Last update: Sept 5th, 2024

FAQ

Intro

I’ve been receiving the same questions repeatedly, so being true to my programmer’s calling, I’ve decided to automate it and write down all the Q&A.

Personal Questions:

App Development and Deployment:

App Store Optimization (ASO):

Revenue Generation:

Idea Generation:

Further Interaction:

Extra Resources:

Are you doing this full-time? Are you building it solo?

Yes and yes. I started in mid-2023, and since then, I’ve been fully focusing on building a portfolio of mobile apps and websites.

What’s your background?

I’ve been building mobile apps since 2013, mostly working for startups and trying my own products every now and then, but always failing. A few years ago, I learned Flutter and released my first iOS app. In 2023, I learned SwiftUI and built my first native iOS apps. Jetpack Compose (Android)/Flutter/SwiftUI now use a declarative framework for building the UI, so it’s easy to switch between them. I mostly use Flutter now to quickly build MVPs.

2023 is also the year (aft er 10 years) when I finally figured it all out and started making internet money.

Why I’m not sharing my apps

Simply put, Twitter is not my target audience. There is no benefit to advertising them on Twitter, but there are downsides because I’m sharing my private metrics. Also, external traffic from Twitter would affect my A/B testing and ASO negatively. I might be open about my apps someday in the future, but I don’t feel like it yet.

Why are you sharing your metrics?

I didn’t think much about it when I started. I simply started to post about my endeavour and my following grew quickly. I’ve received many DM’s and comments with words of support. You’ve found my journey and insights entertaining, helpful and inspiring, so I keep going.

How long did it take you to build up to a portfolio of 13+ apps?

Around 4-6 months. I’ve been a mobile developer since 2013, so building fast is not a challenge. The most succesful apps (so far) took me only few days to build, so more complex apps doesn’t necessairly mean that it will be more succesful.

How much time does it take for an app to be built and deployed?

It really depends on the app. Sometimes it’s a few days, sometimes up to 2 weeks. I feel like I’m quite efficient :)

How much does it cost to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store?

Google Play: $25 one-time fee. App Store: $99 per year.

What tools are you using to do ASO?

I use regular App Store/Google Play apps for browsing and market research.

For tracking and keyword research, I use Astro daily. There are other tools such as ASO Suite, but I track too many keywords and apps to justify its subscription. Astro is cheaper, but it works only locally, so that’s a downside. Astro also seems to provide better keyword suggestions which is handy during the market research.

AppFigures and Appmagic.rocks are also handy, but I’m not paying for them and I don’t need most of their features, and they are too expensive.

For browsing multiple App Stores simultaneously, I use ASO by 2Stable.

Fnd.io comes in quite handy sometimes as well.

For research and sentimental analysis I use my own tool ReadReviews.dev

How do you get users to the app?

100% through the App Stores organically. I don’t do paid promo/ads. At least not yet.

How much time do my apps need to be somewhat successful?

Around 3-6 months. It takes time for ASO to start working. The most successful ones are still growing, but it’s because I keep improving both product and marketing metrics.

What is the most effective way to generate revenue for a mobile app - through in-app purchases, subscriptions, or monetization?

It really depends on the app. Can your app justify a subscription? Is it providing recurring value? If not, then I’d suggest one-time purchases. Will it bring the most revenue? It depends on the app; you’d have to test it yourself. Many developers leverage weekly subscriptions to generate the most revenue, but I’m not supporting this because there is a significant percentage of people that simply forget about their subscriptions.

Where do you take your ideas from?

I’m no longer trying to come up with a brilliant, unique idea. I mostly observe my competition and look for ways to improve what’s already on the market. With 10 years of experience, it’s easy for me to spot what can be improved, so I usually build quick MVPs and see how the market reacts.

How can you be better than the competition? Offer a better product, better pricing, target different needs that competitors didn’t fill up, etc.

More questions?

Tag me on Twitter @filippkowalski or join our Telegram group. I do read all the DMs, but I don’t always respond as at this point there are too many of them, and I simply don’t have time to answer your questions in detail. If you DM me I might add your question to this FAQ.

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I’m not sending anything yet, but I might in the future. You can be the first one to read it. Subscribe here.

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