From a Side Project in 2019 to a Published App: My Experience Building Believers Sword

Back in 2019, I started working on a project called Believers Sword.

At the time, it was just a simple idea: build a Bible study app that could help people read Scripture, stay consistent, and grow in their faith. I did not have a big team, a large budget, or a perfect roadmap. It was simply a personal project that I worked on during my free time.

After work, during weekends, late at night, and whenever I had extra energy, I slowly built and improved the app.

Years later, I am grateful to say that the Believers Sword mobile app is now published on Google Play.

Mobile version:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.believers.sword.believers_sword_mobile&hl=en

Windows desktop:https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pfn10lvmbv4?hl=en-US&gl=PH

Website:https://www.believersword.com/

Web app:https://app.believersword.com/

Building Something Meaningful Takes Time

One of the biggest lessons I learned from building Believers Sword is that meaningful projects take time.

When I started, the app was not perfect. In fact, many parts of it had to be changed, redesigned, rewritten, or improved over the years. There were features that looked simple at first but became more complicated once I started building them properly.

Bible reading, bookmarks, notes, highlights, devotionals, desktop support, mobile support, syncing, offline usage, and user experience — each of these areas required planning, testing, and a lot of patience.

As developers, it is easy to underestimate how much time a real product takes. A small idea can quickly grow into a large system with many moving parts.

That is why consistency matters more than speed.

A Side Project Still Requires Real Commitment

Believers Sword was mostly built during my free time.

That means I had to work on it while balancing work, personal responsibilities, learning, and other priorities. Some weeks had good progress. Other times, progress was slow. There were also moments when I had to pause, rethink the structure, or fix issues that I did not expect.

This taught me that a side project is not “small” just because it is built outside of full-time work.

A serious side project still requires discipline, planning, problem-solving, and long-term commitment.

You may not always have a full day to work on it, but even small progress adds up when you keep going.

The Technical Side of the Journey

Building Believers Sword also helped me grow as a software developer.

The project expanded across multiple platforms:

• Mobile app

• Windows desktop app

• Web app

• Official website

• Backend services

• Local/offline data handling

• Future sync and subscription-related features

Each platform came with its own challenges.

Mobile development required thinking about performance, storage, screen sizes, app store requirements, and user experience. Desktop development had different concerns, especially around packaging, offline data, and installation. The web version required deployment, hosting, and making the app accessible through the browser.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy building real products. You do not just learn syntax or frameworks. You learn how everything connects together.

You learn about development, design, deployment, debugging, databases, app store publishing, user feedback, and long-term maintenance.

The Financial Lesson Behind Building Apps

Since this blog also focuses on financial advice, I think there is an important lesson here: building software is not only a technical journey — it is also an investment.

Not always a financial investment at first, but definitely an investment of time, energy, learning, and patience.

When you build your own app, you are creating an asset.

It may not generate income immediately. It may not become popular overnight. It may take years before it becomes stable or useful enough for other people. But over time, a project can become something valuable.

That value may come in different forms:

• Skills you gained

• A product you can improve

• A portfolio project

• A tool that helps people

• A future source of income

• A platform for more ideas

• A personal brand asset

For me, Believers Sword is more than just an app. It is proof that small, consistent effort over time can become something real.

Do Not Wait Until Everything Is Perfect

Another lesson I learned is that waiting for perfection can delay progress for years.

There will always be something to improve. There will always be bugs to fix, UI changes to make, features to add, and better ways to build things.

At some point, you need to release.

Publishing the mobile version does not mean the project is finished. It simply means it has reached a stage where people can start using it, testing it, and benefiting from it.

That is an important mindset for developers, creators, and entrepreneurs.

Launch does not mean the end. Launch is part of the process.

What Believers Sword Is Today

Today, Believers Sword is available across different platforms. It is built to help users read Scripture, use devotionals, take notes, save bookmarks, highlight verses, and continue growing in their walk with God.

It is still a work in progress, and I still have many plans for it.

There are features I want to improve, systems I want to make better, and new ideas I want to add in the future. But reaching this milestone is something I am truly thankful for.

😁🫡

If you are a developer, creator, or someone planning to build your own app, my advice is simple:

Start small, but keep going.

You do not need everything to be perfect at the beginning. You do not need a big team or a huge budget to start learning and building. What matters is that you continue improving, continue solving problems, and continue showing up.

Believers Sword started as a simple idea in 2019.

Years later, it is now available on mobile, desktop, and web.

The journey took time, but it was worth it.

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”— Proverbs 16:3