Starter Story

Jake built a simple, boring website called Excel Exercises. The main goal of the site? Help people learn Excel… that’s it! In this episode, we’ll dive into how this website makes $30K/month, how he built and grew it with very little effort, and his advice for people looking for dead-simple app ideas in 2026. *Simple apps making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/guvq Say hi to Jake: https://x.com/shimota_tweets Check out Excel Exercises: https://excelexercises.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Simplest website I've ever seen 00:00:51 What's your story? 00:01:26 What is Excel Exercises? 00:02:15 Numbers behind the business 00:02:55 Simple ideas win! 00:03:35 Background 00:04:19 Finding the idea 00:05:42 Building Excel Exercises 00:06:17 Tech stack and tools 00:07:03 Zero to $10K/month 00:08:01 Growth to $30K/month 00:08:55 How Jake finds simple ideas 00:10:10 App demo 00:11:07 Final advice 00:12:22 Reflections: the simplest website ever This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Frederick is an indie app builder who went from $0 to $10,000 a month with a health and fitness app. He believes the specific app barely matters… what actually moves the needle is the repeatable marketing playbook behind it. This video breaks down his end-to-end journey and the exact methods he used to grow his app to $10K/month. *iOS App Ideas Database:* https://clickhubspot.com/obng Say hi to Frederick: https://x.com/frederickjames Check out channel: https://www.youtube.com/@frederickjaames 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Simple $10K/month app 00:00:50 What’s your story? 00:01:20 App metrics 00:02:09 App category 00:02:28 Founder background 00:03:12 Finding the app idea 00:03:52 iOS apps ideas 00:04:21 Building the app 00:06:14 Tech stack 00:07:28 Zero to $5K/month 00:09:23 $5K to $10K/month 00:12:35 Is this profitable? 00:13:16 Why choose paid ads? 00:14:57 Final advice 00:16:38 Reflections and takeaways This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Charlie bootstrapped his micro-saas, Links, to over $30K/month, which allowed him to quit his job... twice! In this episode, he shares exactly how he grew Liinks to $30K/month (even in a saturated market), and his advice for building a side project that might help you quit your full-time job, right now in 2026 *Side project ideas you can build with your 9-5:* https://clickhubspot.com/xls2 Say hi to Charlie: https://x.com/charliie Check out Liinks: https://www.liinks.co/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 zero to $30K/month 00:01:03 What’s your story? 00:01:32 What’s the app? 00:02:34 Building side projects 00:03:30 Business metrics 00:04:15 Founder background 00:05:47 Finding the app idea 00:06:59 Liinks growth strategies 00:08:23 Pricing strategy and breakdown 00:09:40 Leaving the 9-5 00:10:53 Mindset behind quitting your job 00:12:45 Tech stack and tools 00:13:32 App demo 00:15:01 Final advice This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Rasty built and launched his first iOS app in 3 weeks. And today, that simple idea makes $41,000 per month. The secret? Well, he didn't dance on TikTok or spam Instagram. No, his old school approach is much simpler than that. This episode is about how a founder built something absurdly simple, out-marketed much bigger players, and built a successful app. *Free database: simple apps making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/b4qr Say hi to Rasty: https://x.com/synopsi Check out Vaultaire: https://vaultaire.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 $41K in a single month 00:01:08 What's your story? 00:01:44 What's the app? 00:02:51 More simple iOS app ideas 00:03:34 App statistics 00:04:45 Founder background 00:06:26 App growth strategy 00:07:44 AI agent marketing and content team 00:09:52 Tech stack 00:10:47 App demo 00:11:10 the FBI story!! 00:11:48 Final advice 00:12:47 Pat and Gus reflections: this dude is awesome! 00:14:36 Download simple iOS app ideas This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Kourosh built an app in a very crowded market... and yet still managed to grow it to over $18K/month. His secret is insanely simple: everyone else is chasing tech-savvy power users, but Kourosh built this app for a type of custer everyone is ignoring (his dad). This video is the story of how to build a successful product in a "saturated" market. *50+ AI app ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/q8ij Say hi to Kourash: https://x.com/BuildingWaves Check out Voicy: https://usevoicy.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 He built this for his dad! 00:01:09 What's your story? 00:01:59 What's the app? 00:03:24 Founder background 00:04:14 More AI app ideas 00:04:56 Finding the idea for Voicy 00:05:50 Build process 00:07:28 Tech stack 00:08:21 Growth story 00:09:51 Unique customers 00:11:22 Building in a crowded market 00:13:06 Final advice 00:14:28 Reflections 00:15:17 FREE app ideas This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Vadim is 19 years old and, before this year, had never shipped an app in his life. In March, he quit his marketing job to build apps… 5 months later, he hit $10K/month with over 20K users. His process has been 100% building with AI and posting content on IG shamelessly. This video is proof that you do NOT need to be technical or have a clever growth hack to build an app business that makes real money. *Get HubSpot's free CRM, the one that updates itself:* https://clickhubspot.com/qy9n Say hi to Vadim: https://x.com/VadimStrizheus Check out Vugola: https://www.vugolaai.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Zero to $10K in 5 months 00:00:56 What’s your story? 00:01:22 What’s the app? 00:02:10 Know your customers! 00:02:52 Founder background 00:03:27 Finding the app idea 00:04:13 How he built it 00:05:05 Building the MVP 00:05:23 Tech stack and tools 00:05:51 Zero to $1K MRR 00:06:45 Hitting $10K per month 00:09:02 Time vs money with content 00:09:55 App demo 00:10:46 Final advice 00:11:45 Reflections: anyone can be a builder! This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Max built a simple iOS app to solve his own problem at the gym. But here’s the thing… before this app, he had never shipped a single line of code in his life. In fact, he was going down the traditional route: college, internships, everything. But he found apps and decided to go all-in. Today, his app makes $14K/month and is growing. This is his app story for anyone looking to get started with apps in 2026. *Get HubSpot's free CRM, the one that updates itself:* https://clickhubspot.com/2b1y Say hi to Max: https://x.com/MaxHirsch13 Check out Maxed AI: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/maxed-ai-smart-fitness-app/id6759180029 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Zero to $14K in 6 months 00:00:49 What’s your story? 00:01:19 What’s the app? 00:02:29 What makes your app different? 00:03:03 How to keep track of your customers 00:03:45 Founder background 00:04:49 Finding the idea 00:05:32 Tech stack 00:06:04 Growth and marketing 00:07:38 What’s working for growing apps right now 00:08:23 Building a personal brand 00:09:15 App demo 00:10:14 Final advice 00:11:15 Pat and Gus reflections This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

6 months ago, Lino had never built an app in his life. Then he stumbled upon the app community on X, made some connections, and started building. Just 6 months later, he's grown his first app to over $50K per month and changed his life forever. In this video, he will break down his unbelievable app idea and how he grew it so fast. *iOS App Ideas Database:* https://clickhubspot.com/a68v Say hi to Lino: https://x.com/LinoLeighton Check out AbMaxx: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abmaxx-become-shredded/id6757769125 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Can you change your life in 6 months? 00:01:08 What’s your story? 00:01:34 What’s the app? 00:02:15 Finding the idea 00:02:49 More iOS app ideas! 00:03:27 an old idea, remixed 00:04:03 Building process 00:05:22 Tech stack 00:06:01 Zero to $10K/month 00:07:24 $10K to $60K/month 00:08:34 Lino’s app playbook 00:12:05 App demo 00:13:20 Final advice 00:14:45 Pat and Gus reflections This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Frank had never built software in his life. Until one weekend, he got a crazy idea and decided to just build it with Claude. Today, the app he built in just a few hours, makes over $40K per month. In this video, we break down the growth story and how anyone can build and launch their idea all thanks to coding with AI. *Find your business idea with our free database (over 3k+ ideas):* https://clickhubspot.com/von4 Say hi to Frank: https://x.com/frankmikesmith Check out GeoSports: https://geosports.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Built in a few hours 00:00:46 What's your story? 00:01:24 Business breakdown 00:02:58 Build your own app! 00:04:06 Founder background 00:05:11 But you had an audience? 00:06:43 Finding the idea 00:07:27 Building the app 00:08:10 Tools and tech stack 00:08:43 Advice for building apps 00:10:35 Growth timeline 00:11:42 Zero to $40K/month 00:12:44 Final advice 00:13:58 Gus reflections This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Tom built a tiny widget that solves one painful problem. He launched it about 1 year ago, and today it makes $55K per month – 100% bootstrapped. This video is the story of how spotting one real problem and building the simplest possible solution turned into a real business. *90+ Million-dollar problems (business ideas):* https://clickhubspot.com/tu8n Say hi to Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-holliday-505469161/ Check out Avenue: https://www.avenue2.au/ Follow Avenue on IG: https://www.instagram.com/avenue2.au 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 The simple app I found on X 00:01:03 What's your story? 00:01:28 What's the app? 00:01:59 Solving an age old problem 00:02:29 Revenue breakdown 00:02:50 Problems worth solving 00:03:29 Founder background 00:04:13 Finding the idea 00:04:51 Build timeline 00:05:45 Hiring without revenue? 00:06:18 Growth and marketing 00:07:29 Building for the trades 00:08:29 Tom's advice for building apps 00:09:10 Tools and tech stack 00:09:51 App demo 00:10:29 Final advice 00:11:19 Gus reflections This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Jay built nomadtable, a mobile app that makes $140K/month. Before that he was a software engineer, until one trip changed his life forever. This episode is a day in the life of a solo app builder in 2026. *iOS App ideas:* https://clickhubspot.com/qy55 Follow Jay: https://twitter.com/jayvraavi Check out NomadTable: https://nomadtable.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Jay 00:00:53 Morning routine 00:01:33 The story behind nomad table 00:02:43 iOS app ideas 00:03:14 Afternoon routine 00:04:17 Building apps in 2026 00:05:10 Building apps while traveling 00:05:46 Evening routine 00:06:38 Lessons from building 00:07:40 Advice for builders

Ken spent nearly his entire career in big tech before to build a mobile app. In his first year since he launched, he hit his $10K/month goal, and grew the game to $155K in revenue with zero paid marketing. This video is the story of why he left a comfortable job to build a game, and how he grew it on his own. *Free database: 100+ Solopreneurs making $1M/year* https://clickhubspot.com/1k92 Say hi to Ken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethylaw/ Check out Harpagia: https://kayelleapps.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 the $10K game 00:00:54 Gus is hosting! 00:01:10 What’s your story? 00:01:48 Business breakdown 00:02:24 Revenue overview 00:03:39 Founder background 00:04:34 Successful solo devs 00:05:23 Quitting tech backstory 00:06:33 App timeline 00:07:38 Growth and marketing 00:09:27 The opportunity in games 00:10:45 App demo 00:11:41 Tech stack 00:12:28 Final advice 00:13:25 Gus reflections This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Mauro built a gym app that last month made $160,000. What sets him apart is not the product or marketing... but his app development approach. He treats the product like a science experiment: A/B testing, validating features, and only building stuff that moves the needled.This video breaks down how to think like a product management expert, stop guessing, and start building what actually moves the needle. *FREE iOS App Ideas:* https://clickhubspot.com/l6tq Say hi to Mauro: https://x.com/Mauro_Botanes Check out Symmetry: https://symmetry.club/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Meet Roman. He built Career Hound, a simple job board website that makes around $25K/month. It's a saturated idea, but the reason he's successful is NOT about the product. It's all about the marketing. This video is the story of how a "boring" product wins entirely on distribution. *One-page websites making $10K/month:* https://clickhubspot.com/m8ed Say hi to Roman: https://x.com/rlakhnyuk Check out Career Hound: https://www.careerhound.io/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Dead simple websites win 00:01:11 What’s your story? 00:01:37 What’s the website? 00:02:50 Founder background 00:03:30 Coming up with the idea 00:04:09 Simple, one-page websites 00:04:59 What makes your website different? 00:05:53 Marketing: timely vs timeless content 00:07:24 Marketing examples 00:08:58 Working with ‘older’ creators 00:10:23 The marketing system secret 00:10:47 Advice to builders 00:12:13 Tech stack 00:12:43 Final advice 00:13:35 Gus reflections: it’s all about the marketing This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Piotr built Visualizee, an AI rendering tool that lets architects and designers generate realistic home renders in seconds. This might sound like a success story... but Piotr was stuck at $150 per month for YEARS. Then, one single product pivot changed his entire business and grew it to $10K per month. *The AI Playbook: 50+ AI app ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/qs4m Say hi to Piotr: https://x.com/pobidowski Check out Visualizee: https://visualizee.ai/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 2 years to hit $10K 00:00:57 What’s your story? 00:01:33 Business breakdown 00:03:40 App idea 00:04:04 Build process and timeline 00:04:50 AI app ideas 00:05:51 The pivot 00:07:02 Takeaways and learnings from the pivot 00:07:26 Results and data 00:07:53 What would you do differently next time? 00:09:09 Tech stack and tools 00:09:51 Advice 00:10:31 Pat and Gus reflections: stay in the game! This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Gaurav built Fastlane, a marketing SaaS for indie developers. He’s grown it to $1M ARR and thousands of users, but the real story is about what he did to build it. In a few months, he had thousands of customer calls where he learned what worked, what didn’t, and exactly how to build the product for his ideal customer. This video breaks down why talking to customers is the most important thing you can do if you want to build a successful SaaS. *90+ Business Ideas ($1M+ problems worth solving):* https://clickhubspot.com/mod5 Say hi to Gaurav: https://twitter.com/gauravsbuilding Check out Fastlane: https://www.usefastlane.ai/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Don't skip this! 00:00:57 What's your story? 00:01:44 Business breakdown 00:02:29 Finding the idea 00:03:26 Background and build timeline 00:04:40 Tech stack and tools 00:05:14 Solve painful problems 00:06:09 The secret behind his success 00:07:45 The system that helped him win 00:09:32 Go talk to customers! 00:10:12 Customer calls breakdown 00:12:54 App demo 00:13:50 How customer calls influenced the product 00:14:07 Final advice 00:15:09 Pat and Gus reflections: face the fear of rejection This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Rashid built three simple websites that make over $32,000 per month. But what's actually interesting is that he built essentially three identical websites. They all solve a very similar problem for a slightly different user. This is the story of how a guy built a few simple, boring websites and scaled them to where they are today. *90+ Business Ideas ($1M+ problems worth solving):* http://go.starterstory.com/lp-test-4-million-dollar-problems-description Follow Rashid: https://twitter.com/Rashidkhasanov Check out his websites: - https://angelmatch.io/ - https://investorhunt.co/ - https://journalisthunt.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Making money with simple websites 00:01:00 What’s your story? 00:01:33 Business overview 00:02:14 Revenue and numbers 00:03:23 Painful problems win! 00:04:34 Founder background 00:05:48 Finding the business idea 00:06:33 Growth and marketing 00:07:33 Secret behind the websites 00:08:15 Ideas to start in 2026 00:08:57 Database product playbook 00:10:12 Tech stack and tools 00:10:57 Final advice 00:11:57 Pat and Gus reflections: solve a painful problem! This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Meet Gaurabh. He built almost 100 apps in 60 days. But... he had a problem. Despite shipping all these projects, he has made exactly ZERO dollars. What happened? What was going on? Why hadn't he made any money? In this first episode of the Starter Story challenge, we challenge him to finally monetize his app. Can he actually do it? *Side project ideas you can build with your 9-5:* https://clickhubspot.com/jzxl Apply for the challenge → https://forms.gle/eFqR1QdT4N5tBWyo9 Follow Gaurabh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurabhmathure/ Check out his projects: - https://attn.design/ - https://vuemagnet.com/ - https://mastersofattention.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel:  @StarterStoryBuild  🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 $1K in 30 days 00:00:42 Welcome to the challenge 00:01:05 100 apps... zero revenue 00:01:34 What's the problem? 00:02:21 The Challenge 00:03:05 Do you accept the challenge? 00:03:23 It begins! 00:03:50 100 side project ideas 00:04:48 Update 00:05:02 The first 30 days 00:06:11 Making $100 00:06:53 The next 30 days 00:08:08 Numbers behind the content 00:08:58 Talking to customers 00:09:42 Revenue and results 00:10:35 Congrats on the challenge!! 00:11:09 Lessons learned and advice 00:12:57 What's next? 00:13:29 Join the challenge 00:13:36 Wrap up This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Rob builds apps, travels the world, and is an inspiration to all indie builders in the game. Over the past few years, he has been documenting his journey of building a $20K/month SaaS on X, sharing what it really looks like to be an indie developer in this day and age. *Free $1M Solopreneur MVP Guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/66mr Follow Rob: https://twitter.com/robj3d3 Check out his projects: http://robhallam.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Rob 00:00:58 Morning routine 00:01:38 Building while traveling 00:03:00 Start your solopreneur journey 00:03:28 Afternoon routine 00:04:19 Prioritizing work 00:05:53 Biggest lessons learned 00:07:40 Advice to builders

Mau is a solo founder who built and grew his mobile app to $20K/month. This video is the complete playbook for building mobile apps in 2026: how he built it with AI, grew organically, and is scaling with paid ads. Build your own iOS app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/the-ios-bootcamp?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=mau Follow Mau: https://x.com/maubaron Check out his app: https://www.prayerlock.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

This is the breakdown of how Dawson Botsford went from working a corporate 9-5 to building a $1M app in just 5 hours, all as a solo developer. 📚 Get the FREE Solo Dev Report: 50 Solo Developers Making $10K+/Month → https://www.starterstory.com/solo?utm_campaign=dawsonbotsford&utm_source=youtube Follow Dawson 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/DawsonBotsford 🔔 Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

I traveled to New York to spend 24 hours with the guys who built and sold Cal AI for millions. The video answers one main question: now that AI lets anyone build an app, is it still possible to build a successful one in 2026? Along the way, we talked about what it was like to build a company with your friends, and what they're doing now that they've sold. *Free iOS Bootcamp:* https://clickhubspot.com/bqt8 Follow Blake: https://x.com/blakeandersonw Follow Zach: https://x.com/zach_yadegari Cal AI: https://calai.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel:  @StarterStoryBuild  🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 iOS Millionaires 00:01:20 What’s your story? 00:02:24 Numbers behind Cal AI 00:02:48 Meet the other co-founders 00:03:36 What was it like to work together? 00:03:59 Did you know it’d be successful? 00:04:48 Becoming co-founders 00:05:38 Managing conflict and trust 00:06:58 Build your own iOS app 00:07:39 Opportunity in apps in 2026 00:08:32 Does copying apps still work? 00:09:15 Advice for building apps 00:10:00 NYC office tour 00:10:25 What did it feel like to sell Cal AI? 00:10:58 The game of entrepreneurship 00:11:42 What are you working on now? 00:12:46 Final thoughts from Pat This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Tomer took one of the most successful apps in the world and built it for his local market. Today, just 12 months after launching, he's already doing over $80K/month. This video breaks down his playbook for reverse-engineering a proven app idea and building your own. *iOS App Ideas:* http://go.starterstory.com/lp-test-3-ios-app-ideas-description Follow Tomer: https://twitter.com/tomercn Check Cal Buddy: https://calbuddy.co.il/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 You don’t need an original idea 00:01:04 What’s your story? 00:01:38 What’s the app? 00:02:15 Founder background 00:03:03 Build process 00:04:01 Finding the app idea 00:04:43 More app ideas! 00:05:32 App differentiation 00:06:40 Growth and marketing 00:08:00 Influencer strategy 00:09:05 Partnership breakdown 00:09:54 Tech stack 00:10:24 Final advice 00:11:05 Pat and Gus reflections: you don’t need a new idea! This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Over the past few years, Jack Friks has completely changed his life through bootstrapping and building apps on the internet. In this video, we do a deep into how he works: how he spends his time, finds ideas, and his approach to work that viewers can take and use in their daily life. *Get our free $1M Solopreneur MVP guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/dg4j Follow Jack: https://twitter.com/jackfriks Check out his projects: https://www.jackfriks.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Jack Friks 00:00:32 Morning routine 00:01:19 Doing his best work 00:01:47 Working in sprints 00:02:44 Work routine 00:03:33 Stress, anxiety, and work 00:04:39 Finding ideas 00:05:29 Lessons learned 00:06:57 Evening routine 00:08:34 Number 1 piece of advice for builders 00:08:51 Keep going!

Ryan is a former product designer who quit his job to finally build his own app. With the help of AI coding tools, the first app he ever built hit $18K/month. But here's the crazy part... this type of app has been built hundreds of times. Why was his successful? In this video, we will dive into the simple app he built, how he got his first users, and his advice on how to pick winning app ideas. *Free: iOS Bootcamp:* http://go.starterstory.com/lp-test-2-ios-bootcamp-description Follow Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanqyao/ Check out Cat on Chair: https://catonchair.app/en/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 I love niche apps 00:00:50 What’s your story? 00:01:19 App breakdown and data 00:02:46 Ryan’s background 00:03:20 Simple apps win 00:03:54 Design and AI 00:04:10 Build timeline 00:05:35 Target customers 00:06:16 Tech stack 00:06:48 Finding the app idea 00:08:15 Why does this app work? 00:09:47 Building a hand-crafted app 00:10:19 How to build cool, unique apps 00:11:11 Cat on Chair Demo 00:12:33 Final advice 00:13:20 Pat and Gus reflections: building unique apps This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Michael built one of the most unbelievable app ideas I've ever seen. And today he makes over $100K per month. But the real story is the IDEA. What's the secret? How does it make money? So in this video, we break down how Michael found this unbelievable app idea and the framework any builder can use to find their own crazy app ideas too. *Free: 100+ App Ideas in Health, Wealth & Self-Improvement:* https://clickhubspot.com/vq21 Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/michaelque22 Check out Go Tall: https://www.gotall.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 I can't believe this exists... 00:00:58 What's your story? 00:01:31 App breakdown 00:02:41 Michael's background 00:03:32 Health and Self-Improvement Apps 00:04:36 Finding the unbelievable idea 00:06:27 Advice for finding ideas 00:08:40 Growth and marketing 00:10:20 Tech stack 00:10:52 Go Tall demo 00:12:59 Advice: let go of your ego 00:14:35 Pat and Gus reflections: what an unbelievable idea! 00:17:01 Build YOUR app idea This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

I traveled to Los Angeles to meet a guy who built a $30K/month golf app while he had a full-time job at a big tech company. But now he's facing a big decision: should he stay at his full-time job and keep building on the side? Or is it finally time to go all-in on his business? In this video, you will learn the incredible story behind how he built this successful business and by the end... you'll find out whether he stayed or quit! *190+ Micro-SaaS Ideas Making Millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/58ys Follow Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-robinson-543b2678/ Check out Live Tourney: https://www.livetourney.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Stay or quit? 00:00:43 Arrival! 00:01:02 Meet Matt 00:01:25 Business breakdown 00:01:43 Career life 00:02:13 Improve Pat’s swing! 00:02:47 Idea and build 00:03:32 How the app works 00:04:12 Is this a dumb decision? 00:04:40 Go build something! 00:05:44 What’s the plan? 00:06:55 The inflection point 00:07:40 Back against the wall 00:08:28 How to build with a full-time job 00:09:42 What it feels to build a successful app 00:10:30 Takeaways and reflections 00:11:31 The final decision! 00:12:08 Leaving the job 00:12:43 A family decision 00:13:18 What’s next? 00:14:42 Wrap up This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Sarah turned a simple idea into an app called Stella. In JUST 2 months she hit $340K/Month. But... there’s a bigger story here: building apps is getting easier and easier. So who is going to win? Well, in this video, we break down how Sarah built a $300K/month app, and why she thinks she's the first of a much bigger wave. *Free: iOS Bootcamp:* https://clickhubspot.com/xg54 Follow Sarah: https://twitter.com/hhpriestess Check out Stella: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stella-manifest-anything/id6757347283 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 She built this app 00:00:55 Meet Sarah 00:01:26 App breakdown 00:02:36 "But you have a following?" 00:03:27 Sarah's background 00:04:34 The year of iOS 00:05:15 Finding the app idea 00:06:23 Tech stack 00:07:08 The next wave of builders 00:08:58 Distribution and virality 00:10:16 Marketing examples 00:12:41 Advice to younger self 00:14:32 Pat and Gus: the next wave of builders This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Jake Glacer built one of the simplest apps I've ever seen. You almost can't believe it makes any money. But Jake found a viral idea, started marketing from the very beginning, and grew to over $50K/month in just 4 months. In this video, we break down how something this simple actually works and why a niche app like this is so easy to market. *iOS App Ideas:* https://go.starterstory.com/ios-app-ideas-lm-description Follow Jake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeglacer/ Check out Erly: https://erly.co/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Simples app idea ever? 00:00:59 What’s your story? 00:01:24 What’s the app? 00:02:22 Founder background 00:03:00 More simple iOS app ideas 00:04:03 Finding the idea 00:05:59 Build the app 00:07:27 How to find successful ideas 00:08:59 Growth and marketing 00:09:59 Marketing example 00:11:05 Deal structure 00:11:52 Tracking marketing results 00:13:01 Tech stack 00:13:59 App demo 00:14:50 Final advice: focus on marketing 00:15:51 Pat and Gus reflections: a crazy simple idea This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur who makes over $10M/year from his companies. Everyone who follows him wonders the same thing: how does he get so much done? This is a day in his life and how he actually works. *Get Sam’s guide to Run Your Life Like A $100M Business:* https://clickhubspot.com/cfgm Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/thesamparr & https://www.instagram.com/thesamparr/ Check out Hampton: https://joinhampton.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Sam Parr 00:00:30 Morning routine 00:01:14 Phone addiction 00:01:44 Staying focused 00:02:30 Daily habits 00:03:42 Work routine 00:05:02 Lessons from 1,000 podcasts 00:06:11 Traits of a successful founder 00:08:06 Finding business ideas 00:08:44 Dealing with uncertainty 00:09:20 Evening routine 00:10:38 Advice to all builders

We traveled to Los Angeles, CA to meet the guys behind a $20K/month track app, hear their story, and learn about how they built this... while still in college (without knowing how to code!) *Free: iOS App Bootcamp:* https://clickhubspot.com/bo6a Follow Christian: https://x.com/Christianisrac Follow Braylin: https://x.com/Braylin2x Check out 3AK: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/3ak-track-field/id6756290066 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 The track app 00:00:34 Meeting the guys 00:01:10 What’s the app? 00:01:31 Founders background 00:02:10 Warm up and stretch! 00:02:41 Building the app (tools and tech) 00:03:33 Build your own iOS app 00:04:51 Coming up with app ideas 00:05:31 App demo 00:06:15 Pat tests the track app! 00:08:01 Building niche apps 00:08:44 Dropping out and balancing everything 00:09:47 The story behind the founders 00:10:50 Day in the life, making money in college 00:11:32 Final advice 00:12:27 Pat’s closing reflections This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

An built an app that has thousands of users and hit 6-figures ARR. But after almost running out of cash for this app, he spent 2 months developing a framework that completely transformed his business. In this video, we break down his entire system and how any builder can this for their own app. *Get our Organic Short Form Playbook:* https://clickhubspot.com/szvp *Grab An's Content Tracker:* https://www.starterstory.com/short-form-tracker?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=an-nayal-tracker *VSC Framework Deep Dive:* https://onelink.to/starterstory Follow An: https://twitter.com/consumerxai and https://www.youtube.com/@UCBQ73vil_z6FNvxhTJFopZg Check out his projects: https://www.annayal.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Validate before building anything 00:01:07 What’s your story? 00:01:47 App breakdown and “ugly” spreadsheet 00:02:43 Founder background 00:03:43 Finding the app idea 00:04:12 More ways to grow apps 00:04:59 The VSC Framework 00:07:26 Content examples 00:08:47 The “ugly” content tracking spreadsheet 00:10:37 App demo 00:11:50 Tech stack and tools 00:12:36 Advice to founders 00:13:12 Pat and Gus reflections: create a system

Kyan is a college student who built his first app and turned it into a $25K/month business. This is the story about how he found a tiny problem and turned it into a profitable app in just 5 months. *Free: $1M Attention Guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/pgxp Follow Kyan: https://x.com/kyanbuilds Check out ToneAdapt: https://www.toneadapt.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Zero to $25K in 5 months 00:01:04 What's your story? 00:01:41 App breakdown 00:03:01 Kyan's background 00:03:40 Finding and validating the idea 00:04:20 The Attention Playbook 00:05:03 Solve your own problem 00:05:22 Build process and tech stack 00:06:51 Growth and marketing 00:07:39 Being "cringe" 00:08:20 Find something you already know 00:09:30 Find a tiny problem 00:10:11 Ship V1 FAST 00:10:32 Post 3x per day 00:11:09 Scale winning content 00:12:15 ToneAdapt demo 00:14:12 Advice to younger self 00:15:05 Pat and Gus reflections: a cool little idea

Zac built an analytics SaaS, and just hit $1M ARR, But here's the thing... you've probably never heard of it. And that's the whole point! His business model is unique and that's exactly why he is successful. So, in this video, we break down why agencies are the dream customer nobody's building for and his advice for doing it all over again. *30+ Business Ideas in Unsexy Niches:* https://clickhubspot.com/ma5x Follow Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zcherin/ Check out Hiro: https://www.hiroanalytics.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Zero to $1M 00:00:56 What's your story? 00:01:25 SaaS breakdown 00:02:24 Business model 00:03:01 Zac's background 00:03:34 Find your overlooked business idea 00:04:16 Tools and tech stack 00:05:01 Building for agencies 00:07:10 Risks to the business 00:08:02 How to build a SaaS like this 00:09:19 Advice for founders 00:10:24 Pat and Gus reflections: the agency model

Kyle Fowler is a regular guy who runs two mobile apps that together do over $120,00K per month. This is the story of how a self-taught developer turned a hobby into one successful app... and then did it again. *Steal 90+ Business Ideas:* https://clickhubspot.com/3bnt Follow Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylefowler2/ Check out Cardstock: https://www.openbraceapps.com/ Check out Scanémon: https://www.scanemon.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Building from your hobbies 00:00:57 What’s your story? 00:01:30 App businesses breakdown 00:02:51 Founder background 00:03:58 Solve your own problems! 00:04:44 Building the apps 00:05:23 Timeline and launch 00:06:05 Tech stack and costs 00:06:28 Idea and validation 00:07:59 Finding $1M app ideas 00:09:20 Marketing apps in 2026 00:10:11 App demo 00:11:01 Final advice 00:12:08 Pat and Gus reflections

Benjamin Chen is a 20-year-old NYU student who’s built 45+ apps and scaled his latest app to $30K/month. What makes Benji different is he has a repeatable system that’s helped him build, launch, and grow his apps fast. This video breaks down the exact system he uses to scale apps profitably. *Free iOS App Bootcamp:* https://clickhubspot.com/r91p Follow Benji: https://twitter.com/benjiianc Check out Snag: https://snagapp.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 The system behind a successful app 00:01:05 Who is Benji? 00:01:26 App breakdown 00:02:25 Founder background 00:03:37 Build process 00:04:14 Build your own iOS apps!! 00:04:50 Tech stack and tools 00:05:39 Finding app ideas 00:06:39 Marketing apps 00:08:11 UGC example 00:08:50 Paid ads strategy 00:09:42 App Playbook (Step-by-Step) 00:11:59 Advice 00:13:02 Pat and Gus reflections: the proven system

David (and his brother Daniel) launched Shipper, an AI app builder. But here's the secret... they didn't reinvent the wheel. They just saw a billion-dollar opportunity and thought, "if we capture just 1% of the market, maybe it could change our lives?" This is the story of how they grew shipper to over $50K/month by building a micro-version of a billion-dollar market. *Free Database: 50+ AI App Ideas Making Millions* https://clickhubspot.com/zgul Follow David: https://twitter.com/chhddavid Check out Shipper: https://shipper.now/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Every idea is taken… 00:00:49 What’s your story? 00:01:27 Business breakdown 00:02:46 Founder background 00:03:29 More AI App Ideas 00:04:14 Idea behind the business 00:04:54 Build story 00:05:45 Tech stack 00:06:17 Growth and marketing 00:07:21 Finding the 1% difference 00:09:15 Advice to younger self 00:10:05 Pat and Gus reflections: Copy & Paste

Cedric Roberge built an app called Pep AI. In just ONE MONTH, he hit 10,000 users and $30K in revenue (wow!!). This video breaks down how a college student found a trending niche, built the app, and scaled to $30K/month. *Free iOS Bootcamp:* https://clickhubspot.com/60ej Follow Cedric: https://twitter.com/Cedric_Roberge Check out Pep AI: https://pepaiapp.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Knowing where to look 00:00:53 Who is Cedric? 00:01:13 App data and overview 00:02:20 Founder background 00:03:19 Build timeline and tech stack 00:04:44 Start building with AI 00:05:40 How to find a great app idea 00:06:51 Identifying viral ideas 00:08:09 Find ideas on social media 00:09:11 Review existing apps 00:09:59 Growth and Marketing 00:12:06 App Demo 00:13:34 8 - Advice to founders 00:15:13 Pat and Gus reflections: the power of building with AI

Everyone is chasing the next trending idea, but this guy built a $1.7M/year business in the most boring category you can imagine. In this video, we break down how he found the idea and built it. And you'll learn why building in unsexy categories might be the best way to make millions. *Free: 30+ Business Ideas in Unsexy Niches:* https://clickhubspot.com/1okf Follow Bohdan: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bohdan-drozdov/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bohdansventures Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bo_in_the_wild/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Nobody is paying attention to this category 00:00:59 Who is Bo? 00:01:24 App data and background 00:02:18 Build boring apps! 00:03:36 Finding the idea for Savvy Nomad 00:04:32 Why this boring app works 00:06:27 3 boring business app ideas 00:09:04 Boring apps playbook 00:11:53 How the business works 00:12:44 Tech stack 00:13:30 Advice to founders 00:14:27 Pat and Gus reflections: find unsexy ideas

Nicole has multiple apps to over $150K/month. The questions is... how? What's the secret? How did she do it? Turns out, it's a finely tuned system that she has perfected. In this video, we break down what that system is and how anyone can put it into practice. *Get the free Mobile App Growth Cheat Sheet:* https://clickhubspot.com/zfj2 Follow Nicole: https://twitter.com/madebycol Check out Glam Up: https://www.glamup.ai/ Check Out Sprout: https://www.usesprout.com/ Grab Nicole's Playbook: https://tally.so/r/BzZpA4 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 I couldn’t believe this post… 00:01:07 Who is Nicole? 00:01:55 App background and data 00:03:15 Founder background 00:04:01 Building is easy, Marketing is (still) hard! 00:04:59 Finding the app idea 00:05:56 Growth overview 00:06:40 Data and numbers behind the content 00:07:26 App growth playbook 00:07:44 Where to market your app 00:08:33 Building a UGC system 00:09:01 Source content creators 00:09:36 Onboard creators for your app 00:10:25 Managing UGC creators 00:10:54 System and optimize your system 00:11:58 App demo 00:12:52 Build and tech stack 00:13:24 Final advice 00:14:06 Pat and Gus takeaways

In this video, we break down how a simple mobile app turned into a $20K/month business. But the real story is about how he validated the idea BEFORE writing a single line of code. By the end of this video, you will have playbook you can use to go validate your app. *Get our Mobile App Growth Cheat Sheet:* https://clickhubspot.com/rbh7 Follow Brian: https://twitter.com/brianshinsh Check out Once: https://once.film/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 The commitment metric 00:00:56 Meet Brian Shin 00:01:27 Business breakdown 00:02:35 Mobile app growth tactics 00:03:22 Founder background 00:04:25 App idea 00:05:48 Build process 00:06:35 Tech Stack 00:07:07 Validating the app 00:08:30 Validation Playbook 00:11:23 How the app works 00:12:18 Stop overthinking! 00:13:15 Pat and Gus reflections

Marc Lou makes $77K/month as a solopreneur. Everyone who follows him wonders the same thing: how does he ship so much? This is a day in his life and how he actually works. *Get our free $1M Solopreneur guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/gjmh Follow Marc: https://x.com/marclou Check out his projects: https://marclou.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Marc Lou 00:00:52 Morning routine 00:01:36 Deep work 00:02:34 Shipping 35 startups 00:03:37 How Marc finds ideas 00:05:12 Ship list 00:05:57 The biggest barrier to success 00:06:50 Validating ideas 00:07:51 Evening routine 00:08:31 Bed routine 00:09:12 Advice to all builders 00:10:03 Don't you dare give up

I traveled to Los Angeles, CA to spend 24 hours with Jeremy Redman and dive deep into his $3M SaaS business. *Free database → 190+ micro-SaaS ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/ofg Follow Jeremy: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheJeremyRedman & https://twitter.com/thejeremyredman Check out his latest projects: - https://leadquest.ai/ - https://sideproduct.com/ - https://snagthem.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Most Successful Solopreneur OAT 00:00:49 Is SaaS dead? 00:01:33 Meet Jeremy Redman 00:02:05 Business overview and stats 00:03:48 House tour 00:04:10 Jeremy's background 00:05:12 Find your $1M idea 00:05:58 The FU purchase 00:06:24 The tentpole strategy overview 00:07:24 Tentpole step-by-step breakdown 00:10:18 Advice for starting over 00:11:03 What it's really like to sell your business 00:13:54 Advice to founders 00:14:59 Pat's final reflections

An unexpected phone call gave Jordan Rejaud the idea for an app that's now done $1.5M in revenue. And he's done it with zero ads, no content, and a customer base most founders would never think to build for. *Free database → 190+ Micro-SaaS Ideas Making Millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/emfw Follow Jordan: https://x.com/jordanrejaud Check out Parakeet Chat: https://parakeet.chat/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 You've never heard of this app 00:00:54 What's your story? 00:01:26 Founder background 00:02:03 Building the app 00:02:28 Find a niche app idea 00:03:11 Tech stack (and why it doesn't matter) 00:04:27 How he found the app idea 00:05:28 Validating the idea 00:06:20 Advice for actually validating ideas 00:07:35 Growth 00:08:43 What does this app do? 00:09:42 How does it make money? 00:10:11 App revenue and statistics 00:11:27 Advice: Make more mistakes 00:12:58 Pat and Gus reflections: build niche apps!

Ethan dropped out of college after realizing AI could build in a day what took him a week. 6 months later, his app makes $20K/month. This is his exact playbook for finding, building, and marketing a niche app. *Free bootcamp → Build Your Own Mobile App:* https://clickhubspot.com/wrbj Follow Ethan: https://x.com/aureliuscajigas Check out CutCoach: https://www.cutcoach.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Don't build for anyone 00:01:07 What's your story? 00:01:38 App dashboards and data 00:02:32 Ethan's background 00:03:27 Finding the niche app idea 00:04:30 How he built the app 00:05:15 Learn to build an iOS app 00:06:01 Niche app playbook 00:07:57 Tech stack 00:08:24 App marketing playbook 00:09:35 How he scaled to $20K/month 00:10:45 CutCoach app demo 00:11:45 Advice to younger self 00:12:41 Pat and Gus reflections 00:13:48 Go build your own niche app!

Flo's app was stuck at a few hundred bucks for over a year. Then one partnership changed everything and grew his app to $35K/month. *Get our free organic short form playbook:* https://clickhubspot.com/wsf Follow Flo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-vates-195429244/ Check out MonAI: https://www.get-monai.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Distribution is harder than ever before 00:01:02 What's your story? 00:01:28 App overview and stats 00:02:17 Founder background 00:02:57 How he found the app idea 00:03:45 Distribution overview 00:04:41 How Flo works with the influencer 00:06:58 Influencer example and impact 00:08:31 Learn distribution from successful founders 00:09:26 Influencer marketing playbook 00:14:09 MonAI demo 00:15:30 Tech stack and tools 00:16:30 Flo's final advice 00:18:06 Pat and Gus reflections

Evan built a mobile app and scaled it to $14K/month in just 4 months. And he did it with just ONE strategy. This is his exact playbook for building a successful mobile app in 2026. *Get our free Organic Short Form Playbook:* https://clickhubspot.com/sml Follow Evan: https://x.com/EvanYadegari Check out Locked: https://trylocked.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. We received signed permission from Evan's parent/guardian for him to appear on this channel. Chapters: 0:00 - Meet the kid making $14K/month 1:29 - What’s your story? 1:45 - App overview and metrics 2:39 - Founder background 3:36 - Build timeline 4:05 - Growth strategy overview 4:43 - Influencer content example 5:30 - Data behind the content 6:27 - Organic Short Form Playbook 7:19 - The Influencer Playbook 9:17 - How the app works (Locked demo) 10:01 - App tech stack 10:32 - Advice to other founders 11:24 - Pat and Gus: what did you think?

Most app founders launch in silence. Umberto made $120K in 24 hours from an app that wasn't even finished. This is his exact launch playbook. *Free Course: Ship your first iOS app in 7 days* https://clickhubspot.com/gfd Follow Umberto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/umberto-mezzadra-a6a77113/ Check out Floga: https://floga.io/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - The fastest way to validate your idea 1:19 - What's your story? 1:44 - App breakdown and stats 2:35 - Coming up with the app idea 4:30 - Lifetime Deals Strategy 6:44 - Build your own iOS app 8:18 - The email launch sequence 11:37 - How to have a great launch (playbook) 15:22 - Are lifetime deals bad? 17:44 - Floga app demo 18:48 - Tech stack 19:14 - Stop waiting for perfection 20:08 - Pat and Gus reflections: our takeaways

While everyone else fights over iOS, 92% of Steve's mobile app revenue comes from Android. This is his exact playbook. *Get our free Mobile App Growth Cheat Sheet:* https://clickhubspot.com/dkn Follow Steve: https://x.com/stevehoyek Check out Journable: https://www.journable.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Everyone is sleeping on Android 1:05 - Founder intro 1:25 - Business overview and metrics 2:40 - Finding the idea for Journable 3:54 - Android vs iOS 5:42 - Growth overview 6:56 - Google ads strategy 7:38 - Ad example 8:43 - Mobile app growth tactics 9:16 - The Android playbook 14:11 - Android app ideas 16:44 - How Journable works 18:05 - Tech stack 19:07 - Start documenting your journey 20:31 - Pat and Gus reflections: what we learned

Jacky was making $500K/month. Then AI and Google's algorithm updates wiped out nearly everything. This is how he rebuilt to $250K/month across 13 different businesses... and the one distribution strategy that made the comeback possible. *Get our free guide to find a $1M business idea:* https://clickhubspot.com/emx Follow Jacky: https://x.com/indexsy Check out his projects: https://jackychou.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Don’t focus on just one thing 1:46 - Business breakdowns 2:31 - Jacky’s background 3:07 - AI almost killed his business 4:03 - Find your next idea 4:40 - The platform that saved his business 5:37 - YouTube strategy overview 6:12 - How to get started on YouTube 8:50 - Diversify your revenue 9:28 - Pat and Gus reflections

Ben makes $17K/month from a SaaS he grew without ads, going viral, or being creative. His strategy: make the same video over and over again. This is his full breakdown. *Free database → 190+ micro-SaaS ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/gdv Follow Ben: https://x.com/iambenleavitt Check out FollowBuddy: https://followbuddy.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - I dare you to try this strategy 0:44 - Business stats and data 1:55 - Founder background 2:36 - Finding the business idea 4:08 - How he gets customers 5:37 - Find YOUR micro-saas idea 6:30 - The YouTube Search playbook 12:22 - What if I don't have experience? 13:00 - How FollowBuddy works 13:51 - Tech stack 14:17 - Advice for non-technical founders 15:08 - Move fast on small ideas 16:02 - Pat and Gus reflections 17:29 - Build your idea!

Tom was an IT admin doing the most tedious job imaginable. Nobody was solving it, so he built the solution himself. Now it makes $60K/month with 1,000+ customers. This is his exact playbook for finding and building in boring niches. Get compliant: https://www.vanta.com/lp/demo-1k?utm_campaign=1k_offer&utm_source=starter-story&utm_medium=paid-partner *Free database → 190+ micro-SaaS ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/kdm Follow Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mahony/ Check out Pckgr: https://intunepckgr.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Riches in (boring) niches 1:32 - Business Overview 2:10 - Coming up with the idea 3:05 - Finding first customers 4:37 - Make sure your app is compliant 5:24 - How to find a niche saas idea 7:11 - Hundreds of micro-saas ideas 7:57 - Boring saas demo 9:08 - Doesn't have to be fancy! 9:30 - Tech stack 9:59 - Final piece of advice (Just Start) 10:59 - Pat and Gus reflections 11:39 - Start building your idea

This is the story of how a $3M/year business got its first 100 paying customers. Every tactic, step by step, so you can do the same. *Get the free $1M Solopreneur MVP guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/vgk Follow Joseph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhylee/ Check out Supademo: https://supademo.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - The $3M SaaS 1:29 - App overview and data 2:30 - Founder background 3:38 - Early app validation 4:30 - First 100 customers (part 1) 6:35 - Find your $1M MVP 7:32 - First 100 customers (part 2) 8:03 - Do things that don't scale 9:08 - Be everywhere your users are 10:00 - What early saas founders get wrong 10:52 - App demo 12:38 - Tech stack 13:23 - One piece of advice 14:09 - Pat's reflections

This is the story of how Ivan built an AI agent and the specific steps he took to grow it to $10K MRR. *Get the free guide to make money with AI Agents:* https://clickhubspot.com/mgh Follow Ivan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-nedlekovski/ Check out Lancer: https://www.lancer.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Zero to $10K MRR 1:18 - Founder and App overview 2:32 - Ideas and opportunities 5:31 - Build your own AI agent 6:41 - Growth strategy and tactics 9:30 - His distribution playbook 12:20 - Tech stack and costs 13:36 - Final advice 15:24 - Pat's reflections on the episode

This is the story of how Miquel grew Late to $40K/month with just one marketing system. *Get compliant:* https://www.vanta.com/lp/demo-1k?utm_campaign=1k_offer&utm_source=starter-story&utm_medium=paid-partner *Get our free guide to find a $1M business idea:* https://clickhubspot.com/ekm Follow Miquel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miquelpalet/ Check out Late: https://getlate.dev/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Zero to $40K in 7 months 0:50 - Need an app idea? 1:09 - App overview 2:41 - Founder background 3:40 - Distribution overview 4:44 - Is your app compliant? 5:44 - Deep dive on Google 6:50 - The SEO (Organic) Strategy 8:00 - The Paid Ads Strategy 9:20 - Find your $1M idea (free template) 10:06 - Google Playbook for 2026 13:28 - Late demo 14:55 - Tech stack and costs 15:21 - Advice to young founders 16:16 - Pat and Gus reflections 17:31 - Is SEO really dead? 19:19 - Time to build your idea!

Maddox built a $15K/month gaming website. This video breaks down his exact strategy for driving massive traffic to a simple website. *Learn how the best apps grow →* https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-organic-short-form?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=maddox Follow Maddox: https://x.com/_maddox1337 Check out his new project: https://maddoxcloud.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - By the end of the video... 0:45 - Founder Background 1:10 - $15K/month gaming website (stats, revenue) 2:39 - Finding the idea 4:06 - How he built the website 5:10 - Growth strategy with TikTok 6:28 - Math behind a 5M view video 7:29 - Organic short-form playbook 8:33 - Selling the website 9:27 - Website playbook in 2026 10:35 - Tech stack and tools 12:12 - Power of staying consistent 13:01 - What's next? 13:26 - Pat and Gus reflections 15:45 - It's time to BUILD!

Jonathan Fishner built ChartDB, an open source database visualization tool for developers. This video breaks down how to identify and sell to your ICP, no matter how "small" you think the audience is. *Get our free guide to find a $1M business idea →* https://clickhubspot.com/swt *Build your own niche app →* https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=chartdb Follow Jonathan: https://x.com/jonathanfishner Check out ChartDB: http://chartdb.io/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:46 - Ideas template 1:04 - Founder background 1:35 - What is ChartDB? 2:25 - How to find developer tool ideas 3:55 - Initial growth and marketing 4:51 - Why the hacker news post worked 5:45 - How to find $1M ideas hiding in plain sight 6:36 - Developer Tools Playbook 9:38 - ChartDB demo 10:41 - Tech stack and costs 11:57 - Advice to founders 13:00 - Pat and Gus reflections 15:10 - Build your own niche app

This is the story of how I sold Starter Story :) I'm sharing more about how and why here: https://go.starterstory.com/workshop All love, – Pat & The Starter Story Team

Vikash built Bulkmockup, a Photoshop plugin that makes $12K/month. This video breaks down the three-step content system he uses to grow and get customers on auto-pilot Build your own micro-saas → https://build.starterstory.com/select-plan?promo=TINY&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=vikash Follow Vikash: https://x.com/vikashkprajapat Check out BulkMockup: https://www.bulkmockup.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:13 - BulkMockup overview 1:32 - Business analytics and dashboards 2:13 - Founder background and idea 3:34 - Going from idea to product 4:34 - Content through customer pain 5:25 - Real examples of content 6:40 - Content Flywheel Playbook pt. 1 8:40 - Solve one problem 9:38 - Content Flywheel Playbook pt. 2 11:30 - App Demo 12:48 - Tech Stack 13:33 - Final advice 14:18 - Pat and Gus reflections 16:50 - Build your own app!

Nic built a micro-saas that makes $16K MRR. And he did it by picking a painfully specific niche and solving their whole problem. This video breaks down how even a "small" niche can still get you to $10K/month Make sure your app is compliant → https://delve.co/book-demo?utm_source=starterstory&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=primary-feb-05-26 Build your own micro-saas → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=blogtopin Follow Nic: https://x.com/nikpolale Check out his app: https://www.blogtopin.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Build your own micro-saas 1:27 - Blog to Pin overview 1:50 - Business analytics 3:08 - Founder background 4:38 - Building the micro-saas 5:34 - Make sure your app is compliant (sponsor) 7:29 - Growth channels 9:00 - Finding similar app ideas 9:44 - Micro-Saas playbook 13:05 - App demo 14:26 - Tech stack 14:46 - Advice 15:30 - Pat and Gus chats 16:49 - Ready to build?

Florin Pop is a developer who's made $500K over 6 years – not from one breakout hit, but by stacking dozens of tiny projects. This video breaks down his building framework and why playing the long game with a portfolio of projects beats chasing one big win. Get compliant → https://www.vanta.com/downloads/compliance-for-startups-bundle?utm_medium=paid-partner&utm_source=starter-story&utm_campaign=compliance_for_startups Build your own project → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=florin Follow Florin: https://x.com/FlorinPop17 Check out his projects: https://www.florin-pop.com/one-million/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Build your first project 1:17 - Who is Florin? 1:44 - Different income streams and projects 2:35 - Founder background 3:28 - Make sure your company is compliant (sponsor) 4:39 - Why multiple projects works 6:18 - How to manage multiple projects/apps 7:15 - What it takes to build a successful portfolio 8:19 - Ready to launch your own project? 8:59 - Multi-project playbook 11:31 - Tech stack 12:00 - Final advice 12:34 - Pat and Gus final thoughts 14:53 - Take action!!

Nevo built an open source SaaS called Postiz. Over the past few years he has gotten over 25K GitHub stars and grown the app to over $17K MRR. This video breaks down how to market open-source projects in 2026 and beyond. Book a demo with Delve → https://delve.co/book-demo?utm_source=starterstory&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=primary-jan-28-26 Grab the niche communities playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=nevo Build your own app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=nevo1 Follow Nevo: https://x.com/wickedguro Check out his app: https://postiz.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:58 - Niche Communities Playbook 1:40 - Who is Nevo? 2:14 - Business Analytics 4:06 - Founder Background 5:14 - Get Compliant with Delve 6:22 - Why Open Source is a Great Opportunity 10:31 - Open Source Playbook 16:07 - Niche Open Source Communities 17:15 - How the App Works 19:05 - Tech Stack 20:39 - Advice for Open Source 22:04 - Pat's Final Word

Romàn Czerny runs a SaaS that makes $34K per month. And much of his early growth is thanks to a genius Reddit strategy. This video is a focused, tactical Reddit playbook: the templates that work, how to avoid getting banned, and how to turn Reddit into a consistent revenue channel for your app. Subscribe to The Hustle → https://clickhubspot.com/8abd40 Grab the niche communities playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=roman Build your own app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=roman1 Follow Roman: https://x.com/romanbuildsaas Check out his app: https://gojiberry.ai/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:01 Grab the Reddit playbook (free) 00:01:33 Who is Roman 00:02:03 App dashboard and analytics 00:03:05 Founder background 00:03:52 How Reddit impacted the business 00:04:30 Example of Reddit post 00:05:39 Check out the Hustle (sponsor) 00:06:37 Why a Reddit post goes viral 00:07:48 The complete Reddit playbook 00:10:29 Handling haters on Reddit 00:11:49 How his app works 00:12:39 Marketing tech stack 00:13:41 Final advice 00:14:14 Pat and Gus reflections 00:16:09 CHeck out Starter Story Build

Ayush built Elphas, an AI app that’s making $150K/year. He grew the business in two phases: Phase 1 was Reddit and Phase 2 was SEO. This video breaks down his exact Reddit playbook and his SEO strategy, that helped him go from zero to $150K/year in just a few years.Grab the niche communities playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=ayushBuild your own app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=ayush1Follow Ayush: https://x.com/ayushtweetshereCheck out his app: https://elephas.app/🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobsThis video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Loïc Berthelot spent 5 years building failed before he learned an important lesson: start with problems, not solutions. Since then he co-founded 3 success SaaS apps. This video breaks down the playbook he used to build his apps to over $35K MRR each. Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=antonletterly Follow Loic: https://x.com/LoicBerthelot 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Who is Loic? 1:33 - Loic's Apps 2:38 - Background 3:45 - Builder-Creator Partnership This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Sam Adeniyi used Discord to validate and launch his first saas and now it makes $14K MRR (built entirely with ChatGPT + Cursor). This video breaks down how he used Discord to validate his idea and how knowing a niche community lets you build the perfect product. Learn how to find customers like Sam → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=algrow Join an upcoming Starter Story Build Bootcamp → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=algrowsam Follow Sam: https://x.com/samgrows Check out Algrow: https://algrow.online/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Lara just launched an AI writing tool for LinkedIn. They made $30K in 4 days, and went from $0 to $60K/month in less than 2 months. The secret? The Kleo Launch Playbook. This video breaks down exactly how they built up hype for their app, launched to a private beta, and hit $30K MRR in just a few days. Grab the personal brand playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-personal-brand?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=larakleo Join an upcoming Starter Story Build Bootcamp → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=kleo Follow Lara: https://x.com/Laraacostar Check out Kleo: https://kleo.so/ This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Bhanu built SiteGPT and he’s grown it to $13K/month. But here's the thing... he's a builder, NOT a marketer. In this video, we'll dive into how Bhanu used his building skills to get thousands of views on his product (for free). Join an upcoming Starter Story Build Bootcamp → https://build.starterstory.com/select-plan?promo=BHANU&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=bhanu Follow Bhanu: https://x.com/pbteja1998 Check out SiteGPT: https://sitegpt.ai/ This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Hassam is a non-technical founder who built his app 100% with AI. Then he hacked distribution by using someone else's audience to share his work. This video breaks down his distribution strategy that helped him his $25K MRR in 90 days Build an app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=hassam Follow Hassam: https://x.com/hasaamb This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Over the past year, Rob Hallam has been furiously building in public on X/Twitter. He posts every day and has grown his app to over $10K/month. In this video, Rob breaks down his build in public playbook and how anyone can use the power of the internet to build their own successful saas. Grab the Personal Brand Playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-personal-brand?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=rob-build-playbook Build an app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=robhallam Follow Rob: https://x.com/robj3d3 Check out SuperX: https://superx.so/

Alejandro and Mario built Pushscroll: a fitness app that's making $30K/month. But they took an entirely different approach. This story is about a new way to build apps: where your first MVP isn’t code, it’s content. Get the Content-First Playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-validate-app-idea?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pushscroll-playbook Build an app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pushscroll Follow Alejandro: https://x.com/skyirezumi Founder Mario: https://x.com/null_deref

Louis built a mobile app that made $800K in 1 year. And he did it all by posting on TikTok for $0. This video breaks down how he did it and why this works. Get 90% off Xero for 6 months using this link. Terms & Conditions apply → https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/StarterStory_mobileapp Get the TikTok Playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-organic-short-form?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=louis-david-short-form Follow Louis: https://x.com/LouisDavidPH Check out GlowUp: https://www.useglowup.app/

George built a mobile app without writing a single line of code. This video breaks down how he vibe coded his app, his influencer partnership playbook, and how non-coders can build profitable mobile apps using AI tools. Build an iOS app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/the-ios-bootcamp?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=george Follow George: https://x.com/GeorgeLampro20 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Max is a full-time developer who builds apps before and after work. His philosophy is simple: ship fast, don’t get attached, and move on. In this video, we break down his entire process for finding app ideas and shipping them fast. Find your next business idea → https://clickhubspot.com/b2b1ab Ship your next app → https://build.starterstory.com/select-plan?promo=28APPS Follow Max: https://x.com/maks6361

Louis Pereira shipped the MVP of his app in just 12 hours. He got traction and customers on the first day. And today, he’s making over $15K/month from that same app. This is the story of how a regular dude from India changed his life by building and shipping fast. Get 90% off Xero for 6 months using this link. Terms & Conditions apply → https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/StarterStory_theappIbuilt Find an idea to build this weekend → https://www.starterstory.com/weekend?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=audiopen Ship your next app fast → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=audiopen Follow Louis: https://x.com/louispereira Check out Audiopen: https://audiopen.ai/

Tibo runs a portfolio of successful micro-SaaS projects and in this video, we walk through his specific playbook he uses over and over again to launch successful saas companies. Learn how top startups grow → https://clickhubspot.com/c1f798 Build and launch an app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=tibo Follow Tibo: https://x.com/tibo_maker This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Presh has built 3 niche health tracking apps. This video breaks down his philosophy of building for problems you personally experience and why health and wellness niches create sustainable app businesses. Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=presh Follow Presh: https://x.com/preshdkumar Check out The Wellness Company: https://thewellness.company/

Gil is a developer who left the VC-backed world to bootstrap his own app. He has a simple playbook for building apps: pre-sell first and THEN build. In this video, we break down how he bootstrapped his app to over $30K/month Build your own micro-saas → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=gil Follow Gil: https://x.com/gilhildebrand Check out his app: https://subscribr.ai/ We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Loïc has co-founded 3 success SaaS apps using the same playbook. This video breaks down what that playbook is and how he used to to grow his apps to over $35K MRR each. Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=loic Follow Loic: https://x.com/LoicBerthelot Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

David Attias was working in finance when he discovered an app making $200K/month. He thought the app was genius. So he rebuilt it in a different niche, and five months later, STOPPR is generating $12K/month with zero coding background required. This video breaks down David's full app cloning playbook. 🛠️ Want to build your own app with AI? → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=stoppr David's app: https://www.stoppr.app/ Follow David: https://x.com/david_attisaas We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

Anton built a note-taking app that is designed to be simple and easy to use. This video breaks down his simple product philosophy and how focusing on design and UX created a product users love. Grab the Black Friday deal → https://www.starterstory.com/blackfriday?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=anton Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=antonletterly Follow Anton: https://x.com/Samarsky Check out Letterly: https://letterly.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:51 - Black Friday deal! 1:25 - Who is Anton? 1:49 - Numbers behind the business 2:26 - Idea for the app 3:20 - What makes his app different? 4:20 - Build your own simple app 5:00 - Why user experience matters 7:01 - Simple app playbook 8:38 - How Letterly works 10:50 - Tech stack and costs 11:51 - Final advice 13:04 - Your turn to build This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Jack and Nick are two brothers who turned their obsession with breathwork into a niche mobile app. But here's what they did different: they validated their idea with content before writing a single line of code. Build an app with Rocket → https://www.rocket.new/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=starterstory&utm_campaign=3rdintegration Starter Story Build→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=sweeneybrothers Check out Coherence: https://www.coherencebreath.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:26 - Numbers behind the app 1:50 - Brothers backgrounds 3:33 - Create content first 5:45 - Build fast with Rocket 6:46 - Content before Product Playbook 8:30 - Piece of content example 9:19 - Coherence demo 10:24 - Tech stack 10:55 - Costs & margins 11:40 - Advice to founders 12:14 - Build and launch fast This video is an educational case study of these founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Eyal and Yahli Hazan built an app that was stuck at $2K MRR for months. The problem? Their app simply wasn't good enough... So they spent 4 months rebuilding it and after relaunching, they hit over $10K MRR in one week. This video breaks down why distribution isn't everything and how to optimize your product based on data. Join our Black Friday VIP list → https://www.starterstory.com/blackfriday?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=propgpt Build your own app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=propgptvideo Follow Eyal: https://x.com/eyali__ Follow Yahli: https://x.com/YahliHazan 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:04 - Founder & app backgrounds 1:59 - Build process 2:19 - Grab the best deal of the year 2:56 - Initial distribution 3:54 - The breakthrough 4:42 - Starter Story Build 5:35 - How to build a great product 6:49 - Great app playbook 8:13 - Tech stack and tools 8:42 - Costs & margins 9:27 - Advice and lessons 10:10 - Final word This video is an educational case study of these founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Nothing in this video constitutes gambling advice, financial advice, or encouragement to place bets. Viewer discretion is advised. If you choose to gamble, please do so responsibly. Need help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (US).

Pontus Abrahamsson had a crazy idea on his flight to France. And as soon as he landed he called his co-founder and said, "we need to build a directory." So they bought the domain, built the app in 3 hours, posted it, and it went super viral. This video breaks down why directories still work in 2025 and how to design beautiful websites with AI. Join our Black Friday VIP list → https://www.starterstory.com/blackfriday?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pontus Build your own app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pontusvideo Follow Pontus on X: https://x.com/pontusab 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:09 - Special Announcement 2:02: Pontus background 2:31 - What is a directory? 3:13 - How Pontus found the idea 3:50 - Building the MVP 4:41 - How he ships fast 5:27 - Pontus' launch strategy 6:33 - Designing with AI 8:03 - Check out Starter Story Build 9:04 - Are directories dead in 2025? 10:08 - Cursor Directory tool 11:48 - Lean tech stack 12:49 - "start something simple" 13:36 - Final Word This video is an educational case study of one founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Julian Gargicevich discovered a fitness app that was crushing it, but when he tried it, he thought: " Maybe I can build something better." He built his MVP in 2 months, posted it on Reddit, and his app had almost immediate product-market fit. Now his team is at $400K/month with 70K+ subscribers. End AI Analysis Paralysis → https://clickhubspot.com/4d74f4 Build your own app with AI→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=juliangravl Follow Julian on X: https://x.com/julian_gargi 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:09 - Julian's background 2:51 - How he found the idea 4:01 - Building the MVP 4:48 - His first 1,000 customers 5:45 - Learn about AI from the experts 6:55 - Marketing strategy breakdown 7:46 - 5 tips for building mobile apps 9:31 - How the app works (full walkthrough) 12:11- Mobile app teck stack 12:37 - Costs & Margins 13:54 - "Be proud of what you build" 14:55 - Final word This video is an educational case study of one founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Connor Burd is a 23-year-old founder who has built several apps that make $100K/month. He vibe-coded his latest project in just 14 days, and it’s already at $20K/month. This video breaks down his repeatable framework for revenue-first apps, why he only uses Facebook ads to grow, and the exact vibe coding process that lets him build in 2 weeks what used to take him 6-8 months. Build your own app with AI→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=connorburd Follow Connor: https://x.com/busdownbonnor 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:54 - Who is Connor 1:12 - Numbers behind his apps 1:49 - Connor's background 2:46 - The $1M vibe coding process 7:02 - Connor's validation framework 8:12 - $20K/mo marketing playbook 9:57 - The $20K/mo app reveal 11:10 - What made Payout successful 11:46 - Tech stack 12:14 - The key to a successful app 12:49 - The final word

Ania Wysocka experienced a panic attack in university and decided to build a mental health app. Today, Rootd has been downloaded more than 4M times, and has made over $1M! 🛠️ Want to build your own app with AI? Check out Starter Story Build → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=ania Check out Rootd: https://www.rootd.io/ Follow Ania's journey: https://x.com/aniamargaret 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: ‪@StarterStoryBuild‬ 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - Who is Ania & what she built 1:11 - Idea for Rootd 1:51 - How Ania validated the idea 2:40 - Ania's validation framework 3:16 - Building as a non-technical person 4:11 - Building the full app 5:10 - Growth timeline of Rootd 5:38 - Building alongside a 9-5 6:29 - Build your own app 7:10 - Growth: from 0 to 4M downloads 8:42 - Growth hack: being helpful on social media 9:18 - Ania's successful app playbook 10:32 - The most important metric 11:28 - What is Rootd 13:03 - Listen to users 14:26 - The final word

This is how Samuel Rondot built 3 apps that are making a total $35K per month, by copying already successful projects. Discover real-world design inspiration → https://go.starterstory.com/samuel Start your side project using AI today → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=samuelrondot Follow Samuel's journey: https://x.com/samuelrdt 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Who is Samuel Rondot 1:11 - How Samuel taught himself coding 1:58 - Framework for learning coding 2:43 - Samuel's ideation strategy 3:45 - Validating an idea 5:11 - How Samuel copied his apps 6:26 - Discover real-world design inspiration 7:28 - Samuel's businesses breakdown 8:02 - Marketing strategy 9:49 - Tech stack 10:29 - Costs & margins 11:02 - You don't need to innovate 11:34 - How to start building apps 12:55 - Turn your idea into a real-world app

This is how Angus Cheng built a simple tool that makes $40K/month. Extend your startup’s runway → https://go.starterstory.com/angus Build your own AI app→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=anguscheng Follow Angus’ journey: https://x.com/BallerIndustry 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:41 - Who is Angus 0:56 - Coming up with an idea 1:31 - Validating the idea 1:54 - Angus’ ideation framework 2:28 - Building an MVP 3:02 - Angus’ building method 3:34 - From $0 to $40K MRR 3:57 - Angus’ marketing strategy 5:09 - The best bank for startups 6:06 - Team behind the business 6:18 - 9-5 to solopreneur 6:44 - Solorpreneurship pros VS cons 7:51 - Angus’ background 8:20 - Tech stack 8:46 - The biggest lesson learned 9:17 - Successful SaaS blueprint 10:14 - The final word

This is how Lukas Hermann built a simple app to $25,000/month. Build on a growing marketplace → https://go.starterstory.com/lukas Build your own simple app→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=lukashermann Follow Lukas: https://x.com/_lhermann 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:45 - Who is Lukas? 1:19 - Validating idea on Reddit 2:12 - Building MVP 3:08 - Running the business with his wife 4:06 - Lukas’ background 5:15 - Build on a marketplace 6:40 - Growing the app 8:03 - Word of mouth growth 9:09 - Tech stack 9:51 - Costs to run the business 10:18 - How Stagetimer works 11:00 - Why would people pay for this? 11:35 - How he found this idea 12:19 - Lessons learned 12:55 - “Just get started” 13:43 - Final word

This is how Sebastian Röhl built a mobile app to $15K MRR Complete your LLC filing today → https://go.starterstory.com/zenbusiness Learn how to build mobile apps → http://build.starterstory.com/build/ios-bootcamp?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=sebastian Follow Sebastian: https://x.com/SebastianRoehl 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Who is Sebastian 1:49 - Numbers behind HabitKit 2:15 - Building HabitKit 3:30 - Sebastian’s background 5:26 - Launch your LLC the right way 6:36 - Growing HabitKit 7:39 - App Store Optimization 8:40 - How to find and validate ideas 9:22 - Tech stack 10:36 - Cost to run the business 11:15 - Biggest lessons 11:53 - Advice 12:58 - Final Word

This is how Steven Cravotta built a viral iPhone app to over $40,000/month. 📚 52+ Micro-SaaS Business Ideas → https://www.starterstory.com/micro?utm_campaign=stevencravotta&utm_source=youtube Follow Steven's Journey 🐦 Twitter - https://x.com/StevenCravotta 🎥 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@stevencravotta 🎥 Steven's Wordle Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFWQzrBmLyc 🔔 Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

This is the breakdown of how David Bressler went from working a full-time job to building an AI app valued at over $1M in just over 1 year. 📚 52+ Micro-SaaS Business Ideas - https://www.starterstory.com/micro?utm_campaign=davidbressler&utm_source=youtube Follow David 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/bresslertweets 🔔 Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

📚 Make Your First $1 (10x Faster) with Case Studies - https://www.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=brett&yts=true 📩 Business Ideas Newsletter (free) - https://www.starterstory.com/newsletter/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=brett In this episode, I meet up with Brett from DesignJoy so I could ask him how he built a $1.3M per year one-person business WHILE working a 9-5. He reveals the secrets behind his pricing strategy, how he found his idea, and some actionable advice on how anyone can use this special business model to turn a single skill into a $1M/year business. Hope you all enjoy! 0:00 - Intro 0:52 - The $1.3M/year business model 1:24 - How he runs the business 2:06 - Finding the idea & building it 2:59 - Working a 9-5 while building the business 3:23 - Pricing strategy 4:10 - How to build a productized service with one skill 4:52 - Costs & tools 5:19 - Solopreneur marketing strategies 5:58 - How to find ideas & build them fast 6:40 - Starter Story Trial 7:14 - How to get better at design 7:56 - Day in the life / routine 9:10 - Advice for entrepreneurs Follow Brett 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrettFromDJ 🔔Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs