u/Enough_Butterfly_736

I built an affirmation/self-help app and started testing Apple Search Ads. After spending around $83, I only got 11 installs with a CPI of $7.58.

What frustrates me more is seeing the App Store flooded with near-identical AI-generated apps, same UI styles, same screenshots, same features, same “self love / motivation / anxiety relief” positioning. Feels like ideas barely matter anymore.

Now it seems like the cycle is:
viral TikTok video -> paywall -> subscription -> repeat.

Most users forget to cancel subscriptions, and new apps keep replacing old ones every month. The store feels overcrowded and exhausting for indie developers.

How are people actually doing marketing in this environment without burning money?

I know a lot of people genuinely want to see the journey and learn something from it.
We don’t always have time to make every mistake ourselves — sometimes it’s better to learn from others.