📑 Executive Intelligence Brief
**Founder Evan Unveils App Success**
In a recent interview with Starter Story, Evan, a young entrepreneur, shared his story of scaling his mobile app, Locked, to $14,000 per month in just four months. Locked is a gamified health and fitness app that helps users stay on task while providing a unique and engaging experience. The app features leaderboards, motivational features, and badges and levels to keep users motivated.
Evan's journey to success began at a young age, with his first foray into entrepreneurship at just 9 years old, when he developed Roblox games. Although he didn't make money from these games, it marked the start of his entrepreneurial journey. He later tested various business models, including drop shipping, reselling, and vending machines, but they all failed. It wasn't until his older brother suggested he get into the app space that Evan found his calling.
Evan's first app, Problem Pal, peaked at $2,000 per month, and he recently sold it. His next app, Clear AI, didn't gain much traction, but a friend's struggle to stay on task and motivated sparked an idea for Locked. With the help of a designer, Evan created the app in just over a month, using a $200 per month Cloud Code subscription and other tools like Figma and Superwall.
To grow his app, Evan partnered with influencers, who promoted Locked to their followers. He worked with creators like Jeremiah Jones, who created a video showcasing the app and its benefits. This content generated around $3,000 in revenue and 1,800 downloads, with approximately 1 million views across all platforms. Evan paid the influencer $800, with a $600,000 minimum view clause.
Evan's growth strategy involved finding influencers in his niche, sending them a standard message, and getting them on a call to discuss a potential partnership. He offered creators one of four deals: a flat rate, a CPM deal, a minimum view clause deal, or a bonus deal. Evan emphasized the importance of closing creators on a profitable deal, with a CPM lower than his RPM.
When asked about his advice to younger entrepreneurs, Evan said, "I would tell myself to worry less about school and put more time into building my business." He emphasized that from a young age, people are often conditioned to follow a traditional path, but he believes that seeing through this early can give you a huge advantage.
The interview also touched on the tech stack used to build Locked, including Figma, Cloud Code, Superwall, and SuperAbase. Evan shared his experience with these tools and how they helped him develop and grow his app.
As Evan's story demonstrates, success in the app space requires a combination of creativity, hard work, and strategic partnerships. With Locked, Evan has created an engaging and motivating experience for users, and his growth strategy has paid off. As the app continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how Evan adapts and evolves his strategy to reach new heights.
In conclusion, Evan's story is an inspiration to young entrepreneurs and a testament to the potential for success in the app space. With the right idea, tools, and partnerships, anyone can build a successful app and achieve their goals. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the opportunities for entrepreneurs to build and grow their own businesses will only continue to expand.