My Experience Attending the Apple Entrepreneur Camp

In 2019 I was invited to attend the Fall Cohort of the Apple Entrepreneur Camp in Cupertino, California, along with 10 other woman-led teams of developers/designers & analysts from around the world. 

When I was preparing for my trip I couldn’t find any guidance material for Apple-related conferences so I wrote this for anyone attending the same or related camps. 

What are the perks of attending this free camp?

• You attend week-long technology lab sessions where you receive one-on-one code-level assistance from Apple experts & engineers, as well as mentorship & guidance from Apple leaders.

• You get to speak with marketing leaders about expanding the outreach of your product and how best to use Apple’s tools. You also receive a one-on-one analysis of your product from experts in UI/UX, subscription, and content creation.

• You get tickets to WWDC! As well as one year of ongoing support from an Apple Developer representative, free credits for Apple campaigns, and a one-year membership in the Apple Developer Program.

• I worked on Siri shortcuts with engineers from the Siri team. 

• I was able to clarify my Core ML doubts. 

• I received help with iOS 13 bugs and discussed the future of ARKit. 

• I gained a better understanding of Apple’s intentions and values.

Apple Park in AR 

Is This Camp Also for Sole Proprietors?

I met a phenomenal woman while I was there. She was a working mom who was the developer, designer, and sole owner of her apps. She became successful by building products that she thought could be useful for her kids and her husband, such as a gratitude-list tracker. 

She told me that many CEOs had urged her to use her potential to earn more, but when she was asked, “What do you want to achieve in your life?” she said, “I want to surf more frequently near my beach house in L.A. But I won’t be able to do that if I focus on converting my apps into a capitalist venture. Therefore I want to stick to bettering my apps rather than looking to make more profit.”

To me, that story speaks volumes on how this camp is about empowering women and not just their products.

How do I Apply?

The application process requires you to answer a few questions about yourself, your aspirations for your organization, and your knowledge of Apple’s tools. Once you’ve passed that there is a video call round.

Note: The details are subject to change. You can apply for the next Cohort on the official website here.

. . .

Things to Keep in Mind While Applying for the Camp

• You have to pay for your own accommodations, and hotels in the San Jose area are very costly. I would suggest using Airbnb or similar options.

• The sessions are intensive and the time is spent entirely on preparing for the final presentation. If you are planning to explore then you should extend the trip by a few days extra.

• Apply for a US Visa as far in advance as possible. The interview slots are usually booked for months, although this can vary based on your country.

• Be cautious and only book your flight after your Visa has been confirmed. If you are far from the US, flights can be expensive. (The third member of my team had his Visa application denied twice, and he couldn’t make it to the camp.)

• Don’t worry about your meals because Apple is very accommodating of dietary preferences.

• If you want to read more about the camp, you can check Apple’s official blog.