“Looking at the data lowers my blood pressure.”
How developer Nathan Manceaux-Panot uses TelemetryDeck to build Retcon, a better macOS Git tool
Retcon is a macOS app that redefines what it means to rewrite Git history. Created by Nathan Manceaux-Panot, it lets developers squash, split, rename, reorder or undo commits with a simple drag-and-drop interface. Instant results. Conflict resolution with real context. And ⌘Z works everywhere. It gives Nathan the clarity to know what he worked on and why.
“I'm a heavy Git user, who actually likes to `git rebase -i` my history into shape. But, I thought it could be faster (much faster), and started working on Retcon, years ago. I'm really happy with what it became.”
Behind the scenes, there’s another kind of clarity at work: TelemetryDeck. Nathan uses our privacy-first analytics platform to understand how developers actually use Retcon, without collecting personal data or compromising trust.
“I want to say to people: I’m respecting privacy.”
During Retcon’s beta, Nathan faced a classic indie dev problem: feature feedback silence. He had two similar features and didn’t know which one users actually preferred.
“A few users do earnestly send fantastic feedback - which is important to me. But you know, most people don't tell you what they think about your product most of the time,” he explains.
So he turned to TelemetryDeck. Not to spy. Just to understand.
Retcon includes opt-in analytics only: users have to actively say yes. Still, about 50% of users give their consent, a high number that reflects Nathan’s transparency and TelemetryDeck’s values.
Why TelemetryDeck?
Nathan didn’t want a tool that “tracks everything.” He wanted something simple. Something that didn’t feel gross. And something that reflected how he runs his business—with honesty, respect, and care.
“Privacy is part of my value proposition, and just the right thing to do.”
TelemetryDeck offered exactly that: quick integration, clear insights, no legal overhead, and a strong focus on user privacy. Other developers recommended it, too.
It only took minutes to send the first signal, and even less time to understand the first charts. Unlike more complex tools built for data scientists, TelemetryDeck works right away - even for indie developers wearing ten hats.
(But if you are a data scientist, use TQL, our query language, to dive deep into the data!)
Building with insight, not guesswork
Before adding analytics, Nathan relied on gut feeling, conversations on mastodon, and his own preferences to guide Retcon’s development. But like many indie developers, he quickly hit a wall: not enough feedback, and too many blind spots.
“You know, people don't tell you what they think about your product most of the time,” he says. They just... disappear.
TelemetryDeck changed that. Suddenly, Nathan could see how people were using Retcon in the real world.
Which features they returned to again and again. Which ones got ignored. How long certain operations took.
Whether users preferred keyboard shortcuts or the mouse.
Whether free and paid users behaved differently.
Whether something he thought was minor turned out to be core.
“At some point, I had two features that were really similar. I wanted to delete one of them, but didn’t know which one was most used. That’s when I added TelemetryDeck.”
Instead of guessing or waiting for emails that never came, he now builds confidently and with evidence. He even built custom dashboards that track performance and reliability, so he can ship new features without holding his breath.
The impact is real:
- He ships faster, because he’s not second-guessing.
- He simplifies his app, instead of bloating it.
- His users are happier, because they feel like Retcon “just gets them.”
- Support requests go down, because the product fits more naturally.
- And yes, conversions go up -- because a well-targeted product sells itself.
In Nathan’s words:
“I've built something that fully delivers on its marketing promises. The stuff that I say on the website are just truths: It's the fastest way to rewriting git history. ”
With TelemetryDeck, he’s not just building faster. He’s building smarter. And that translates directly to a stronger product, a more loyal user base, and a business that keeps growing, without compromising on values.
The quiet joy of knowing it’s working
As an indie dev, shipping an app is always a bit nerve-wracking. No matter how much testing you’ve done, there's that little voice in the back of your head asking: Did I miss something? Is it crashing for someone right now?
For Nathan, TelemetryDeck helps silence that voice.
By tracking performance and errors without compromising privacy TelemetryDeck offers something most analytics tools don’t: peace of mind.
“I think it's the reassurance of knowing that there is no issue. That lowers my blood pressure looking at it.”
After Retcon’s launch, Nathan expected a wave of support tickets and bug reports. What he saw instead? A handful of minor issues, and a whole lot of users just getting things done. Smoothly.
That feeling -- that your work is out there, being used and appreciated, and it’s actually working -- is hard to describe, but every indie dev knows it. It’s joy. It’s relief. It’s what keeps you going.
With TelemetryDeck, Nathan doesn’t just see numbers. He sees his work making a difference, quietly and reliably. And that means he can spend more time building, and less time worrying.
Tracking that feels on-brand
Nathan could legally track usage without asking for consent. But that’s not who he is.
“Privacy is a big part of Retcon,” he says. “So I give users the choice.”
And that’s what makes the fit between TelemetryDeck and Retcon so natural. Both treat transparency as a feature. Both value simplicity, clarity, and speed. Both believe that good software serves the user -- not the other way around.
Retcon
Rewrite Git history with a single drag-and-drop. Undo anything with ⌘Z. All speed, no bumps.
Try Retcon now