Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Steven Profile picture
@StevenCravotta
Jan 12, 2022 • 9 tweets • 4 min read • Read on X
Here’s how a mobile game I built 5 years ago suddenly got blown up by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Jimmy Fallon.

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 ImageImageImageImage
I built an app called Wordle when I was 18 mostly for fun, to sharpen my coding skillz, and maybe make a quick buck. It didn’t quite take off like my previous app, Grid, did. So after a few months and ~100k total downloads, I stopped updating and promoting the app.
It’s user growth slowly declined to 1-2 downloads a day for the past 4 years…. Until 1 week ago when I logged into my dashboard and was SHOOK at what I saw Image
I figured someone ran a bot script and artificially sent downloads to the wrong app or something. But after a quick google search I realized I was very wrong. As it turns out the very talented developer @powerlanguish created an amazing in browser game called Wordle.
It caught traction and soon major publications started running articles about his Wordle game, but none of them clearly specified that this was an ‘internet browser’ only game, so naturally people went to the AppStore to search Wordle. Low and behold, those people
came across my app, also conveniently named Wordle. My Wordle app has gotten 200,000 downloads in the past 7 days and its not even slowing down yet. I reached out to @powerlanguish to see if we could donate the proceeds I have gotten. Image
I figured we could turn this very strange, once in a lifetime scenario and make it something amazing! Any suggestions on where this money should go would be much appreciated! Preferably a literacy focused non profit / organization.
If you enjoyed this thread please consider giving me a follow and checking out my latest mobile app: PuffCount.com
Can confirm that @powerlanguish and I have decided to donate the proceeds to @BoostOakland! Very excited to support such an amazing program that focuses on literacy for youth! We feel the money will make a real impact here!

Will keep you all updated throughout this process!

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Steven

Steven Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @StevenCravotta

Steven Profile picture
Aug 29
I've seen apps burn $10k on ads and get 500 downloads.

This new fashion app spent $0 and got 17M views + 10k downloads.

Here's exactly how they did it (Copy this to go viral with simple iPhone videos): 👇
The app is called Closetly.

It’s like the Clueless movie, but AI instead of 1995.

You try on outfits virtually inside your closet.

So far, it’s pulling 10k monthly downloads

Here’s what they did smarter than everyone else: Image
Instead of showing the tech, they told stories around it.

Every video starts with a situation:

“My boyfriend HATES my outfits.”

So what happens?

She’s meeting his parents, picks a wild fit. He disagrees.

Then, he pulls out an iPad, opens Closetly, and picks something “appropriate.”Image
Read 10 tweets
Steven Profile picture
Jul 22
95% of apps die before they hit 10k users.

Mine didn’t. I scaled to 1M installs & $44k MRR.

Here’s how I’d get my first 10k users if I had to start from scratch:

🧵👇
When you're starting, growth feels impossible.

You're posting into a void, getting 7 downloads.

I’ve been there.

What you need are repeatable tactics:
1: Post on Reddit

Reddit is insane to get your mobile app off the ground.

Drop your app in the subreddits listed below.

Share your story, not just the link.

This drives real feedback and real users. Image
Read 11 tweets
Steven Profile picture
Jun 19
I built an app, hit $44K MRR, and sold it.

Here’s the exact tool stack to scale without a big team: Image
When building an app, you have different stages and different tools.

Let me walk you through each phase, showing the tools I use:
Phase 1: Research

This is where you come up with the idea for your app.

People love to skip this, so let me make this clear:

Do not skip the Research Phase, here’s why:
Read 18 tweets
Steven Profile picture
Jun 5
Most people think building an app costs lots of money.

But what if I told you you can create an app for under $1,000?

I’ve done it, and I’m sharing the exact process.
I started at 16 with $1,000, no coding skills, and zero experience.

If I can do it, so can you.

Let’s break it down:
There are three methods to build an app on a budget:

1: Acquire an existing app
2: Reskin an app template

Both are super simple, cost-effective, and you can do them as a beginner

Here’s how:
Read 18 tweets
Steven Profile picture
May 26
If your onboarding sucks, your app won't make any money.

I exited 2 mobile apps at 27 because I mastered onboarding.

Steal my $45k MRR onboarding flow:
An onboarding flow is the first experience users have with your app.

So it should turn visitors into paying customers.

Let's start with the first screen:
First, there is a “congratulations screen”

You are reaffirming the good decision your user made.

After this, I have a long onboarding flow by design.

So let’s break it down step by step:
Read 11 tweets
Steven Profile picture
May 9
How I built a $40k/month onboarding flow:

The key is introducing 'positive friction' Image
An onboarding flow is the first experience users have with your app.

My onboarding flow allowed me to turn more visitors into paying customers.

Here is my 40k/mo onboarding flow breakdown:
First, there is a “congratulations screen”

We are reaffirming the good decision that the user made.

After this, we have a pretty long onboarding flow by design

So let’s break it down step by step:
Read 10 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(