Shot Pattern · B2C · golf strategy GPS app
Build an app for something golfers already do by hand
Early trials and paying strangers with little effort, unlike the first app
Workedpositioning-nichevalidation
What they did
Golf coach Scott Fawcett had spent 5+ years teaching golfers to measure fairway width on Google Maps satellite images to plan strategy. Eric, a fan doing this himself, built an app that measures the hole in front of you on the course and shows the strategy analytics in real time, instead of trying to create a new behavior as with his first app.
What happened
Got first downloads and trial starts without much work; people he never interacted with started paying.
- Stage
- Pre-launch (pre-launch / idea)
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · Turning a Side Project into a Six-Figure Subscription Business – Eric Duffett, Shot Pattern“he had this basically system that he was teaching people for at least 5 years prior to the launch of Shot Pattern.”
“that was, yeah, like you said, a huge difference in me trying to force a new behavior upon people to just giving them an easier way to do what they already wanted to do.”
“I didn't have to work that hard to get the first downloads, to see early signs of monetization.”
Related topics
Get tactics like this every Monday
New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from this episode
- Shot Pattern: Post helpful golf tips on X with app screenshots, starting before launchA few trial starts after each helpful post; slow steady growth
- Shot Pattern: Pay $5,000 for golf course data, then dig through it for new featuresFound data for a new expected-value feature that went viral
- Shot Pattern: Tweet a teaser of a feature you are still building25-40K impressions from ~1,000 followers; influencer calls and a buyout offer
- Shot Pattern: Compare your trial numbers to public benchmarks before selling, then say noDeclined $75K; 2024 revenue ~$185K and $500K+ ARR a year later
- Shot Pattern: Add features users already want, then double the price to $75 a yearPrice now ~$75/year; no separate conversion impact reported
- Shot Pattern: Run image-only ads for a couple of weeksAbout break-even; switched to video
- Shot Pattern: Pay golf creators $750-$1,500 per video and run the videos as adsCreator ads were not the winner at first; still used as ongoing ad content
- Shot Pattern: Make a quick screen recording of the app with auto captions and run it as an ad$0.70 installs vs $3.50-4 revenue per download; drove 2024 to ~$185K
- Shot Pattern: Use an interest-free credit card to spend more on ads that pay back2024 revenue ~$185K; founder paid himself $100K
- Shot Pattern: Give golf video creators the app for free and ask them to mention itMany posted once; no numbers given
- Undaunted Golf: Email all 300+ college golf coaches one by one about the appAbout 5 replies: 2 'unsubscribe', 1 hostile, 2 asked for Android
- Undaunted Golf: Try a few Twitter adsDidn't work; founder calls it a weak effort
- Shot Pattern: Answer support for 30 minutes each morning and 30 minutes each night