Playbooks

Build a one-feature app in a category that already pays

Before building a phone app, use an app revenue tracker like Sensor Tower to find categories where apps already earn $50K or more a month. Then build a simpler one-screen, one-feature app for the same paying users and copy how the leaders market.

The hard part: finding a short video format and small creators that actually bring installs, then repeating it long after it feels boring.

Setup 2 weeksRuns $30/moYour time Most daysReadiness Readiness 69 out of 100Well documentedHow we score thisNeeds ClaudeSupabase

Who pays

People who already pay for apps in that category pay for yours through an in-app subscription behind a paywall, sold through the App Store or Google Play. StevenCravotta says their app Puff Count, built this way, reached $44K in monthly recurring revenue. its_miro1 reports $5,553 in revenue and $3,141 in monthly recurring revenue in 28 days. Both are the posters' own claims.

How to build it

  1. Sort app categories by revenue

    Open an app revenue tracker like Sensor Tower, sort apps by revenue, and drop anything earning under $50K a month. What is left is a list of categories where people already pay.

  2. Pick a single-feature leader

    Within those categories, look for top apps built around one main feature with a clear hook. Note how they price and where their paywall appears.

  3. Study what competitors already show

    Go through the leaders' app store pages, onboarding, paywalls, videos, creators, and comments. Write down the hooks and calls to action that repeat.

  4. Build one screen, one feature

    Use Claude Code or Cursor to build a simpler version that does the main job well, with quick onboarding, a fast 'wow' moment, and a clear paywall. Use Supabase if you need to save user accounts or data.

  5. Test short video formats

    Post many short videos on TikTok and similar apps, expecting most to fail. When one format works, repeat it with new creators, examples, and openings.

  6. Hire small creators to test

    Make small paid deals with smaller creators, since they are cheaper and faster to test than big ones. Keep working with the few that bring paying users.

Sources on X

  • StevenCravotta · Aug 5, 2026

    StevenCravotta says to go to Sensor Tower, sort by revenue, and filter out everything under $50K a month to get a list of proven markets. The poster says they checked what the top quit-vaping apps were making before building Puff Count, which they say was one screen and one feature and scaled to $44K MRR. That figure is their own claim.

  • HmzBlackwell · Aug 27, 2026

    HmzBlackwell lays out the same method: filter apps making $50K+ MRR, keep only the ones built around a single feature with a viral hook, rebuild it with Claude, then copy their playbook of Meta ads, TikTok organic, and paywall.

  • its_miro1 · Jun 10, 2026

    its_miro1 says they picked a category where apps were already making money, studied competitors, tested content, and used small influencers. The poster reports $5,553 revenue, 8,512 new customers, 246 active subscriptions, and $3,141 MRR in the last 28 days with no paid ads, which are their own figures.

Ideas are curated from public posts and untested by us. Read the full note.