Elephant in the Room

Over the years, I have learned the best way to build a project is to release early and release often. My instinct and impulses are to disappear and emerge after a few months with a completed project that blows people away, but that doesn’t work. To build a successful project, you have to play the game. Release early, release often, get feedback, and build a community—that’s the game.

The nature of this project, being for Apple platforms, throws a wrench in the release-early-release-often ethos. Having to build a device driver for the project nukes the ethos from orbit.

Here is why: Apple must grant DriverKit entitlements to a development team, the development team needs to be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program for Organizations, and only a team that is part of a legal entity, such as a business or non-profit, may enroll in the program.

It is impossible to distribute the driver without first forming a legal entity, enrolling in the Apple Developer Program for Organizations, and obtaining the necessary entitlements.

While I raise the necessary funds to form a legal entity and enroll in the Apple Developer Program at the organization level, I’m left with building a community as the only viable task that contributes to creating a successful project.

I need to raise around $500 for the legal entity, $100 for a Registered Agent Service, $299 for the Apple Developer Program at the organization level, and $100 for a domain, hosting, email, and other fees and services.

That is the elephant in the room.