Recently we had an opportunity to speak with Rich Perez, the Creator / Developer at The Daily Smark about The Daily Smark

Please share with us the backstory of what motivated you to create this app.

I've been a lifelong wrestling fan and would naturally follow the news and listen to podcasts. I kept missing out on content and wondered why there wasn't a site or app that aggregated all of the content into one spot. I thought it would be a fun project to build The Daily Smark website and then eventually our iPhone app. Later, I realized that I could add wrestling videos and upcoming TV shows or live events to make the app more of a complete experience.

What features do you hope to roll out to your app in the future?

I would love to build out User Accounts since it would make it easier for users to jump from device to device and make it easier to build more account-centric features. I also want to develop an Android app since that is a feature request I get often.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of the creation of this app?

It's been hearing from other fans how much they enjoy the app and use it daily. Wrestling podcasters have been using The Daily Smark as the perfect tool to cover content for their shows.

What is the coolest or most innovative feature of your app?

My favorite feature that I don't see from any other wrestling apps is The Daily Smark notifies you every morning of a major wrestling show available to watch. This way, you won't forget about it and get a friendly reminder to watch Monday Night RAW or AEW Dynamite on the proper channel or streaming platform.

What surprised you most in your journey to create this app?

The biggest surprise is how much work and time the app takes to build. I work on this outside of my day job, and sometimes I assume an update will be quick, but once I get started, I realize it'll be twice as long as I expected.

Which other mobile apps or technology have inspired you?

Apollo for Reddit & The Atheltic were big inspirations while I've been building this app. I always appreciated their attention to detail and simplicity. These concepts were what I wanted to achieve with The Daily Smark app.

Do you have any recommendations or advice for others wanting to create a mobile app?

If you have an idea for an app, keep it simple and use whatever technology you're most comfortable with. Focusing on one platform can make your process so much simpler. Don't forget to get involved with the community that would most benefit from your app. That community will guide you on what you should build next and where to put your focus.

How did you decide which platforms to release your app on and do you plan on releasing your app to other platforms?

As an iPhone user, releasing it for Apple was an obvious choice. Having an actual device helped me test new features and ensure the app worked reliably for users.

How is your app different than the rest of the market? Which unique need does it fill?

Looking at other wrestling apps, they are focused on news and podcasts from a single website. The Daily Smark expands on this concept by featuring wrestling news, podcasts, and videos from multiple websites. The purpose is to give users a chance to get their content from numerous voices instead of just one.

You can view The Daily Smark here