Payout · B2C · class-action settlement finder app
Ask creators which apps pay them for posts, then build one of those
Led to Payout, a not-very-unique app now at ~$45K/month
Workedvalidationmarket-selection
What they did
Ask the creator which apps already reach out to them for brand deals; any of those is an idea that works for that audience. Also browse the App Store in the category for what's doing well, and check TikTok for trends. Come up with a handful of concepts (e.g. a daily financial-tip widget, like daily quote widget apps) and pick the one trending best. For Payout he chose a class-action settlement finder: 'nothing too crazy unique', set apart only by storing no data and offering mail-in forms. No need to invent anything unless you're chasing a billion-dollar app.
What happened
Chose Payout, a known category with a couple of competitors, which reached ~$45K/month.
- Stage
- Pre-launch (ideation)
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · Connor Burd - This 23 Yr Old Genius Makes $1M/Year with No-Code Apps. Here's How“A lot of these influencers are already getting brand deals from apps. So, I would say like you could ask them what apps are reaching out to you.”
“So, like when I was looking around for the Payout app, I was looking around on the App Store. I was like, okay, what's doing well? I was looking around on TikTok and I was like, what kind of trends am I seeing on TikTok?”
“It's basically like a class-action lawsuit discovery app. Um there's like a couple of them out there. It's nothing too crazy unique.”
Related topics
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New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from Payout
All 21 Payout tactics- Reuse the hook of your best sponsored video to promote your own appRemake got ~500K views, ~20K comments and $5K+ in subscriptions
- Film a skit asking a sued company for your cut, then show the stepsFirst skit video made ~$10K+ in revenue; one of only two money-making formats
- Ask viewers to comment 'claim' and auto-DM them the app linkAbout 50% of people who comment click the link; 6.7% of downloads pay
- On TikTok and Shorts, cut the call to action and name the app in a pinned comment'Link in bio' didn't work on YouTube; shorter videos without it hold viewers better
- Give a big creator half the app: you build it, they post the videosTook the app from zero to ~$100K/month, mostly from the creator's own videos
- Build your own version of an app that offered you a lowball sponsorshipThe first idea tried took off; app reached ~$100K/month
More from this episode
- Payout: Give a creator part of the app, then build it for their followers~$45K/month almost entirely from influencer posts; partner drove 35K+ clicks
- Payout: Show a creator five app mock-ups for their audience and let them chooseSettled on one idea, which became Payout; founder says most creators find this appealing
- Payout: End each video with 'comment claim and I'll send you the app'9,400 comments on a 288K-view video; about as many downloads as organic
- Payout: Give each creator link its own App Store page to see what drives installsShowed ManyChat and organic installs are about even
- Payout: Post every creator video on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and FacebookInstagram beats TikTok; YouTube similar (206K views) with a download spike; Facebook minor
- Email big creators instead of DMing them; find addresses on their YouTube pageBetter replies from self-managed creators; an April email led to a deal months later
- Payout: Pay creators with 500K-1M followers about $1,500 per video
- Payout: Read a creator's comments: pick ones whose fans ask personal questions
- Pick niches between broad and tiny, aiming for $30K-$200K a month
- Hand an idle app to a big fitness creator: their photos, 60-70% of the app
- RidePal: Sign niche creators to equity deals before launch and launch on their accounts10,000+ downloads on day one; tens of thousands of active users