LeadMeNot · B2B2C · digital wellness and blocking app
Quietly pitch the app to your own church while it is Android-only
Failed: only two members used Android; waited for iOS and multi-device first
Failedvalidationpartnerships
What they did
In 2021-2022 quietly tested pitching LeadMeNot to the church he attended in Austin while the app was Android-only. The first objection was that only two people in the church used Android. Concluded institutions need a bulletproof product first (iOS plus multi-device, core to accountability software) and paused institutional sales until the product was there.
What happened
The church declined: only two members were on Android. Institutional sales waited until iOS and multi-device were ready.
- Stage
- Early (early, Android-only)
- Effort
- One church conversation
“I quietly tested it in like 2021 and '2, the church I was going to in Austin, and the first question was, "Dude, we have two people in our church on Android." So, I was like, okay, not now.”
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More from this episode
- LeadMeNot: Sell bulk app licenses to universities and churches to give their people5-6 universities and first churches signed in ~6 months; 5-7% of $108K ARR
- LeadMeNot: Pitch Christian universities and churches first, and lead openly with your faithEarly institutional wins are mostly faith-based universities; host calls it the easiest yes
- LeadMeNot: Pitch churches on 'digital wholeness' for their congregation, not porn blockingStill being tested; no numbers yet
- LeadMeNot: Give each organization a code members type in at the paywall for full access150 of 200 licenses redeemed on the spot at a campus talk; ~1 month of dev
- LeadMeNot: Charge organizations through a web payment link and pay 3%, not the app store cutOnly a 3% fee on institutional revenue
- LeadMeNot: Promise buyers a usage dashboard, show a mockup, then quickly build a demoSale closed before the dashboard existed; demo ready by the next meeting
- LeadMeNot: Cold email organizations with your personal story and keep asking for 15 minutesAsbury's 200-license deal and most university deals came from cold outreach
- LeadMeNot: Ask your network, investors and every prospect to introduce you to other buyersOne ministry call produced three intros on the spot
- LeadMeNot: Offer a free 1-2 month pilot to a small group, with success goals agreed upfront3-5 of a 10-man church group found it helpful; elders want it church-wide
- LeadMeNot: Sign organizations for 12 months, and lock the price if they commit for 3 yearsNo renewal data yet; first contracts just signed or sent
- LeadMeNot: Charge early organizations little, to collect logos and stories rather than maximize revenueInstitutions are only 5-7% of ARR so far; partner logos now on the website
- LeadMeNot: Send partner schools ready-made campus marketing materials so students sign up
- LeadMeNot: Bid on a state agency's public request for gambling-blocking softwareAward still pending (decision by October 1)
- LeadMeNot: Put up a hard paywall: monthly with no trial, free trial only on annualSome users paid $100 just to get past it; founder was surprised
- If fewer than 5% of installs start a trial, switch to a hard paywallHost's first move for such clients; niche hard-paywall apps reach 10-20% install-to-paid
- LeadMeNot: Grow an Android-only app with Google ads, then add Apple ads and MetaHost says Google alone hit revenue milestones; no figures; Meta not yet profitable