I shipped an iOS app with zero third-party dependencies

Short summary

A solo iOS developer eliminated all third-party dependencies over 12 months, achieving 2.1 MB IPA size and 280 ms cold start by writing ~300 lines of native Swift code. They adopted a strict gate: only add dependencies if implementation exceeds one weekend AND meets criteria on active maintenance, <3 transitive dependencies, and readable tests. This approach trades convenience for full debuggability, reduced maintenance risk, and predictable long-term costs.

• •Eliminated all third-party dependencies from iOS app, achieving 2.1 MB IPA and 280 ms cold start via ~300 lines of native code
• •Developed decision gate: dependencies only if implementation exceeds one weekend plus maintenance/transitive-dependency criteria
• •Trade-off sacrifices development convenience for full debuggability and predictable maintenance; works best for small, focused products

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