Just reached 100$ MRR with my app
[This article has been originally published on our development blog here]
I've been toying around with AI for a while and published an app that aimed to be what ChatGPT is but with iOS native, with more character, that included a built-in prompt list, etc since I thought it was lacking from the real ChatGPT website.
And it just reached 100$ monthly recurring revenue ๐ Last month it was at 25$ MRR so it is a 400% increase ๐คฉ
Super stoked and proud! I've constantly updated it and I believe my app has the smoothest user experience of them all. Just like ChatGPT (but without the downtimes and the high cost ๐) it can display code, tables, lists, etc. We also provide 30 free messages per month so people can try what AI is capable of without having to pay a cent.
I also developed a Twitter bot that replies to tweets of people she follows and replies when you @ her. She gathered over 350 followers and more then 25k profile visits so far which is impressive. It's also an interesting way to do "automated content marketing"
I do have a question for the community though. I'm trying to get into content marketing, posting in groups to get more people to try the app, and finding a good target audience, etc. but it has been such a rocky road.
An ai chatbot is such a general audience kind of thing that it gave me multiple headaches because of how broad the potential audience can be. I still can't find a niche to attack with it. Current users demographics are all over the place so. Subscribers are literally ranging from 21 years old to 65 ๐คฏ where should I start? Anything good to read about content marketing on social networks?
That's it for today folks! Thanks for reading and NEVER give up. Anything is possible when you're bootstrapping your own projects. Let's go! ๐
I'm open for questions if any aspiring developer or AI enthusiasts have any ๐ซก
If you want to follow my journey, I build in public on Twitter at BuildWithTom and you can check out my app here.
Indie hackers selling to indie hackers?
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Thanks!
Congrats!
Thanks!
Congrats man! this is a big achievement.
Super happy about it, thanks!
Congratz!
Thanks Mike!
Congratulations! You are doing a great job!
Thanks so much!
Congratulations this is awesome
Thanks Alex!
Congrats Tom, You champ!
I really like that you are taking simple concepts and then crushing the execution!
Are you interested in bring Aiva further?
(FYI copy/paste from Twitter ๐ )
Thanks so much! ๐ฅฒ I really appreciate!
I wanted to make the base of the app as good as it can be and I think now the foundation are very solid with the upcoming update. Next major update will contain multiple conversation support with search, folders, etc. so I can attack the angle of being a "better native ChatGPT client for iOS".
Then I might introduce more tools for content writers, allow users to save their own prompts so they can easily reuse them, etc. that's in the plans but I'm still studying WHO subscribes to see what added value I can bring to them and see if I can bring in more subscribers like them and develop on top of that newly found niche but that's the big challenge with that project so far. The product has such a broad audience it's hard to tailor the app to an audience.
I'm getting there ๐ I'm happy with the progress, I had a slow month last month but this month is much better, I'm also getting better at marketing because the meme is real "adding features won't bring in users, marketing will" ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
Learning everyday, it's been an interesting journey and a great motivator. Being part of #buildinpublic also really helps. It's nice to see all of us hustling everyday.
Congratulations on your app's success! It's great to see your hard work and dedication pay off. As for your question about content marketing, targeting a specific niche can be challenging, especially when your audience is broad. One approach could be to focus on the benefits of your app for different industries or use cases, such as customer service or education. You can also consider partnering with influencers or creating targeted ads on social media platforms. There are many resources available on content marketing, including blogs, podcasts, and courses. Some popular ones include Hubspot, Neil Patel, and Moz. Best of luck with your continued success!
Thank you for your advice Steven! I'm starting to draw a better picture of my audience but it's still quite the challenge. I'll take a look at the resources you've suggested. I'll try surveying my subscribers. So far I've been trying various small ad campaign just for discoverability but it's been all over the place. I'll get there hehe
Good work and congrats keep it going!
Thanks Josh!
Great work. I love your story! I am working on something similar, android, hope you can have a look. I am not a programer, just a doctor, trying to get an idea out! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mdapp.ai
That's actually a good idea! I think AI could be a good addition to medical apps. As long as your users are aware that the AI can sometimes "hallucinate" and give questionable/unreliable advice I think it should be fine. I've had a similar idea in the past where users seeking medical advice could talk to an AI advisor first before actually talking to a real specialist. A good way to pass a first filter through the patients and see if they really need expert's help. Keep it up, I think that's a good idea and thanks for your compliment, I appreciate!
I would check your app but I don't have an iphone, thanks for checking the app. It kinda stops hallucinating and tells users to see a doc for any issues. I think if you don't stress with too many variables, it's ok for curated information. But I am just pretending to be a programer. Lol. The app is more like Frankenstein's monster. ๐
I have another app that has 1k signups, mostly doctors, I kinda made a clinic for them, AI powered. ๐ If only I can figure out how to make it work. I also added a pharma market so it really becomes like a doctor's office. It's on the left menu in home screen, not functional. I do need help launching it on iphone. Hope to build it someday. Thanks for replying, validation helps as I don't have many downloads, and there is an option to get a free consult (no prescriptions) from a real doctor as well, just generates an email, but it's an option to talk to a real doctor for free. No takers. Lol. Many thanks again!
My pleasure! I understand the struggle but I think you're doing it the right way. It's okay to have a Frankenstein of an app at the beginning until you validate your idea etc. Seems like you're doing pretty well! I think there's a very lucrative and popular niche there and you seem to be using the right angle. Keep it up and let us know more about it as you progress!
Hi, many thanks for the encouragement. I have to make a business plan/pitch deck now. I seriously suck at those. Lol. Any links, one on one lessons? Haha. Dire straits
I think youโll see more precise niche to attack with after some grow a little bit later.
More subscribers will give you more understanding of target audience. So just wait a little while.
Good point! That's how I feel too. The more I hear from my subscribers the more I'm starting to have a better picture of who the target audience is. I'll keep an eye open. Thanks!
Congrats on the success so far! Not sure on the content part, but, since you can really niche down to anything, I would try to focus on a market that you know spends money, maybe that would be finance for example. Every niche needs content marketing, so try one, set your bot out and see what happens.
Thanks for the suggestion, I like the angle and will surely consider it!
Any guidance on how you went about building the Twitter bot?
What you doing about the marketing?
Congrats!
I just opened a Twitter account too, want to build in public as well.
How did you get so many followers?
Thanks Daniel! I'd say just be constant. I schedule tweets for when I'm not awake, I use a tool to retweet my own tweets every few hours so that people from all timezones see them. I interact with as many people as I can, including people outside my circle ie. I go on #buildinpublic and I look at newcomers and try to provide feedback and support so I develop connections and we follow each other, etc. Just treat it as an important part of your day. I use to see "programming" as the main thing in my day and treat marketing and networking as a "side" then I realized that it as important or even more than the development time. Hope this helps, keep it up!
greate work! congrats
Thank you! ๐
GOOD