Founder and CTO of Basecamp and Hey, David Heinemeier Hansson recounts their battle with Apple and the policy changes needed in the App Store.
In June 2020 Basecamp launched Hey, a new email service and app on iPhone and Android. After the app was already approved in Apple's App Store, a minor update triggered the Hey app to be rejected due to a lack of in-app purchase options.
Despite many apps following the same business model, such as Netflix and Fastmail, a drawn-out battle ensued between Hey and Apple that sparked a larger conversation regarding antitrust and App Store policy.
On the podcast, Hansson recounts the events that took place during the Hey app dispute and argues for a major change in the App Store policy: that Apple should finally allow users to install apps directly from developers without going through the App Store.