How I Built It: $40K/Month iPhone App

[@stevencravotta]

Absolute honor to be featured on a channel I draw so much inspiration from!

[@guivaz6814]

By far one of the best episodes I have watched, thanks for the insights on the marketing strategy and congrats on the success !

[@futurelights681]

W funnel

[@timparsons6999]

So random, I came across your channel yesterday and watched your video about building the number 1 app in the world...and now you're on here! Awesome work. Definitely an inspiration.

[@fractalarbitrage]

was the marketing paid, or influencers post on tiktok to your quiz funnel onboarding link? would like more knowledge on app growth tactics thanks great video

[@gadgetboyplaysmc]

ngl I was thrown off when you said "Mobile apps are untapped"--literally everyone is doing mobile apps, it looks so saturated. But after the vid, you clearly know what you're talking about. Doing it right is untapped. Thanks for sharing your shit man!

[@timothy790110]

This format is so much better than before man, it was too bombastic and annoying.. this is really nice and calm, im very happy with this and hope you continue like this!

[@starterstory]

Thanks for the feedback 🙏🏽 Always listening :)

[@josea8320]

@@starterstory No siempre, no respondes los emails de tus seguidores (newsletter)

[@viktrancestudio6398]

The most important question the host never asked. Whats the net profit ? 40k ARR means nothing if he is spending 35k in ads and developer salaries.

[@longlostcoder6322]

The developer is only making 3k or less

[@omarelders]

he doesnt spend much on ads he use organic tiktok , have more than 120 k

[@mostafa-agamy]

40k MRR, not annual revenue

[@martinthe3rd664]

Apps that appear free then hit you with a hard paywall, especially after wasting your time with a long “onboarding process” is such cancer. I can’t believe Apple allows it tbh

[@liambennett12]

Loved the advice here! A book I started recently, The Fortune Architect: Design Your Path to Wealth, goes even deeper into saving and building wealth in practical ways..

[@Mitteilungsbedarf]

Are you a bot?

[@LL-vs9gv]

Mobile apps are untapped?! 😂 If blue ocean means untapped, mobile is the boiling Red Sea 😂

[@BlaqueCode]

i know right?... currently myself i have to be intentional about the mobile apps that am installing due to phone's memory constraint

[@laptoprelaks]

they are trying to make us fomo for nothing lol.... unless your app is heavily funded super-app dont even think making mobile apps unless its for fun or charity

[@danthadon87]

I think his point was apps are underrated for making money with lots of opportunities still if you do it right, regardless of how saturated the market may seem.

[@ME-ls9de]

Especially how much apple cuts your revenue

[@laurenwilliams777]

@@BlaqueCodesounds like you have a wallet constraint

[@jaeaur]

Homeboy got lucky. Doesn't know the industry at all. 55,000 apps were released in February 2024 alone. Untapped my ass. Sincerely a solopreneur who's been working in tech my entire career and have yet to have any of the hundreds of apps I have built be bought.

[@sleepchat]

He makes it sound easy. But he assembled a team to build it. That costs a lot of money. Don’t be fooled - this is not easy.

[@jackotoonz]

@@sleepchatnothing is easy, so it’s go hard or go home son 🎉

[@Frawkesish]

​@@sleepchatbuild it yourself man. 😅 Plenty of videos and resources.

[@ignitoracing]

Also its not always the app it's the marketing, storytelling, branding and everything other than the app itself

[@celeria]

Hundreds? There's your mistake right there, if a random person can throw it together in a day, there's probably next to no market value.

[@Histronow]

Went to highschool with Steven in Alpharetta, GA. Dudes dad was very rich and gave a talk at our school. Of course he can build a team, it’s called having a rich dad lol

[@LearnWithKarl]

As a software engineer who’s been building iOS apps since 2009, I can share the recipe for $45k/month in sales in the “untapped” mobile app market. Ready? Drumroll… Just spend $50k on ads! 😂

[@ScknA]

💥

[@jonjones8827]

In the last 90 days he said he generated $112k in revenue. Do you really think he would spend $100k+ in ads just to lose money? Why would he want to do that?

[@MM-24]

​@@jonjones8827 this is a popular business model in the IT space. Yes very possible. Hence why he is only speaking on revenue.

[@solothebest1]

It’s untapped that’s why

[@R055LE]

​@@jonjones8827 This might surprise you, but sometimes people just say shit that isn't true

[@petewise3762]

Mobile apps are… **checks notes** untapped??!?

[@jwick726]

Right? Literally the most oversaturated market

[@dennyahh]

wouldn't say untapped, but due for a fresh wave of good ideas and apps. tons of lackluster apps out there that could easily be toppled or replaced by a good clone.

[@deepwoodsengineering3763]

"What's your tech stack?" "Upwork and 99projects" - Steve 2024 😂😂😂😂😂

[@klartext1755]

fr I just wanted to know if he´s using native languages or cross platform. But I think he´s only building them in iOS, so he´s going with swift

[@UberBossPure]

@@WorstDeveloperi mean the building done by his team, so he really don’t know

[@metternich05]

So if you outsource development, how do you maintain your app and implement new features? Freelancers can go dark, or have plenty of other gigs going on. These platforms are ok for small, one time gigs but as a supply chain it's totally unpredictable and unreliable. I believe if app development is your thing you are better off being a developer yourself.

[@bhushanjain2294]

Ask them For the original code brother.

[@stevencravotta]

Treat your developers well, build a strong relationship with them, and start to build out your team. I am a big fan of outsourcing my weaknesses. Great businesses are built by great teams

[@zptaco]

He spent a lot of time talking about starting off as well. I'm sure once the initial customers started coming in he was able to develop a relationship with some of the developers and hire them properly.

[@metternich05]

@@stevencravotta True enough. It's very inspirational to see young entrepreneurs build an empire out of thin air. I've been struggling 5 years to roll out our first app, tho we are just a team of two, myself the UI/UX/marketing guy and my mate, former co-worker the developer. He's a good engineer but lazy AF and we ain't going anywhere :) Albeit it's just a pet project for both of us. Seeing this video it's clear I need to make some adjustments to the business plan.

[@hyderabbasi]

Mobile apps are untapped? What decade is this guy living in?

[@jerrysalo2735]

How many company do you own? How much money you make? Hate and complain is not a winning concept.. =) Hope you are very happy and have your dream life

[@Carl_dev]

They don't actually say this in the description, but this was filmed in 1853, when very few people were making mobile apps or monetizing them.

[@magicsmoke0]

@@jerrysalo2735that’s like saying you need to be a doctor to know if you’re sick. Ever heard of “there’s an app for that”? Yeah, mobile apps saturated a decade ago.

[@RR-et6zp]

he is selling his course

[@ozzy1154]

Every single business opportunity is oversaturated. There is absolutely nothing new under the sun. The world would continue running without a single new business, app, consultant, coach in any niche. But people continue to be successful doing these things. The world is a huge place and you only need to carve out a relatively small piece of the pie to find real success.

[@Trentoscroft]

i like how he says apps are untapped but all his ideas come from apps that already exist

[@dimeloloco]

And app templates already made… And app developers already developing apps.. and apps used to hire, design, manage and market other apps lmao

[@Bryan-it6nu]

Not sure why this video didn't quite hit for me.. possibly the "scripted video chat interview" setup.. just seemed a bit uninspiring/soulless

[@notbambang]

agreed

[@halluxdev]

I agree with the more scripted interview - there was no emotion, or humor and seemed impersonal. I also lost it at the hard paywall...

[@TheLittleColumbus]

I actually like it. I prefer these condensed scripted interviews over those one hour ceo interviews. Also, hard paywalls work the best in regards to revenue. I’m just not willing to that in my apps because I like having a large free user base.

[@denisblack9897]

Cause them both are pretending to have skin in the business 😅 Obvious fakers

[@warrenjoseph76]

Maybe but it was packed with useful information so it took preparation. It respected my time as a viewer more because there was no time wasted

[@jimbojones8713]

Top 2, maybe number 1 vid on this channel, very quick and to the point advice that anyone can follow to build a successful business/app

[@rajikkali2381]

So tired of these videos. Stop suggesting that this stuff is easy or that you’ll find success starting from a small amount of capital. I’m a pro full-stack developer and I will tell you that nothing is as easy at it seems, and marketing will take months to years to get a strong user base.

[@GeorgeMunte]

Yeah, the costs are not fully detailed, it's more of a superficial thing... you said you're a developer, so I have a question for you: how much would cost me to build a more complex app/platform? Something similar to etoro or trading 212?

[@rajikkali2381]

​@@GeorgeMunte How long is a piece of string? There is a reason 95% of dev projects go over-time and over-budget. At the first stage you have to perfectly outline exactly which features, systems, architecture, manpower (1 full stack dev? 1 frontend one backend dev? 1 designer, 1 dev.... etc, etc.). Are you expecting the devs to do all the design? Do you also have a product manager? The list goes on and on, and without extremely precise details upfront, I could give you a random number but it wouldn't be meaningful, or accurate. Also, when it comes to financial products (like eToro) You're talking a completely other game. Not only are there SERIOUS security implications that need to be covered, but you can't just launch a trading app without implicit approval from the relevant agencies (depending on which country you live).

[@Jaiho-cl1jr]

i think he said the app has been 4 years in age and he hit that profitable revenue level the last 6 months

[@tiefensucht]

the thing is that you need a lot of money to go through some fails. i mean if you try a lot, something will eventually work, but it will also waste a lot of resources not everyone has. if you don't have at least $100.000 in the back, doing random apps might not be a good idea.

[@navedrizv]

Yeah, they are selling dreams, nothing is as easy as they make it sounds. In the first place, its not the app that's important here, its the business idea.

[@sebastianryan-xy5kk]

"Not a lot of people are doing mobile apps" there about 20 million mobile apps.

[@simonc4077]

heavy like to Steven for pronouncing "niche" correctly 😄

[@spongeybobu]

how do you maintain code and fix bugs? how often do you update your apps? do you use the same developers to do that?

[@robertkreft5653]

This video was gold! So much content packed in such a short video! I'm currently in the midst of planning everything for a small productivity mac app I will be speed-building and while it'll be free first, I might add features later to make it paid, and this video will definitely be a point of reference for me as to all the tools Steven is using!

[@moortje8250]

Great job guys! This is one of those rare videos on KZbin that actually informs and is straight to the point.

[@can8fig]

the editing and b-roll in this video is exceptional! keep it up bud

[@mcfang329]

Reading the comments and digesting the content. This guy made it from 1 in a millions apps out there and able to make some revenue. Good for him. He is fortunate and has grit to stick around for 4 years of tweaking at it.

[@HiddenPointer]

just checked the app, it has got 0 reviews how's it possible for an app that makes 40k a month to have 0 reviews?

[@Jaiho-cl1jr]

i checked on app store, its has reviews

[@wapprez]

It's not. The guy's a grifter, just like StarterStory. I work on an app at my job that has over 500 reviews with an average rating of 4.9 and offers much more value than this demo app and we don't make that kind of revenue even though we have a full team of developers, marketers, customer support and so on...

[@lorenz.f]

I just checked and it has 1.1k reviews in the App Store, the oldest with a comment dating back to march. The Android version seems to not be out yet.

[@Jaiho-cl1jr]

test

[@saibotblack]

depends on your country

[@timondalton8731]

If these micro saas ideas were so good, why aren't you doing them yourself?

[@YaBoyfelipe]

Well he did

[@timondalton8731]

@@YaBoyfelipe I mean the man advertising the website full of saas ideas, not the guy the video is about. To see this website it's one crazy expensive subscription which promises to make you money btw

[@brobocops]

@@timondalton8731 Not sure if you've noticed but all the KZbinrs promoting success stories are making their money from....KZbin lol

[@cbaffiliates]

I really enjoyed this! Your explanations were clear and engaging, and I appreciate how you explain it.

[@Nova-m8d]

He's wrong, apps are not unlike any other business online because every digital product works the exact same way, built once, sold a million times, ebooks, WordPress themes, stock photos, music, etc... The point is don't take him literally. And then he said mobile apps are untapped. What is he smoking?

[@Iaintsayinnothin..]

I knew the guy was full of 💩 when he said 95% of the success of a mobile app is down to marketing. Just because you're pulling 40k doesn't mean you know everything, nor does it mean you are right in what you say.

[@Nova-m8d]

@@Iaintsayinnothin.. He's got a real credibility problem.

[@filiphies6738]

​@@Iaintsayinnothin.. But he is right, distribution is thr most important thing. It's not 2012 no more, you can have best app and no one gives a fuck

[@Iaintsayinnothin..]

@@filiphies6738 Not sure about that, it’s a major factor undoubtedly but there is also a phenomenon called product-led growth, resulting from a well iterated product. I’ve seen so many marketing hype jobs get ‘found out’ in the end, because the customers finally realise the product is actually💩 or doesn’t solve a real pain.

[@dszmaj]

@@Iaintsayinnothin..there are many problems with this video, but this statement is actually very true

[@vipzip8863]

0:00 Building a Full-Stack Chat App 2:30 Ideation and Validation Process 4:50 Building the App with No-Code Tools 6:25 Marketing Strategy for Mobile Apps 8:05 Monetization Strategies for Mobile Apps 10:05 Pricing and Paywall Optimization 11:20 Tools and Software for Mobile App Development 12:40 Choosing Lucrative Niches for Mobile Apps Generated by Snorvia AI chapter generator

[@tibearius85]

Saying mobile apps is 'untapped' in 2024 is a wild statement.

[@ПрасковьяМаслова]

The fact that nobody talks about the forbidden book The Mystic Labyrinth on Vexoner speaks volumes about how people are stuck in a trance

[@moose_hunter7834]

bot ad

[@andykeith1]

Very helpful video, thanks. Also love the updated format

[@Suriprofz]

40k ARR and 80K marketing costs

[@rafacabanillasmurillo7110]

I am starting with Amazon FBA now, but I am open to more options in the future, thanks for this video!! ❤

[@firewatermoonsun]

Too good to be true. It sounds like a promotion.

[@alex-h-dev]

yeah, it gives such vibe, but Steven is actually making that much money utilizing viral marketing on TikTok + ads. Also most apps fail, only less than 17% make more than $1k (according to RevenueCat), so it's more of a mix of idea/luck/skill PS. BTW $40k is revenue, not profit. Apple takes ~23% cut overall, also he spends on ads ~$10k, so profit before tax would be less than $20k

[@Cero834]

you bet? 🤣

[@SamaSama-o2i]

Facts

[@Minimalici0us]

This video earned you a new subscriber :)

[@Hannib4lBarca]

Mobile apps untapped... really?

[@Nova-m8d]

What is he smoking?

[@quaidoralious4181]

Didn't count his puffs

[@Milezperhour]

@@quaidoralious4181💀

[@AndroSpud]

73 million apps on the Play Store... Riiiiiight

[@alexmerlin9211]

Thank you for the advice! Great video!

[@arnoldkaraj6994]

Bro has the best questions to ask. Congrats!!

[@prakharjain2548]

Love starter story and love all the stories of entrepreneurs all around me. Super inspired and excited

[@PedroAlencar26]

"I dont know anything about what Im saying, i just have daddys money and a ideia, them i pay to others develop what i want and keep all the income" real entrepreneur right there, congratulations you mastered capitalism

[@brobocops]

You mean you don't have $5,000 to drop on an idea that won't see a profit for a year or more?

[@sikandar-ali1]

Incredible. Thanks for sharing. Such high quality stuff here

[@muhamedkarajic]

Great video, really to the point!

[@CleanCereals]

Ah yeah the untapped market of mobile apps. Right :D Is this video from 2009?

[@japhetmnyeta1076]

Thanks,Japhet From Tanzania

[@solmillin]

Brilliant advice! :) 💕

[@michaelbaglieri803]

It's funny you mention developers from Eastern Europe. I agree! My best guy is in Albania he's great

[@Blaqpanther107]

Thank you for posting this ❤

[@brianWreaves]

1st time viewer... Nice format, well done! 🏆

[@abidibnazam4462]

"Mobile apps are untapped", and I stopped watching this video

[@olababs2048]

😂😂😂

[@oso3016]

Proper fire 🔥.. absolutely love this. Full of gems 💎 😎

[@Ideadelightz]

I just found a short of yours. I really enjoy your content. Your questions are very good. Thank you.

[@RockstahRolln]

This was terrific! Thank You YT algorithm and Thank You Steven for your great insights!

[@HyperMaintenace]

Thanks for the interview and info. I screen shot your stack. Very helpful. I'm actually buying a cash flowing app off of flippa. This will help me grow the existing customer base and extend into new territories.

[@tomk2607]

Awesome guys, thanks for all the insights!

[@fox4snce]

he stumbled upon mobile apps? nobody is doing it? wtf?

[@kimwkahler7381]

Cool, thank you very much for sharing.🎉

[@kimryan3188]

super inspiring 🎉🎉🎉

[@mariano_027]

so much knowledge in a short video, straight to the topic.. Thanks!

[@MartinBenesCreative]

Forgive me but where is the knowledge? He explains nothing. Literally it’s just a sales video for his app. “Monetize through Ads” - uuuh… that’s ground breaking information. “Subscription monetization” - wow this is insane information. Cmon. 😂 . How you made you all? “I don’t, someone else made it for me.” - wow such a deep information. 😂😂 Ltv…life time value is super important!! OMG never thought of that. This guy could speak about much more interesting staff than this fluff. Simple Example: how much you spend on your ads? Which is the profit?

[@psy237]

I'm gonna create a stop smoking app that leads to vaping, and then a stop vaping app that leads back to smoking 🤣🤣🤣

[@novelogram]

I have one idea. There should be a place selling untapped ideas with possible solutions for money, wrapped in marketing featuring a success story about an entrepreneur who knows nothing about mobile development.

[@shreegovindji3888]

Hey do you have a Spotify podcast channel? I'm trying to find this on Spotify so I can listen to the starter stories on the commute but I can't find it

[@dailyfootballhighlights4226]

Yall need to get back to posting every Sundays

[@TheDyanandy]

Great video and great value as always. Quick Question: where did he find competitors apps information? such as revenue, downloads, and all of that.

[@ConorDrew]

Some useful information, using the word "app developer" seems a bit of a stretch, he is an entrepreneur, but his tech stack was "hire people to do your idea" I would have loved a bit more of a technical insight, but it seems like he may not know it, and if he doesnt need to, then good for him, (if the numbers are true) then he is doing very well, and cant argue with that.

[@axlcoomans7727]

yeah but they dont talk about all the costs or what % the store takes on which they are selling, how much of that is tax, how much he is spending on marketing. 42k a month seems nice but if he is only is making after all the costs 1to 2k then its not nice. especialy if he needs to hire someone over and over for updates or bugs, not knowing that the freelancer will still do it.

[@its_Khaid_ahmed]

Genuine question. Are you using AI to recreate your likeness?? It feels like you’re using AI to add in the questions? The hand and body movement makes it feel like it.

[@ltilluck]

Feels fake

[@sabermbkd]

i don't know rick

[@dimasdark]

Well, at least everything he's been presenting on the video I see on the companies I've worked with, he has a great knowledge of the market as well because he is primarily a marketer.

[@rainiercodes4064]

the hard paywall thing is good thanks

[@JG-nm9zk]

"How I built it" -> "How I payed people to build it"

[@davids.b6642]

Did you get the 1$ phone screen cleaning cloth?

[@spacetimergames]

Hard paywalls are classified as dark tactics & and illegal, right?

[@josjosjos1942]

illegal ? Then why thousands of iOS apps are out there with hard pay walls ? Some apps even dont allow even for one time to use the app without subscribing !!

[@psy237]

I like very much that he's not using AI for app development. We cannot really depend on security of AI code yet!

[@sercan272727]

yea AI cant develop apps, it can at most give you code snippets for very specific thing that needs to be validated by a developer who knows what he is doing

[@saketeshmohapatra]

Quite helpful and insightful. Look forward to learning more on this. Haters who are hating on his comment missed his context, and are most likely broke keyboard warriors.

[@PrimbeavServices]

This will help me set up mine… this is fully informed! ❤

[@wildsniper8896]

I just received the email for the the free business ideas but the link doesn't work.. Awesome video !!

[@alexr.vizcaino903]

This is great stuff!! Thanks!! 😃

[@mohammedalotaibi599]

" I recommend only hiring developers from eastern Europe" then he shortlist developers from India

[@GadgetGurusGlobal]

“It’s untapped” 😂

[@ShortProject-TV]

i' am song writer and I've keep moving on to make song, to people get along with my son but still i don't much a views on my channel, but your story keeps me going, giving me hope to fight my fears, stress but thin i'm hoping that some day big shot will recognize my music.

[@sir_arsen]

I swear they will make courses on how to make profitable app

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

That's probably the dudes plan, pump and dump apps with daddy's money then courses will be the end goal

[@cesarsfalcao]

This video is so obvious that I have to call it... it's true! People would be impressed by how this same formula works online for money.

[@SoulPapiii]

inspiration is a fleeting feeling have to keep it going fr

[@TIM-ATW]

Lets grow togerther guys love u all never surrender !

[@JstEnlightened]

Due to the insane monthly subscription model, I haven’t bought an iOS app in years.

[@hitmax-l5m]

Awesome questions!

[@huyoken7953]

To be honest even if this isn’t true, if you are a programmer, coding your own app is a great thing to put on your resume and may even get your foot into the door.

[@virendramajhi8703]

But what does the app do? Anyone explain me plz 😅😅😅

[@thim0]

this video makes me realize how much i hate business

[@jaym5938]

"Thanks for joining the show...." That's about it - a show.

[@CyberMew]

Is this an ad video?

[@ItzHoppie]

I wanted to judge the dude cause he looks young and typical sales guy… but he was actually spitting and I learned something ….

[@tibimutasunta2132]

Ok, once and for all, is he really a developer or he just hire other developers to make his app?🤔🤔🤔

[@nodirbeksharipov458]

hell yeah, 4k baby

[@Ps_Arnold]

Am sorry but some of the things he said are vague 2:28 "I don't design anything, i don't develop anything, i just know how to put a team together" .... Am sorry but WHAT ?

[@axlcoomans7727]

which means he has alot of money behind him which makes it possible for him to hire people to make something i might make a profit on. And the 3 apps he made are copies of copies of other apps. So i wonder how much he has spend per month on marketing alone to get him to 42k income. Probably he is still way in the red in total, but had capital from somewhere else to start doing all of this. To put together a team like he says.

[@AniketNBorhade]

I loved this video. Thank you so much for this amazing value. I am truly grateful.

[@poojaaminn]

amazing video

[@Kmmc2011]

Excellent video and packed full of information!

[@asheryeliakim]

Very informative🙏

[@ev3rlong]

I signed up on your site but not getting the free 52 Micro Saas list... making me sign up for your academy instead???

[@Thomas-m7w8o]

It's as if you just realized that the entire business model is taking your money.

[@bitKitty]

I've never seen this guy's channel before. Im not too crazy about the format.. the way he does an interview... Its weird, like they're on 2 different planets... Oh well, good luck with it