I cloned 3 apps and now make $35K/month

Never build something that isn't already successful or getting traction. Main idea source: X, in solopreneur / indie hacker / build-in-public circles. Filters: (1) traction: founders sharing MRR or Stripe screenshots; (2) traffic sources in Ahrefs: ads plus SEO is the best sign and easiest to copy, SEO-only is slower; (3) simple enough to build and maintain, no complex backend; (4) he'd use and like it himself; also that they aren't spending thousands on marketing, which signals true demand. Then build an MVP in about two weeks and make it slightly better.

Saw a post from a founder of a tool automating faceless video posting to YouTube/TikTok with strong numbers. Checked build difficulty and traffic: all traffic came from Facebook ads, which he reasoned could be replicated in a week since ads deliver traffic as soon as they start. Built the tool and launched Facebook ads right away.

Every product starts with ads on Google or Meta depending on the product (sometimes one works better, sometimes the other), as the fastest way to validate and test the market. Launch as soon as possible with the minimal product, skipping boring SaaS parts like password reset and settings pages; finish the product once customers arrive daily.

As soon as ads show traction, moves to SEO. Uses Ahrefs for SEO analysis and AI article tools that write and auto-post articles to the blog: first SEOpital, now Outrank.so. Also values SEO traffic if he ever sells a tool.

Uses faceless YouTube channels (also TikTok and Instagram) to grow his apps, and built a StoryShort feature for it: it automatically publishes a daily UGC-style video about your product. Several channels can each talk about the product every day on autopilot.

Affiliate program on all three apps, especially StoryShort. Affiliates make YouTube videos and write articles about the product, which brings customers at a fixed cost per customer and SEO results, and people share more when they earn a commission. Commission terms not stated.