u/john200ok

Proof: verified revenue on TrustMRR

I built it for myself to solve my own problem and used it privately for a while. It was just an internal tool. I had a bunch of reasons why it wasn't worth putting out there and every single one of them was wrong.

1. "It's just an internal tool, it's not a real product"

This was the biggest one. I built it rough for me and it didn't feel like something you charge money for.

But the whole reason it existed is that I had a problem and nothing out there solved it the way I wanted. Other founders and startups have the same problems I do.

2. "I should polish it first before anyone sees it"

This is how internal tools stay internal forever. There's always one more thing to fix.

What I actually did was make a website and add a way for people to pay for it and launch it. That's it. The feedback and feature requests came after from real users and now I'm iterating on what they actually asked for instead of what I guessed they wanted.

3. "I've failed so many times, why would this one be different"

I launched a lot of failed projects before. So I had very low expectations on this project which honestly is fine. Low expectations is not the problem. Not launching because of them is.

It got its first sale on day 1. Then 2 sales on day 2, 5 sales on day 3, and it kept going. The project I cared least about is the one that got traction.

4. "If people wanted this they'd already be paying for something like it"

I had no way of knowing that without asking for money. Talking to people doesn't tell you this. Upvotes don't tell you this. The only thing that tells you is a payment page and a launch.

Every excuse above was really the same excuse wearing a different shirt. I didn't want to find out that nobody wanted it.

If you've got something running on your own computer right now that you built to solve your own problem, put a price on it and launch it. You might be sitting on your next business without even realizing it.

Drop your questions below if you have any, I'll do my best to answer them to share what I learned to help others.

P.S. To those who are asking and are curious, this is the project.

---

Some are saying the revenue is fake, so to prove that it's true, I added the project on TrustMRR (the proof is at the top of this post).

Some are saying it's impossible because the domain name is just registered recently. The answer to that is the domain name is new because I rebranded the project. The website was previously using a different domain name.

Most of the growth has come from stacking several organic channels together.

These are the ones that have worked best for me:

1. Launch with a high-intent keyword, not a brand name

One thing I’ve found surprisingly useful is choosing an App Store name around something people already search for.

For example:

AI calorie tracker - <brand>

New apps get extra visibility in App Store search (autocomplete suggestions) during the initial launch period.

If the keyword has enough search volume, this can turn a new app with 0 users into hundreds or even thousands of downloads in the first few days during the App Store boost.

This is such a low hanging fruit win that it's a no brainer not to use it.

2. Treat your App Store page like a sales page

Getting discovered doesn’t mean you’ll get the download.

I obsess over the conversion step:

Impressions → Product page view → Download

The biggest things I focus on:

• Relevant high-intent keywords
• Screenshots that communicate the outcome that the user will get, not the features (focusing on features generally have a lower conversion rate)
• An icon that makes the app recognizable at a glance (e.g, vibrant colors, catchy, clearly explains what the app does)

You can get plenty of impressions and still get nowhere if your product page listing doesn’t convince people to download it. A great product page listing also helps the download to paid conversion rate.

3. Don’t underestimate a one-page website

You don’t need a huge content site to benefit from Google.

One good landing page targeting one high-intent search term/keyword is enough to start.

I usually start with Google Trends to identify topics with demand. And then build the page around the search intent.

And whenever possible, I like having the target keyword in the domain name. People say this doesn't help with rankings anymore but in my experience it still helps. Probably because it helps increase the click through rate because the user is more likely to click a domain name that contains the keyword that they're searching for.

There’s another benefit:

If your site becomes relevant for a topic, there’s a chance your app can also get recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT. On some websites that I own, I sometimes get more traffic from ChatGPT compared to Google.

4. Turn one idea into hundreds of pieces of UGC content

Organic social became much more interesting once I stopped thinking about individual posts.

Instead, I think about content distribution at scale.

Take one app.

Create tutorials, memes, listicles, problem/solution posts, stories and demos.

Turn them into short videos or simple 3–6 image slideshows. Slideshows are very fast and cheap to create so it's a lot more scalable.

Distribute them across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.

The goal isn’t for every post to go viral.

It’s to create enough attempts that the winners can carry the rest.

I eventually scaled this to 16 accounts.

Manually creating and posting slideshows across many accounts became very time consuming, so I fully automated it using my own tool DistributionMaxx.

The goal of UGC marketing is to get a lot of views and convert those views into app downloads.

5. Pay for intent when you need to

The paid channel I’ve found most interesting for iOS apps is Apple Search Ads.

Instead of paying to interrupt someone’s feed, you can show up when they’re already searching for something related to your app.

That’s a completely different type of traffic since it is very high-intent.

Someone searching for “AI calorie tracker” is already telling you what they want.

I recommend reading this free detailed guide written by Ivan Sparrow. It includes how to test and discover profitable keywords to target and how to scale them.

The biggest lesson from 11.9k downloads:

Building the app isn’t the hard part. Getting distribution is.

I hope this post helps someone to get their first 10k users.

Happy to answer any questions if you have any.

I posted about it on Threads, LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and it got its first sale on the first day of launch.

It was an internal tool that I personally use to do marketing for my iOS apps and I thought why not package it so it can also be used by other people to market their own web and mobile apps. It was useful for me so maybe other people will also find it useful. So I packaged it, made a website, integrated a payment processor and then posted about it.

I launched it without having high expectations. I told myself that If someone buys it, then great. If not, then it's okay too since I personally use it anyway and I didn't really ended up wasting a lot of time packaging it so others can use it. And at least I tried validating it instead of regretting later on about the "what ifs".

I know that $25 is just a very small amount of money but it's huge for me since it's a validation that someone is actually willing to spend money on it and maybe, just maybe, there are other people who are also willing to spend money on it because they need it (spoiler: there are! made a total of 8 sales so far 🥳).

If you have an internal tool that you're using yourself, this is your sign to release it and see if people end up using it and pay for it. The fact that it is useful for you is a great sign and since you're dogfooding it, it is most likely well built to solve the problem since you are your own ICP.

My next plans on how to get more customers:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

I will submit the website to google search console and wait for a few weeks then check google search console on what search terms the website is getting impressions and then optimize the website for those search terms to rank higher and improve CTR.

Will also add competitor comparison pages (my tool vs competitor X, my tool vs competitor Y, etc...)

Will probably also add free tools related to my niche to attract more website visitors and hopefully backlinks.

2. Organic UGC

Creating content that I can cross post across Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.

Planning to use formats like tutorials, problem -> solution, listicle, meme, storytelling.

I have 2 options:

a. Short-form videos (e.g, face reaction that catches attention + demo).

b. Slideshows (3-6 images) which are significantly easier and faster to make. Can scale this to many accounts to maximize reach and chances of going viral. This can be done manually or fully automated. I personally started the manual way for promoting my apps but I have now fully automated it with my own tool DistributionMaxx because I now have 16 accounts and it now takes a lot of time and effort to manually manage them. Will create new accounts (1 brand account + many influencer accounts) that I can use to advertise my SaaS.

The funnel is:

post views -> website visitors -> purchases

I hope sharing these infos will help someone to get their first users and paying customers.

Happy to answer any questions if you have any.

This post is more about iOS apps but you can also apply #3 and #4 for web apps or SaaS.

1. App Store Boost

When an app is just launched on the App Store, Apple usually give a boost for a few days where your app name will get recommended in the autocomplete of the App Store search bar so make sure to target a keyword with good amount of popularity.

So for example your app is an interior designer ai app, you can use this app name format:

<popular keyword> - <your app name>

interior design ai - Miya

If you get lucky, this will bring hundreds or thousands of downloads in the first week depending on the popularity of the keyword that you targeted.

2. ASO (App Store Optimization)

Target high-intent keywords in your app name and subtitle.

Create high converting screenshots (sell the benefit/outcome instead of features).

Create an eye catching icon to stand out from the app store search results. This will increase conversion (impressions -> downloads). I use ChatGPT or Nano Banana to generate icons.

3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Just a single page website where you're targeting high-intent keywords that people are searching for on search engines like Google. You can use Google Trends for free to search for high-intent keywords that have good popularity. Or you can also use a paid tool like Ahrefs, Keywords Everywhere etc... but Google Trends is usually good enough as a start.

In my experience, it's easier and faster to rank for your target main keyword if it's present on the domain name itself.

Another side effect of SEO is there's a good chance that you'll also get recommended by LLMs like ChatGPT.

4. Organic UGC

Create content that you can cross-post on multiple social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, etc...

You can use formats like tutorials, problem -> solution, listicle, meme, storytelling.

You have 2 options:

a. Short-form videos (e.g, face reaction that catches attention + demo of your app).

b. Slideshows (3-6 images) which are significantly easier and faster to make. You can scale this to many accounts to maximize reach and chances of going viral. You can do this manually or fully automate it. I personally started the manual way but I have now fully automated it with my own tool called DistributionMaxx because I now have 16 accounts and it now takes a lot of time and effort to manually manage them.

For organic UGC, the funnel is:

views -> app downloads -> purchases

5. Apple Search Ads

You can target high-intent keywords that people are search for in the app store. I recommend reading this free detailed guide written by Ivan Sparrow.

I hope this post helps someone to get their first users and paying customers.

Happy to answer any questions if you have any.

This post is more about iOS apps but you can also apply #3 and #4 for web apps or SaaS.

1. App Store Boost

When an app is just launched on the App Store, Apple usually give a boost for a few days where your app name will get recommended in the autocomplete of the App Store search bar so make sure to target a keyword with good amount of popularity.

So for example your app is an interior designer ai app, you can use this app name format:

<popular keyword> - <your app name>

interior design ai - Miya

If you get lucky, this will bring hundreds or thousands of downloads in the first week depending on the popularity of the keyword that you targeted.

2. ASO (App Store Optimization)

Target high-intent keywords in your app name and subtitle.

Create high converting screenshots (sell the benefit/outcome instead of features).

Create an eye catching icon to stand out from the app store search results. This will increase conversion (impressions -> downloads).

3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Just a single page website where you're targeting high-intent keywords that people are searching for on search engines like Google. You can use Google Trends for free to search for high-intent keywords that have good popularity. Or you can also use a paid tool like Ahrefs, Keywords Everywhere etc... but Google Trends is usually good enough as a start.

In my experience, it's easier and faster to rank for your target main keyword if it's present on the domain name itself.

Another side effect of SEO is there's a good chance that you'll also get recommended by LLMs like ChatGPT.

4. Organic UGC

Create content that you can cross-post on multiple social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, etc...

You can use formats like tutorials, problem -> solution, listicle, meme, storytelling.

You have 2 options:

a. Short-form videos (e.g, face reaction that catches attention + demo of your app).

b. Slideshows (3-6 images) which are significantly easier and faster to make. You can scale this to many accounts to maximize reach and chances of going viral. You can do this manually or fully automate it. I personally started the manual way but I have now fully automated it with my own tool called DistributionMaxx because I now have 16 accounts and it now takes a lot of time and effort to manually manage them.

For organic UGC, the funnel is:

views -> app downloads -> purchases

5. Apple Search Ads

You can target high-intent keywords that people are search for in the app store. I recommend reading this free detailed guide written by Ivan Sparrow.

I hope this post helps someone to get their first users and paying customers. Happy to answer any questions if you have any.

P.S. I will be sharing more tips like this on my free newsletter so subscribe if you don't want to miss out.

RetaPal is the simple way to stay on track with your peptide routine.

Log each dose in seconds and never lose track of when your next injection is due. A clean countdown keeps your weekly rhythm front and center, and gentle reminders make sure you never miss a dose.

Track how you feel between doses with quick hunger check-ins, so you can see your progress over time.

Everything stays private on your device. No accounts, no sign-ups, no hassle.

Features

• Log your weekly retatrutide dose in one tap
• Countdown to your next injection
• Reminders so you never miss a dose
• Quick hunger check-ins to track how you feel
• Calorie and Macro tracker
• Private and stored only on your device

App Store Link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/retatrutide-tracker-retapal/id6788787015

RetaPal is the simple way to stay on track with your peptide routine.

Log each dose in seconds and never lose track of when your next injection is due. A clean countdown keeps your weekly rhythm front and center, and gentle reminders make sure you never miss a dose.

Track how you feel between doses with quick hunger check-ins, so you can see your progress over time.

Everything stays private on your device. No accounts, no sign-ups, no hassle.

Features

- Log your weekly retatrutide dose in one tap
- Countdown to your next injection
- Reminders so you never miss a dose
- Quick hunger check-ins to track how you feel
- Private and stored only on your device

App Store Link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/retatrutide-tracker-retapal/id6788787015

CleverCart makes it easy to track your shopping and stick to your budget while you shop.

Set a budget for each trip, then just point your camera at a price tag and CleverCart reads the item and price for you. Watch your remaining budget update live as you fill your cart, and see exactly what you spent and saved at checkout.

App Store Link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clevercart-save-on-groceries/id6787891752

I had this tiny idea that I kept putting off because it felt too niche. The concept was simple.

Before opening distracting apps you have to reframe one negative thought into something positive. Think of it as practicing optimism in small moments throughout the day.

Normally I would've talked myself out of building it.

Instead, I decided to vibe code the MVP and see where it went.

AI handled majority of the work which meant I could spend most of my time refining the user experience instead of getting stuck on implementation details.

The biggest lesson wasn't technical. It was that lowering the cost of building changes what you’re willing to experiment with.

Ideas that once seemed too small suddenly become worth testing.

I almost didn't publish the app because I assumed nobody else would want it but five days after launch, it reached 732 downloads which blows my mind.

If you want, you can try it here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help other builders.

Built this for myself to stick with my intermittent fasting routine to lose weight.

Works fully offline. 100% private, all data stays locally on your device.

App Store Link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/intermittent-fasting-tracker/id6756845300

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built OptimistPal to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the Apple App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

It's a simple ios app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive. It also has optimism quotes widget, positive affirmations, vent, journaling and mood tracker.

Nothing crazy since it's only a small achievement compared to other apps out there but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and people are willing to pay for it and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next versions.

If you want, you can try it here for free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

I would love to hear your feedback after trying it out.

Also, happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

Things I did for app store optimization (conversion rate of impression to download is around 70%):

1. Made sure the app icon and screenshots catches attention and will stand out in the app store search results (notice the colors).
2. Made sure that the app name, subtitle, app icon and app screenshots clearly explain what the app does.
3. Made sure the metadata targets the main keywords I want to target (e.g, optimism).

It's a simple app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built the app to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

Nothing crazy since it's only a few hundred of downloads but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next version that I will release.

I'd really appreciate it if you can give it a try and I would love to hear your feedback:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately because of personal life challenges that I'm experiencing so I started to build a habit of reframing negative thoughts, journaling and positive self talk via affirmations.

The setup I used:

I block my social media apps (which always attracts me to doomscroll and also makes me keep comparing my life to other people) every hour to force me to reframe a negative thought. I also added an optimism quotes widget on my home screen so every time I use my phone I'll be able to read it.

The biggest changes I’ve noticed:

• I recover from stressful moments much faster.
• I overthink less.
• I'm more patient with myself.
• Small problems don’t feel nearly as overwhelming anymore.

I'm nowhere near "always positive" and I don't think that's realistic. The goal isn't toxic positivity. It's just training my brain not to automatically assume the worst.

I'm only 30 days in but I'm excited to see where I'll be after a year.

Has anyone else intentionally tried to become more optimistic? I’d love to hear what worked for you.

It's a simple app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built the app to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

Nothing crazy since it's only a few hundred of downloads but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next version that I will release.

I'd really appreciate it if you can give it a try and I would love to hear your feedback:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

It's a simple app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built the app to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

Nothing crazy since it's only a few hundred of downloads but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next version that I will release.

I'd really appreciate it if you can give it a try and I would love to hear your feedback:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

It's a simple app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built the app to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

Nothing crazy since it's only a few hundred of downloads but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next version that I will release.

I'd really appreciate it if you can give it a try and I would love to hear your feedback:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

It's a simple app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built the app to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

Nothing crazy since it's only a few hundred of downloads but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next version that I will release.

I'd really appreciate it if you can give it a try and I would love to hear your feedback:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

It's a simple app that blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought into something positive.

I've been struggling with negative thinking lately so I built the app to train my mind to be more optimistic and thought it might also be useful for others so I published it on the App Store but I didn't expect that it will get this much traction.

Nothing crazy since it's only a few hundred of downloads but it's very motivating to me that it gained that many users in just a short period of time and lots of people are providing feedback that they love the idea and also sending feature requests which will help me improve the app for the next version that I will release.

I'd really appreciate it if you can give it a try and I would love to hear your feedback:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815

Happy to answer any questions! More than happy to share my learnings to help others.

It helps reframe negative thoughts into something positive.

It blocks apps until you reframe a negative thought.

It's FREE to try and I’d love for you to give it a try and let me know what you think:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimistpal/id6770231815