2026
Expo Router vs React Navigation: which to use for a new app in 2026
Expo Router is built on React Navigation, so this isn't really either-or. What each one is, how MeltsWell's Expo app is routed across 31 files, and when plain React Navigation still makes sense.
stackbuildingmeltswell
25 Sept 2026
Do you need a technical cofounder? When yes, when no, and how to find one
A technical cofounder is a partner for years, not a way to get an app built. When you need one, when a builder or a fractional CTO is the better call, where to find one, and what to offer.
foundersbuilding
14 Sept 2026
Startup directories that actually gave us a dofollow link
We launched MeltsWell on a fresh domain and submitted it around. Here's which directories gave a dofollow link, which gave nofollow, and which weren't worth the form. With Ahrefs numbers.
seolaunchbuild-in-public
14 Sept 2026
Should you outsource your app? What to demand if you do.
A founder's checklist for handing your app to someone else: when it makes sense, when it doesn't, and the six things to put in writing before you pay anyone.
foundersbuilding
14 Sept 2026
How long does it take to build an app? MeltsWell, month by month.
Our marketplace took 19 weeks from first commit to public launch, 1,700 commits, one person. Here's where the time went, and why a founder's first version should take six to nine weeks instead.
meltswellbuild-in-publicfounders
14 Sept 2026
How do free apps make money? Here's how ours does.
The five ways free apps earn, which ones actually work for a small product, and the exact model MeltsWell runs: free forever, two paid tiers, one-time featured spots, zero commission.
meltswellfoundersbuild-in-public
12 Sept 2026
How much does it cost to build an app in 2026? Our real numbers.
Not an industry average. The ranges a small studio charges for a landing page, a tool, a full product, a marketplace, and a mobile app, with what moves the price.
pricingfoundersbuild-with-us
11 Sept 2026
MeltsWell went from DR 0.4 to 18 in five weeks. One directory did it.
We launched a marketplace for home bakers with zero backlinks. One directory did most of the work, thirty spam sites did nothing. The numbers, with names, updated as they move.
meltswellseobuild-in-public