Tarek M. Ben Lechhab
@bilqisium.bsky.social
A freelancer and indie hacker yapping about Swift / iOS Dev, building apps, and AI-assisted engineering. Maker of http://swiftswiftapps.com
https://bilqisium.com
https://bilqisium.com
A few personal thoughts on fasting and our relationship with food 🧵
Our ancestors fasted (often unwillingly), they didn't have multiple carb-fills meals per day.
Pretty much all spiritualities have some form of fasting or dietary restriction.
Our ancestors fasted (often unwillingly), they didn't have multiple carb-fills meals per day.
Pretty much all spiritualities have some form of fasting or dietary restriction.
November 10, 2025 at 6:28 PM
A few personal thoughts on fasting and our relationship with food 🧵
Our ancestors fasted (often unwillingly), they didn't have multiple carb-fills meals per day.
Pretty much all spiritualities have some form of fasting or dietary restriction.
Our ancestors fasted (often unwillingly), they didn't have multiple carb-fills meals per day.
Pretty much all spiritualities have some form of fasting or dietary restriction.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a 1.2 trillion (!) model, that will run severed on their own hardware (Private Cloud Compute), based on a partnership with Google to power the new Siri.
If it lands in Foundation Models too, it'll be a huge opportunity for developers!
If it lands in Foundation Models too, it'll be a huge opportunity for developers!
November 5, 2025 at 8:40 PM
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a 1.2 trillion (!) model, that will run severed on their own hardware (Private Cloud Compute), based on a partnership with Google to power the new Siri.
If it lands in Foundation Models too, it'll be a huge opportunity for developers!
If it lands in Foundation Models too, it'll be a huge opportunity for developers!
Regardless of how much AI you embark on, software and software engineering are going through their most transformative era since they were invented.
This feels like a Renaissance.
There's never been a better time to be in this craft.
This feels like a Renaissance.
There's never been a better time to be in this craft.
November 5, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Regardless of how much AI you embark on, software and software engineering are going through their most transformative era since they were invented.
This feels like a Renaissance.
There's never been a better time to be in this craft.
This feels like a Renaissance.
There's never been a better time to be in this craft.
Wow huge news for developers. The App Store is now available and browsable as a website (all platforms and regions). No need to deal with store switchers and obscure tools.
I expect some new tools to appear that crawl / scrape those websites with actionable insights.
ASO++!
I expect some new tools to appear that crawl / scrape those websites with actionable insights.
ASO++!
November 3, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Wow huge news for developers. The App Store is now available and browsable as a website (all platforms and regions). No need to deal with store switchers and obscure tools.
I expect some new tools to appear that crawl / scrape those websites with actionable insights.
ASO++!
I expect some new tools to appear that crawl / scrape those websites with actionable insights.
ASO++!
After working successfully with more than 10 clients, I'm opening the doors of SwiftSwiftApps for the next cohort.
Still insanely cheap: A simple $999 flat-fee for a fully fledged iOS/macOS native app.
Still no hourly billing, no surprises, no hand holding.
Ship your MVP now before prices go up.
Still insanely cheap: A simple $999 flat-fee for a fully fledged iOS/macOS native app.
Still no hourly billing, no surprises, no hand holding.
Ship your MVP now before prices go up.
October 26, 2025 at 5:09 PM
After working successfully with more than 10 clients, I'm opening the doors of SwiftSwiftApps for the next cohort.
Still insanely cheap: A simple $999 flat-fee for a fully fledged iOS/macOS native app.
Still no hourly billing, no surprises, no hand holding.
Ship your MVP now before prices go up.
Still insanely cheap: A simple $999 flat-fee for a fully fledged iOS/macOS native app.
Still no hourly billing, no surprises, no hand holding.
Ship your MVP now before prices go up.
Sometimes it feels like I've burned bridges by being outspoken in using AI to code.
I have a decade and a half of xp building apps, I'm shipping like never before, but this is probably a red flag when I apply for jobs, hence the rejections.
But that's ok, I also want to find the right place.
I have a decade and a half of xp building apps, I'm shipping like never before, but this is probably a red flag when I apply for jobs, hence the rejections.
But that's ok, I also want to find the right place.
October 21, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Sometimes it feels like I've burned bridges by being outspoken in using AI to code.
I have a decade and a half of xp building apps, I'm shipping like never before, but this is probably a red flag when I apply for jobs, hence the rejections.
But that's ok, I also want to find the right place.
I have a decade and a half of xp building apps, I'm shipping like never before, but this is probably a red flag when I apply for jobs, hence the rejections.
But that's ok, I also want to find the right place.
Working on a React Native / Expo project for a client. I'm more a native guy, but I'll admit combining AI-assisted engineering and Expo hot reload feels magical. You just type words and you see your vision come to life in real time. Quite impressive tbh,
October 12, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Working on a React Native / Expo project for a client. I'm more a native guy, but I'll admit combining AI-assisted engineering and Expo hot reload feels magical. You just type words and you see your vision come to life in real time. Quite impressive tbh,
I track my habits to ensure that I make progress everyday. Learn something, read something, do something, write something.
Even if there’s lot I wish I did more (like read), I try to focus on what I do achieve and stay optimistic.
Even if there’s lot I wish I did more (like read), I try to focus on what I do achieve and stay optimistic.
October 9, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I track my habits to ensure that I make progress everyday. Learn something, read something, do something, write something.
Even if there’s lot I wish I did more (like read), I try to focus on what I do achieve and stay optimistic.
Even if there’s lot I wish I did more (like read), I try to focus on what I do achieve and stay optimistic.
What actually matters in AI coding: Understanding what to build. Translating needs into features. Knowing when code is good. Deploying and iterating. Tool choice is secondary.
October 8, 2025 at 5:01 PM
What actually matters in AI coding: Understanding what to build. Translating needs into features. Knowing when code is good. Deploying and iterating. Tool choice is secondary.
LLMs are non-deterministic. The same prompt gives brilliant code today, questionable code tomorrow. Stop looking for the "perfect" AI tool. It doesn't exist. Pick a decent set of tools, learn to use it well, ship with it.
October 7, 2025 at 4:59 PM
LLMs are non-deterministic. The same prompt gives brilliant code today, questionable code tomorrow. Stop looking for the "perfect" AI tool. It doesn't exist. Pick a decent set of tools, learn to use it well, ship with it.
End users care about whether it works and solves their problems? Everything else is the way. AI can help us stay focused on what actually matters by handling the rest.
This is what makes the SwiftSwiftApps model so successful for my clients.
This is what makes the SwiftSwiftApps model so successful for my clients.
October 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM
End users care about whether it works and solves their problems? Everything else is the way. AI can help us stay focused on what actually matters by handling the rest.
This is what makes the SwiftSwiftApps model so successful for my clients.
This is what makes the SwiftSwiftApps model so successful for my clients.
Being an Apple platforms expert + AI means I can ship apps for me and my clients at competitive cost that would've been impossible 2 years ago.
This is really empowering, both as an indie and as a freelancer.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
This is really empowering, both as an indie and as a freelancer.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
October 5, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Being an Apple platforms expert + AI means I can ship apps for me and my clients at competitive cost that would've been impossible 2 years ago.
This is really empowering, both as an indie and as a freelancer.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
This is really empowering, both as an indie and as a freelancer.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
Third testimonial and mini case study is live on SwiftSwiftApps.
This time it's featuring none other than Lou Zell, maker of AIProxy. Thanks again for trusting me Lou, this project was super cool and I enjoyed working with you.
This time it's featuring none other than Lou Zell, maker of AIProxy. Thanks again for trusting me Lou, this project was super cool and I enjoyed working with you.
October 5, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Third testimonial and mini case study is live on SwiftSwiftApps.
This time it's featuring none other than Lou Zell, maker of AIProxy. Thanks again for trusting me Lou, this project was super cool and I enjoyed working with you.
This time it's featuring none other than Lou Zell, maker of AIProxy. Thanks again for trusting me Lou, this project was super cool and I enjoyed working with you.
As an indie, being exposed to and working on many freelancing projects with SwiftSwiftApps really helps me stay grounded and avoid tunnel vision.
It helps in treating projects like cattle and not like pets as wisely said by Daniel Vassalo. (And certainly not like children)
It helps in treating projects like cattle and not like pets as wisely said by Daniel Vassalo. (And certainly not like children)
October 4, 2025 at 5:03 PM
As an indie, being exposed to and working on many freelancing projects with SwiftSwiftApps really helps me stay grounded and avoid tunnel vision.
It helps in treating projects like cattle and not like pets as wisely said by Daniel Vassalo. (And certainly not like children)
It helps in treating projects like cattle and not like pets as wisely said by Daniel Vassalo. (And certainly not like children)
My SwiftSwiftApps clients don't ask what tools I use. They care about being understood and actually making their app. Pick decent tools, commit to them, and focus on what matters: delivering value. Tool debates are luxury procrastination.
October 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
My SwiftSwiftApps clients don't ask what tools I use. They care about being understood and actually making their app. Pick decent tools, commit to them, and focus on what matters: delivering value. Tool debates are luxury procrastination.
I still track Swift and iOS / macOS updates and changes. But I don't memorize implementation details anymore (especially with Swift Concurrency 😅). I can just focus on understanding capabilities, and let AI handle the syntax.
October 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I still track Swift and iOS / macOS updates and changes. But I don't memorize implementation details anymore (especially with Swift Concurrency 😅). I can just focus on understanding capabilities, and let AI handle the syntax.
There are two categories of time spent: time sold, or time invested in yourself.
With the kind of freelancing I do with SwiftSwiftApps, I’m doing both:
Getting (a bit of) money, and assets for me as well: a nice portfolio, testimonials, AI coding skills, and industrialization of my services.
With the kind of freelancing I do with SwiftSwiftApps, I’m doing both:
Getting (a bit of) money, and assets for me as well: a nice portfolio, testimonials, AI coding skills, and industrialization of my services.
October 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
There are two categories of time spent: time sold, or time invested in yourself.
With the kind of freelancing I do with SwiftSwiftApps, I’m doing both:
Getting (a bit of) money, and assets for me as well: a nice portfolio, testimonials, AI coding skills, and industrialization of my services.
With the kind of freelancing I do with SwiftSwiftApps, I’m doing both:
Getting (a bit of) money, and assets for me as well: a nice portfolio, testimonials, AI coding skills, and industrialization of my services.
Someone shipped an app with overlapping use cases while I was still thinking about mine. Shipping always wins. Lesson learned: AI makes building faster, but you still need to actually build.
September 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Someone shipped an app with overlapping use cases while I was still thinking about mine. Shipping always wins. Lesson learned: AI makes building faster, but you still need to actually build.
Second testimonial and mini case-study is live on SwiftSwiftApps!
September 30, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Second testimonial and mini case-study is live on SwiftSwiftApps!
It's mind blowing to think that we're in an era when it's faster and cheaper for me to do an app myself when I have a use case, rather than trying to find the right app.
Plus, I can polish it and put it on the App Store. Coding with AI really is a superpower.
Plus, I can polish it and put it on the App Store. Coding with AI really is a superpower.
September 28, 2025 at 5:03 PM
It's mind blowing to think that we're in an era when it's faster and cheaper for me to do an app myself when I have a use case, rather than trying to find the right app.
Plus, I can polish it and put it on the App Store. Coding with AI really is a superpower.
Plus, I can polish it and put it on the App Store. Coding with AI really is a superpower.
When coding with AI, I sometimes like to be a bit vague in my prompts, or formulate them in a way that leaves room for interpretation.
LLMs tend to add niceties.
Some hate it. I don't mind it. At worst I can just delete what it did.
But oftentimes it gives me ideas, like chatting with a coworker.
LLMs tend to add niceties.
Some hate it. I don't mind it. At worst I can just delete what it did.
But oftentimes it gives me ideas, like chatting with a coworker.
September 26, 2025 at 4:58 PM
When coding with AI, I sometimes like to be a bit vague in my prompts, or formulate them in a way that leaves room for interpretation.
LLMs tend to add niceties.
Some hate it. I don't mind it. At worst I can just delete what it did.
But oftentimes it gives me ideas, like chatting with a coworker.
LLMs tend to add niceties.
Some hate it. I don't mind it. At worst I can just delete what it did.
But oftentimes it gives me ideas, like chatting with a coworker.
Implementation details used to give me tunnel vision.
Now AI handles them while I keep the big picture in focus.
It results in me solving problems better and delivering more value for my clients and users.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
Now AI handles them while I keep the big picture in focus.
It results in me solving problems better and delivering more value for my clients and users.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
September 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Implementation details used to give me tunnel vision.
Now AI handles them while I keep the big picture in focus.
It results in me solving problems better and delivering more value for my clients and users.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
Now AI handles them while I keep the big picture in focus.
It results in me solving problems better and delivering more value for my clients and users.
Interested in building an app MVP for a $499 flat-rate? Book your free call below!
Summiqo, my transcription and summarization app, is now available on iOS in addition to macOS. And I'm entering #Shipaton with it.
This new update brings on-device transcription (in addition to GPT-4o-transcribe), and an updated Liquid Glass design.
Follow the link below in the first comment.
This new update brings on-device transcription (in addition to GPT-4o-transcribe), and an updated Liquid Glass design.
Follow the link below in the first comment.
September 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Summiqo, my transcription and summarization app, is now available on iOS in addition to macOS. And I'm entering #Shipaton with it.
This new update brings on-device transcription (in addition to GPT-4o-transcribe), and an updated Liquid Glass design.
Follow the link below in the first comment.
This new update brings on-device transcription (in addition to GPT-4o-transcribe), and an updated Liquid Glass design.
Follow the link below in the first comment.
For the first time today, Codex (GPT-5-Codex medium) surpassed Claude Code (Opus 4.1) on a task I thought Claude had a definitive edge: UI/UX implementation.
It's sad but I probably won't be renewing my max subscription.
I'll keep it around for sure and probably use both, but no more max needed.
It's sad but I probably won't be renewing my max subscription.
I'll keep it around for sure and probably use both, but no more max needed.
September 25, 2025 at 2:35 PM
For the first time today, Codex (GPT-5-Codex medium) surpassed Claude Code (Opus 4.1) on a task I thought Claude had a definitive edge: UI/UX implementation.
It's sad but I probably won't be renewing my max subscription.
I'll keep it around for sure and probably use both, but no more max needed.
It's sad but I probably won't be renewing my max subscription.
I'll keep it around for sure and probably use both, but no more max needed.
AI makes us all generalist-specialists. Deep expertise when needed (via AI), and a facilitated knowledge transfer. We can be "jack-of-all-trades" and "master-of-most".
September 24, 2025 at 4:59 PM
AI makes us all generalist-specialists. Deep expertise when needed (via AI), and a facilitated knowledge transfer. We can be "jack-of-all-trades" and "master-of-most".