StartUp / Startup Ecosystem
Monitor startup ecosystem trends, innovation hubs, founder activity and emerging business opportunities through structured startup briefings.
My mobile app made $800K in 365 days
Topic
Building a successful mobile app
Key insights
- Louis built a makeup app called Glow Up
- Glow Up allows users to try makeup looks with AI
- The app generates around $15,000 per month
- Glow Up grew from 0 to 100,000 users in three days
- The app generated a total of $800,000 in revenue
- Louis studied TikTok comments to find a real problem to solve
Perspectives
Interview on app development and marketing strategies.
Louis
- Built multiple apps before achieving success with Glowup
- Studied TikTok to identify user needs before app development
- Achieved rapid user growth by leveraging TikTok content
- Utilized a subscription model for revenue generation
- Emphasized the importance of engaging content for app downloads
- Advised on using trending hashtags to find niche markets
Pat
- Acknowledged the impressive revenue generated by Glowup
- Questioned Louis about his background and app development process
- Encouraged sharing specific examples of successful TikTok videos
- Highlighted the importance of understanding the apps tech stack
- Facilitated discussion on the costs and profit margins of the app
Neutral / Shared
- Discussed the apps features and user engagement strategies
- Mentioned the partnership with Zero for accounting solutions
- Explored the significance of content creation in app success
Metrics
revenue
$800,000 USD
total revenue generated by Glow Up
High revenue indicates strong market demand and successful monetization strategy.
it made over $800,000.
monthly_revenue
$15,000 USD
current monthly revenue of Glow Up
Consistent monthly revenue suggests a sustainable business model.
it makes around 15K per month right now
user_growth
100,000 users
number of users gained in three days
Rapid user acquisition reflects effective marketing and product-market fit.
grew from 0 to 100K user in around three days
views
48 million views
total views of a viral TikTok video
High view counts can significantly boost app downloads and sales.
we had this video that got us close to 48 million views
likes
2 million likes
total likes on the viral TikTok video
Likes indicate strong user engagement, which can lead to increased visibility and downloads.
with two million likes
sales
$12.5K USD
sales generated from the viral video in one day
This demonstrates the direct financial impact of effective marketing strategies.
we made around 12.5K in sales in like one day
downloads
60K downloads
total downloads resulting from the viral video
Increased downloads can lead to higher user retention and revenue.
with 60K downloads
profit_margin
around 90%
profit margins for the app
High profit margins indicate strong financial health and potential for reinvestment.
Our profit margin are around 90%.
Key entities
Timeline highlights
00:00–05:00
Louis leveraged TikTok insights to create Glow Up, resulting in rapid user growth and significant revenue generation.
- Louis built a makeup app called Glow Up
- Glow Up allows users to try makeup looks with AI
- The app generates around $15,000 per month
- Glow Up grew from 0 to 100,000 users in three days
- The app generated a total of $800,000 in revenue
- Louis studied TikTok comments to find a real problem to solve
05:00–10:00
By leveraging popular TikTok hashtags and posting strategies, user engagement increases, leading to significant revenue growth for the app.
- Look at the biggest hashtags on TikTok to find a niche
- Post content once a day initially, then increase to six times a day as engagement grows
- Add a download now button to videos that are getting good views
- Create multiple accounts to post more videos and increase revenue
- User engagement can be boosted by encouraging sharing codes in the comments
- The app Glow Up app allows users to try makeup looks based on personalized questions
10:00–15:00
The app's high profit margins and manageable costs enable sustainable growth, attracting more users and increasing revenue potential.
- Favorite tech for MVP is FlutterFlow, a Flutter-based local software
- Uses Firebase and Google Cloud Functions for backend
- Payment processing is done through Superwall
- Event tracking is managed with Mixpanel
- Profit margins for the app are around 90%
- Monthly backend costs are about a thousand dollars