Across the Finish Line: So You Built an App, Now What?

Join us for our November gathering of AI, data, and product enthusiasts. This month, we’re getting nerdy about everything that comes after a working app: building the business, reaching customers, and keeping the product healthy.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
• Time: 7:15 PM to 9:30 PM CST
• Location: Chicago North Shore (exact venue to be confirmed).

Featured Session

Your app works. Now comes the rest of the job. What business are you building around it? How will people find it, pay for it, and keep using it? What systems will help you see what’s working—and catch what isn’t?

Zack Asher will share lessons from launching and running his own app, Cleanmail: Family Inbox. Getting into the App Store is one piece of the story; the larger focus is setting an app up for success before and after release. His agenda spans:

• Building the business: goals, company setup, developer accounts, and the supporting infrastructure around the app.
• Organizing your AI: giving agents clear responsibilities for to-do lists, documentation, coding, testing, website upkeep, and marketing.
• The Apple / Google store journey: preparing for submission, learning from App Store review feedback, managing releases, and ongoing store upkeep.
• Marketing and discovery: websites, social media, advertising, and visibility through search and AI tools (SEO / AEO).
• Monetization: subscriptions, paywalls, pricing, and referral programs.
• Customer and app health: testing, bugs and crash reports, customer behavior, and retention.
• Future planning: tracking improvements and deciding what to work on next.

Expect a roughly 20-minute overview drawn from Zack’s experience, followed by questions and conversation. Whether you’re building your first app, maintaining a product, or curious about how AI can help a solo founder manage the work, bring your questions.

Featured Speaker: Zack Asher

Zack Asher is a professional industrial designer with more than 15 years of experience in the design industry. He is also an entrepreneur and self-taught solo developer who built and launched Cleanmail: Family Inbox, his own app in the App Store. He’s a father who saw a problem and had the resolve to fix it.

Sponsorship: HELP!

A round of drinks or light snacks goes a long way toward fueling conversation. If your company would like to support this meetup, we’ll highlight its contribution in event remarks and follow-up communications. DM Jonathan to explore options.

What You Can Do Now

1. RSVP – reserve your seat above when registration opens.
2. Subscribe for updates: nerdslikeme.dream.page.
3. Complete your profile – help fellow nerds put a face and a background to your name.
4. Whitelist us – add [email protected] to your contacts so you never miss an invite.
5. Help spread the word – share this event with someone building an app, starting a business, or experimenting with AI.

See you soon, both familiar faces and first-timers alike.

Jonathan Shertok
“The Nerd”