Praycreen · B2C · pray-to-unlock phone app
Copy a proven app idea and rebuild it for Christians
~$120K ARR in 5-6 months; first 'Bible focus' app, then 70 copycats
Workedpositioning-nichevalidation
What they did
Noticed the screen-time/focus trend (Opal, One Sec, Screens), downloaded One Sec and saw it just makes you breathe for 3 seconds before opening Instagram yet makes ~$100K/month. Rebuilt the same mechanic for the faith niche he already worked in: block apps and make the user pray to unlock them. It was the only listing for 'Bible focus' at launch.
What happened
Praycreen reached ~$120K ARR in 5-6 months with 60% D30 retention of users praying 4x a day; within 2-3 months about 70 'Bible focus' copycats appeared.
- Stage
- Pre-launch (idea / launch)
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · Lotanna Ezeike - He Built a Simple $120k/Yr App, Then Sold It For Multiple 6 Figures!“And I remember I think it was specifically One Sec, I downloaded the app just to try it. And literally all it does is that you open Instagram, it just says, "Hey, breathe for 3 seconds," and then it opens Instagram for you.”
“I was like, "Okay, cool. The same trend I see, let me just copy that, but for a different industry, and let's see how that works out."”
“Praycreen was the first focus app for Christians. Like so much so that you typed in like "Bible focus," and like the only listing was us.”
Related topics
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More from this episode
- Praycreen: Post shock-value TikToks across 10-12 accounts to get people arguing in commentsEarly comments were angry, then turned to 'I needed this'; main driver of growth
- Praycreen: In videos, flash the app's opening animation, then the main screen and the success screenFounder says it brands the video without showing onboarding; no numbers
- Praycreen: Put well-loved Christian songs under the TikToksViewers commented on the songs; founder says it helped
- Praycreen: Run the TikToks that already went viral as Instagram ads$0.39 best-day CPI, $0.70-0.80 average in the US; one video took 70% of spend
- Praycreen: Give non-payers a free version with an ad before each daily prayer~$0.05 per user per day; ad spend paid back in 14-15 days
- BibleBuddy: Start as a WhatsApp bot before building the appGrew at first, but WhatsApp's ~$0.02 per conversation got too expensive
- BibleBuddy: Run X ads aimed at followers of the 20-25 most famous pastorsHost calls it an underpriced channel; no costs or results given
- BibleBuddy: Earn money only from banner ads, skipping full-screen adsCouldn't crack monetization; founder was wary of charging for faith content
- Magic Music: Build an app around a new AI tool within 4 days of its launch
- Toxic Traits: Show a text that's only arguably a red flag so viewers argue in commentsFounder says the formats worked; 330 videos ready, ads never tested
- Praycreen: Tweet that the app is for sale and take a fast close over top priceBuyers DMed; sold within a week (3 days) to a past BibleBuddy suitor
- Praycreen: Don't translate your apps yourself; leave it as upside for the buyerBuyers usually translate first; founder says it makes the app easier to sell
- Praycreen: Get apps to $5-10K a month, sell them, and take many shotsSeveral exits; buyers and funders now come back to him
- CarSpotr: Grow a simple first app with one TikTok and one Instagram account$8K MRR in about 4 months