I Built A $14K/Month App In 4 Months

Measured revenue per 1,000 views of influencer content (RPM ~$2-3) and only closed creators at a lower CPM, typically $1-1.50. Example: Jeremiah Jones, whose motivational content about 'staying locked in' matched the app, was paid ~$800 with a 600,000-minimum-view clause; if views fall short he posts more videos until he hits it. The app appears within the first 15 seconds. If a deal converts, move the creator to a bigger deal. Influencers were the only growth channel; no paid ads.

Search a niche-related term on Instagram or TikTok, scroll the videos, open creator accounts, and send every creator the same message, always starting with 'Paid promo?'. Get interested creators on a call and close them on a deal where their CPM is below your RPM.

Four deal types: (1) Flat rate, e.g. $500 for one reel or $1,200 for four; only for creators who consistently get enough views to hit your target CPM. (2) CPM deal: $1-2 per 1,000 views, always with a cap (e.g. $500 even if the video gets 10M views). (3) Minimum-view-clause deal: e.g. $500 for 500,000 views; creator posts more videos until reached. This is the one he almost always uses. (4) Bonus deal: $500 per video plus another $500 if it hits 1M views.

Choose creators whose videos have strong engagement and high-quality comments (sign of a real audience, 'arguably the most important factor') and whose content matches the app's theme, so the integration feels natural. Send video requirements and a contract; require the app shown within the first 15 seconds; give a one-week deadline for the first video; keep working with creators who generate revenue.

Main paywall: $40/year with a 3-day free trial, or $7/week. If the user closes or escapes it, a 'transaction abandoned' paywall appears offering $20/year. Paywalls run on Superwall, used for A/B testing.

Rather than 'another boring habit tracker', Locked makes users pick a character at onboarding, awards 100 XP per completed task, and adds levels, badges, all-time/7-day/daily leaderboards and a motivational screen featuring the creator Jeremiah Jones.