Ostensibly, Panic makes Apple software, like the award-winning Transmit, Coda, and Status Board. But how many Apple software developers team up with the creator of Katamari Damacy to print and sell their official t-shirts, or manufacture a series of deadly accurate Atari 2600 boxes for non-existent games? Cofounder Cabel Sasser shares the unique story of how Panic stayed independent at all costs, as well as some of the challenges along the way. Recorded in September 2013 at XOXO, an arts and technology festival in Portland, Oregon celebrating independent artists using the Internet to make a living doing what they love. For more, visit http://xoxofest.com. Video thumbnail by Ian Linkletter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkletter/9892159725/ Intro Music: Broke for Free, "Breakfast with Tiffany" http://bit.ly/xo2013broke

Because creativity, it’s just so much — it’s so inwardly focused. And I find that it’s so helpful to be pulled out of that system, otherwise I can just drown in myself. [Having a day job] means you can just make whatever you want to make. And what’s more independent than that? What I’m talking about is a problem of success, but we need to make sure that it’s not taboo to talk about the problems of success if we want to be successful. If we want ourselves and other people to be successful, we need to address the problems on the other side as well. I don’t want to drown in other people’s expectations. My own are hard enough. If what you make goes anywhere, it’s because other people carried it.

[outputting consistently] takes away from the heart of it if all you’re doing is focusing on that consistency.

And I hope we see a renaissance of organizations and individuals step up to support them. Where I want to take Distillations with its upcoming project to write a graph theory toolkit in Swift — a hopeful meeting of engineers and mathematicians.

While you can easily predict the concerns of making any leap, there is no way to predict the numerous rewards that await you on the other side.

If you had told me four years ago today that someone would eventually get a Blackbox tattoo I never would have believed you…

more or less I don’t think corporations have feelings, which is why I’m a big fan of indie software, because indie software is made by individuals, and individuals care about things and have feelings.

and spoke two words that will dramatically change my life. ​ I know that, on my death bed, I would regret not giving this a shot. I know that I would say “why did I work, rather than just trying to make it by myself”. I don’t want to make that mistake. ​ The well-traveled road brings less surprise, but is paved with the regret of poorly trodden forks not taken. ​ I would be remiss to write this post without mentioning you. It is expressly because of the people that read this website — like you — and the people that listen to my podcasts — like you — and the people that watch my videos — like you — that I’m able to make this leap. Without you giving me your attention, my family would not be afforded this amazing opportunity. ​ I can think of only a couple other pairs of words that have had similar impact on my life. Coincidentally, they were both spoken by Erin: “I do.” “I’m pregnant.”