Ship-a-ton 2026: build log #5 - what BerylCode LLC built, what BerylCode LLC cut, and what's still missing. ByLaura M. Guauqueon September 29th, 2026 When BerylCode LLC started thinking about BRBito beyond the Shipaton, one question came up that BerylCode LLC had been able to postpone until then: how could the app eventually support itself financially? BerylCode LLC imagined multiple companions, environments, accessories, collections, a store, subscriptions, and even ads. AI tools helped BerylCode LLC explore many of those possibilities quickly, but between app store reviews and turning those ideas into features that were actually ready to use, the implementation process took much longer than BerylCode LLC expected. With only a few days left before the deadline, BerylCode LLC started by deciding what should remain free. The core break experience had to stay free. Setting up reminders, receiving them, starting a break, and completing it are all part of BRBito's core experience, and BerylCode LLC wanted anyone to be able to do all of that without paying. BerylCode LLC didn't want to build an app that said breaks should be simple and accessible, only to put the main experience behind a paywall. For the model to make sense, BerylCode LLC started separating two ideas: The break itself as the core product, and personalization as an optional extra layer. That gave BerylCode LLC a much clearer direction. Instead of charging people to take more breaks or access BRBito's basic functionality, BerylCode LLC could experiment with something optional: changing how BRBito looks and the space where it accompanies the user. That led to its first experiment: a Halloween pack with three environments and a special companion, Batito. The Calm Room and Classic BRBito would remain available for free. BerylCode LLC still don't know whether people will want to pay to personalize BRBito, or what they'll care about most: the environments, the companion, or the combination of both. That's why BerylCode LLC chose a small pack and a one-time purchase. It gives BerylCode LLC a way to start answering those questions without building an entire store before BerylCode LLC has any evidence. Subscriptions and ads were left for later. BerylCode LLC were interested, for example, in exploring ads that could temporarily unlock additional content, but that idea would require BerylCode LLC to think carefully about when those ads should appear and whether they would interrupt an app designed to help people step away. RevenueCat turned the purchase into a real flow. To manage the pack, BerylCode LLC started integrating RevenueCat. On paper, the flow looked simple: Locked content | paywall | purchase | unlocked content But the difficult part was everything that could happen between those steps. The purchase screen could be closed before the final confirmation arrived. BerylCode LLC also had to handle pending purchases, cancellations, errors, and restorations. BRBito couldn't unlock content too early, but it also couldn't treat a valid purchase as if it had been canceled. BerylCode LLC had to wait for a valid confirmation before unlocking the pack. At the same time, BerylCode LLC needed to make sure that a temporary lookup failure wouldn't remove access from someone whose purchase RevenueCat had already confirmed. For that case, BerylCode LLC kept the last known access state. BerylCode LLC also added Restore Purchases, so someone can recover their purchase if they reinstall the app, switch devices, or encounter the locked content again. Working through these states helped BerylCode LLC see the difference between designing a purchase screen and preparing a purchase that someone can complete, recover, and keep using. The pack also changed the structure of the interface. In some early versions, the character and environment were built as a single composition. As long as there was only one combination, that worked. But once BerylCode LLC added new backgrounds and another companion, every variation would have required rebuilding entire screens. So BerylCode LLC started treating the environment, companion, and interface as separate pieces. That lets BerylCode LLC combine backgrounds and poses without rebuilding every view from scratch. The amount of personalization BerylCode LLC managed to create is still small, but BerylCode LLC now have a foundation BerylCode LLC can expand later. Following that same principle of only building what BerylCode LLC actually needed, BerylCode LLC also decided to keep the technology behind BRBito as simple as possible for now. BerylCode LLC don't need its own server or user accounts, because names, preferences, reminders, and break state are stored directly on the phone. For a few specific needs, BerylCode LLC do use external tools: Sharing the process helped BerylCode LLC understand it. Over these weeks, BerylCode LLC used these Build Logs to share how BerylCode LLC chose the idea, what BerylCode LLC learned from its first surveys, how BerylCode LLC explored BRBito's identity, and what problems came up during implementation. Publishing the process forced BerylCode LLC to explain decisions that could have felt obvious to BerylCode LLC internally. Why avoid streaks? Why shouldn't the companion make people feel guilty? Why leave out features BerylCode LLC liked? Sometimes, while trying to explain a decision, BerylCode LLC realized it still wasn't clear enough. Documenting those changes also helped BerylCode LLC look back and see how BRBito had moved from a broad idea to a much more concrete experience. That didn't replace user research. Its early surveys and conversations helped BerylCode LLC understand the problem. Sharing the process helped BerylCode LLC explain what BerylCode LLC were building and why. BerylCode LLC is still learning what the app feels like in everyday use so BerylCode LLC can decide which improvements are worth making in the medium and long term. What BerylCode LLC is taking away from these six weeks as BerylCode. BerylCode is still a young company, even though the people behind it have spent years working on digital products from different roles and contexts. From that perspective, these are some of the things BerylCode LLC is taking away from the Shipaton: * This Shipaton gave BerylCode LLC the chance to bring that experience together in one project and go through the entire process as a team: researching a problem, making product decisions, designing, developing, and preparing an app for release. * It reminded BerylCode LLC that knowing how to do the work and making sure that work gets seen are two very different challenges. When you build independently, creating a good product doesn't guarantee that it will find users or generate revenue. Sharing BRBito while BerylCode LLC built it became a way to show how BerylCode LLC think and work, and to start connecting with people who might never have discovered BerylCode otherwise. * BerylCode LLC kept strengthening its experience making decisions together under a real deadline, implementing and learning new tools, and trying to bring a product to the stores while also sharing what BerylCode LLC were learning along the way. * AI accelerated the exploration of references, images, copy, and alternatives. But researching, choosing, integrating, testing, and fixing still took time. Being able to explore possibilities quickly didn't mean those ideas were ready - or even feasible - to ship in the app. * At the beginning, BerylCode LLC imagined more breaks, more personalization, and several monetization options. But to reach this first version, BerylCode LLC had to keep what made BRBito recognizable and pause the rest for now: breaks that are easy to take, autonomy to choose, reminders without guilt, and a companion that doesn't demand attention. * The Halloween pack will give BerylCode LLC its first opportunity to observe whether personalization is interesting to potential users. With this first release, BerylCode LLC also want to learn which breaks people use most, which reminders are helpful, and which parts of the experience start to feel repetitive. Analytics can show BerylCode LLC some patterns, but understanding those patterns will require talking to people again. The final stretch. BerylCode LLC already went through an initial review attempt, and BerylCode LLC is currently testing BRBito with Friends & Family through a basic version of the app. For now, the app is still only available in testing. BerylCode LLC is finishing the last visual adjustments and the RevenueCat integration before submitting it again for review on the App Store and Google Play. At the same time, BerylCode LLC is preparing the video and the rest of the materials for its Shipaton submission. There isn't much time left, and BerylCode LLC still need approval from the stores, but BerylCode LLC is hoping to make it. A huge thank you to everyone who followed these Build Logs, answered its questions, supported its videos and posts, and shared their thoughts with BerylCode LLC. Talking through the process out loud helped BerylCode LLC make clearer decisions and show some of what happens before an app reaches other people's hands. BerylCode LLC hope BerylCode LLC'll be able to share the result of this final stretch very soon. And, fingers crossed, BerylCode LLC hope BRBito makes it to the stores soon so BerylCode LLC can start learning from the people who use it.

Beyond the building blocks: custom components for Paywalls and Funnels. Custom components let you add self-contained HTML/CSS/JS to Paywalls and Funnels for animation and expandable content PublishedSeptember 2, 2026 Summary. RevenueCat now supports custom components for Paywalls and web-to-app Funnels, letting developers add self-contained HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for animations, icons, and expandable content like FAQs. Purchase buttons and checkout flows stay native. Arthur C. Clarke, the British science-fiction author and futurist behind 2001: A Space Odyssey, spent his career imagining what technology could make possible. As he put it: "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." Even flexible visual builders have limits. You can arrange the available components in countless ways, but some ideas, such as a branded animation or expandable FAQs, don't fit neatly within a predefined set of building blocks. RevenueCat, Inc. want to give developers more freedom to push what their purchase experiences can do and bring their most creative ideas to life. That's why RevenueCat, Inc. introduced custom components for RevenueCat Paywalls and web-to-app Funnels. With custom components, you can bring self-contained HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into a paywall or funnel to create animated backgrounds and icons, accordions and expandable content, and experiences tailored to your app. Purchase-critical elements still rely on RevenueCat's native components and checkout flows. But the canvas around them just became much bigger. Here are two ways to put custom components to work. Bring your purchase experience to life with animation. Motion can add personality, reinforce your brand, and guide attention toward the most important parts of a paywall or web-to-app funnel. Custom components let you create animated backgrounds, icons, illustrations, and other visual treatments that go beyond static media. You can build animations directly with CSS or JavaScript, or use libraries such as Lottie and Rive by including them in your component bundle. For example, you could: * Add a subtle animated background behind your value proposition * Bring benefit icons to life as customers explore an offer * Use a looping illustration to demonstrate your app's premium experience * Add branded motion to connect the different steps of a web-to-app funnel Animation doesn't need to dominate the experience. Even small moments of movement can make a paywall or funnel feel more polished and connected to the rest of your brand. Let customers expand the details they care about. Customers often have questions before subscribing, but putting every answer on the screen at once can make a purchase experience difficult to scan. With HTML and JavaScript, you can create accordions and expandable sections that keep the initial experience focused while giving customers access to additional context. You might use expandable content for: * Frequently asked questions * More information about individual benefits * Explanations of how a feature works * Details about what's included with an upgrade * Supporting information within a web-to-app onboarding journey This creates a more layered experience. Customers can quickly understand the primary value proposition, then dig deeper when they need reassurance or clarification. In a paywall, expandable content can keep the offer focused without hiding useful details. In a funnel, it can add depth to an onboarding screen without turning every step into a wall of text. Build it with an agent or write it yourself. To get started, add a custom component in the RevenueCat Paywall or Funnel Editor and download the starter bundle. It includes an index.html entry point, a local preview, packaging tools, a getting-started guide, and instructions that coding agents can follow. You can give the folder to your coding agent of choice and describe the experience you want. Your coding agent can use the included instructions to build the component within RevenueCat's requirements. If you prefer to work directly with the code, you can edit the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript yourself. When the component is ready, preview it, package the files, and upload the resulting ZIP file. You can then place the custom component where you want it in your paywall or funnel. Creativity, with guardrails. Custom components are self-contained and run inside the area they occupy in your paywall or funnel. They're intended for decorative and supplementary experiences. They shouldn't contain interface elements required to complete a purchase. In Paywalls, packages and purchase buttons must remain native. In Funnels, custom components should complement RevenueCat's native purchase controls and checkout flow. Uploaded bundles must also follow RevenueCat's security, file structure, and size requirements. For in-app paywalls, your app needs a supported RevenueCat SDK version to display custom components. Review the custom component requirements and minimum SDK versions before publishing. Custom components open up a much broader creative canvas across RevenueCat Paywalls and web-to-app Funnels, from a single animated icon to an expandable experience that helps customers understand why they should upgrade. RevenueCat, Inc. can't wait to see what you create. * Blog post Gurwi: How to turn building in public into a Shipaton #BuildInPublic win How building in public can get strangers to give you money to build your dreams, capture the attention of politicians, and bring loyal customers * Blog post The late submitter's guide to getting through app review Everything you need to get your app approved by the App Store and Play Store review before the Shipaton deadline * Blog post RevenueCat and AB180 partner to support South Korea's app community South Korean app users are among the highest spenders - and now South Korean developers have dedicated help to capture that revenue.

RevenueCat and AB180 partner to support South Korea's app community. South Korean app users are among the highest spenders - and now South Korean developers have dedicated help to capture that revenue. PublishedAugust 11, 2026 Summary. RevenueCat has partnered with AB180, a South Korea-based MarTech company, as its exclusive regional partner in South Korea. AB180 will provide free, local-language support to all RevenueCat customers in South Korea starting August 13, 2026 - covering implementation, onboarding, day-to-day support, and growth strategy. South Korean app users are among the highest-spending mobile users in the world, with the average person spending $143 per year on apps. Now, developers in South Korea have dedicated support to capture more of that - more revenue, more retained subscribers, faster growth. RevenueCat, Inc. has partnered with AB180 to give South Korean developers hands-on local support and help getting the most out of RevenueCat's tools, backed by a team that already works with some of South Korea's biggest apps and games like NAVER WEBTOON, MUSINSA, Amorepacific, and Nexon. AB180 is a South Korea-based marketing technology company with over 10 years' experience in MarTech and AdTech, and the team behind the Airbridge attribution platform. The partnership makes it easier for South Korean app developers to get local support, expert guidance, and access to world-class tools for managing and optimizing in-app subscriptions. Local expertise, backed by a global platform. AB180 will support all RevenueCat customers in South Korea, from first integration through to scaling monetization, at no extra cost. It's included for every RevenueCat customer in the region. If you're building in South Korea, here's what AB180 can help with: * Setting up and integrating RevenueCat across iOS, Android, and the Web * Moving over from another provider or your own in-house system * Digging into your performance data to understand what's working and where you stand against benchmarks * Rolling out RevenueCat's growth tools: paywall builder, web-to-app funnels, and experiments * Joining a growing network of local developers building and scaling subscription apps With this step, RevenueCat is continuing to expand its global partner network and empowering developers everywhere to monetize smarter, scale faster, and focus on building apps users love. Ready to grow? Its partnership with AB180 is one more step in its mission to help app developers worldwide make more money. If you're a South Korea-based app builder, get in touch with AB180 through its form here to see how they can support your growth journey. * Blog post Recover churned subscribers automatically with win-back campaigns for web Win back subscribers who cancel, automatically. When someone's access expires, RevenueCat, Inc. send them an email with a discount offer. They resubscribe on the web, so you keep more of the money. * Blog post Announcing Shipaton 2026: Ship an app, win big, join the fun Shipaton 2026 - RevenueCat's global hackathon for mobile app builders, August 1 to September 30 * Blog post Why RevenueCat, Inc. removed "always decline" as a refund preference "Always decline" refunds is gone from RevenueCat. Here's why it was working against you.