This is the story of how a $3M/year business got its first 100 paying customers. Every tactic, step by step, so you can do the same. *Get the free $1M Solopreneur MVP guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/vgk Follow Joseph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhylee/ Check out Supademo: https://supademo.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - The $3M SaaS 1:29 - App overview and data 2:30 - Founder background 3:38 - Early app validation 4:30 - First 100 customers (part 1) 6:35 - Find your $1M MVP 7:32 - First 100 customers (part 2) 8:03 - Do things that don't scale 9:08 - Be everywhere your users are 10:00 - What early saas founders get wrong 10:52 - App demo 12:38 - Tech stack 13:23 - One piece of advice 14:09 - Pat's reflections

Tom was an IT admin doing the most tedious job imaginable. Nobody was solving it, so he built the solution himself. Now it makes $60K/month with 1,000+ customers. This is his exact playbook for finding and building in boring niches. Get compliant: https://www.vanta.com/lp/demo-1k?utm_campaign=1k_offer&utm_source=starter-story&utm_medium=paid-partner *Free database → 190+ micro-SaaS ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/kdm Follow Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mahony/ Check out Pckgr: https://intunepckgr.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Riches in (boring) niches 1:32 - Business Overview 2:10 - Coming up with the idea 3:05 - Finding first customers 4:37 - Make sure your app is compliant 5:24 - How to find a niche saas idea 7:11 - Hundreds of micro-saas ideas 7:57 - Boring saas demo 9:08 - Doesn't have to be fancy! 9:30 - Tech stack 9:59 - Final piece of advice (Just Start) 10:59 - Pat and Gus reflections 11:39 - Start building your idea

Jacky was making $500K/month. Then AI and Google's algorithm updates wiped out nearly everything. This is how he rebuilt to $250K/month across 13 different businesses... and the one distribution strategy that made the comeback possible. *Get our free guide to find a $1M business idea:* https://clickhubspot.com/emx Follow Jacky: https://x.com/indexsy Check out his projects: https://jackychou.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Don’t focus on just one thing 1:46 - Business breakdowns 2:31 - Jacky’s background 3:07 - AI almost killed his business 4:03 - Find your next idea 4:40 - The platform that saved his business 5:37 - YouTube strategy overview 6:12 - How to get started on YouTube 8:50 - Diversify your revenue 9:28 - Pat and Gus reflections

Ben makes $17K/month from a SaaS he grew without ads, going viral, or being creative. His strategy: make the same video over and over again. This is his full breakdown. *Free database → 190+ micro-SaaS ideas making millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/gdv Follow Ben: https://x.com/iambenleavitt Check out FollowBuddy: https://followbuddy.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - I dare you to try this strategy 0:44 - Business stats and data 1:55 - Founder background 2:36 - Finding the business idea 4:08 - How he gets customers 5:37 - Find YOUR micro-saas idea 6:30 - The YouTube Search playbook 12:22 - What if I don't have experience? 13:00 - How FollowBuddy works 13:51 - Tech stack 14:17 - Advice for non-technical founders 15:08 - Move fast on small ideas 16:02 - Pat and Gus reflections 17:29 - Build your idea!

While everyone else fights over iOS, 92% of Steve's mobile app revenue comes from Android. This is his exact playbook. *Get our free Mobile App Growth Cheat Sheet:* https://clickhubspot.com/dkn Follow Steve: https://x.com/stevehoyek Check out Journable: https://www.journable.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Everyone is sleeping on Android 1:05 - Founder intro 1:25 - Business overview and metrics 2:40 - Finding the idea for Journable 3:54 - Android vs iOS 5:42 - Growth overview 6:56 - Google ads strategy 7:38 - Ad example 8:43 - Mobile app growth tactics 9:16 - The Android playbook 14:11 - Android app ideas 16:44 - How Journable works 18:05 - Tech stack 19:07 - Start documenting your journey 20:31 - Pat and Gus reflections: what we learned

Evan built a mobile app and scaled it to $14K/month in just 4 months. And he did it with just ONE strategy. This is his exact playbook for building a successful mobile app in 2026. *Get our free Organic Short Form Playbook:* https://clickhubspot.com/sml Follow Evan: https://x.com/EvanYadegari Check out Locked: https://trylocked.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. We received signed permission from Evan's parent/guardian for him to appear on this channel. Chapters: 0:00 - Meet the kid making $14K/month 1:29 - What’s your story? 1:45 - App overview and metrics 2:39 - Founder background 3:36 - Build timeline 4:05 - Growth strategy overview 4:43 - Influencer content example 5:30 - Data behind the content 6:27 - Organic Short Form Playbook 7:19 - The Influencer Playbook 9:17 - How the app works (Locked demo) 10:01 - App tech stack 10:32 - Advice to other founders 11:24 - Pat and Gus: what did you think?

Most app founders launch in silence. Umberto made $120K in 24 hours from an app that wasn't even finished. This is his exact launch playbook. *Free Course: Ship your first iOS app in 7 days* https://clickhubspot.com/gfd Follow Umberto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/umberto-mezzadra-a6a77113/ Check out Floga: https://floga.io/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - The fastest way to validate your idea 1:19 - What's your story? 1:44 - App breakdown and stats 2:35 - Coming up with the app idea 4:30 - Lifetime Deals Strategy 6:44 - Build your own iOS app 8:18 - The email launch sequence 11:37 - How to have a great launch (playbook) 15:22 - Are lifetime deals bad? 17:44 - Floga app demo 18:48 - Tech stack 19:14 - Stop waiting for perfection 20:08 - Pat and Gus reflections: our takeaways

Nevo built an open source SaaS called Postiz. Over the past few years he has gotten over 25K GitHub stars and grown the app to over $17K MRR. This video breaks down how to market open-source projects in 2026 and beyond. Book a demo with Delve → https://delve.co/book-demo?utm_source=starterstory&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=primary-jan-28-26 Grab the niche communities playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=nevo Build your own app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=nevo1 Follow Nevo: https://x.com/wickedguro Check out his app: https://postiz.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:58 - Niche Communities Playbook 1:40 - Who is Nevo? 2:14 - Business Analytics 4:06 - Founder Background 5:14 - Get Compliant with Delve 6:22 - Why Open Source is a Great Opportunity 10:31 - Open Source Playbook 16:07 - Niche Open Source Communities 17:15 - How the App Works 19:05 - Tech Stack 20:39 - Advice for Open Source 22:04 - Pat's Final Word

Romàn Czerny runs a SaaS that makes $34K per month. And much of his early growth is thanks to a genius Reddit strategy. This video is a focused, tactical Reddit playbook: the templates that work, how to avoid getting banned, and how to turn Reddit into a consistent revenue channel for your app. Subscribe to The Hustle → https://clickhubspot.com/8abd40 Grab the niche communities playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=roman Build your own app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=roman1 Follow Roman: https://x.com/romanbuildsaas Check out his app: https://gojiberry.ai/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:01 Grab the Reddit playbook (free) 00:01:33 Who is Roman 00:02:03 App dashboard and analytics 00:03:05 Founder background 00:03:52 How Reddit impacted the business 00:04:30 Example of Reddit post 00:05:39 Check out the Hustle (sponsor) 00:06:37 Why a Reddit post goes viral 00:07:48 The complete Reddit playbook 00:10:29 Handling haters on Reddit 00:11:49 How his app works 00:12:39 Marketing tech stack 00:13:41 Final advice 00:14:14 Pat and Gus reflections 00:16:09 CHeck out Starter Story Build

Ayush built Elphas, an AI app that’s making $150K/year. He grew the business in two phases: Phase 1 was Reddit and Phase 2 was SEO. This video breaks down his exact Reddit playbook and his SEO strategy, that helped him go from zero to $150K/year in just a few years.Grab the niche communities playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=ayushBuild your own app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=ayush1Follow Ayush: https://x.com/ayushtweetshereCheck out his app: https://elephas.app/🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobsThis video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Sam Adeniyi used Discord to validate and launch his first saas and now it makes $14K MRR (built entirely with ChatGPT + Cursor). This video breaks down how he used Discord to validate his idea and how knowing a niche community lets you build the perfect product. Learn how to find customers like Sam → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-communities?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=algrow Join an upcoming Starter Story Build Bootcamp → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=algrowsam Follow Sam: https://x.com/samgrows Check out Algrow: https://algrow.online/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Lara just launched an AI writing tool for LinkedIn. They made $30K in 4 days, and went from $0 to $60K/month in less than 2 months. The secret? The Kleo Launch Playbook. This video breaks down exactly how they built up hype for their app, launched to a private beta, and hit $30K MRR in just a few days. Grab the personal brand playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-personal-brand?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=larakleo Join an upcoming Starter Story Build Bootcamp → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=kleo Follow Lara: https://x.com/Laraacostar Check out Kleo: https://kleo.so/ This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Bhanu built SiteGPT and he’s grown it to $13K/month. But here's the thing... he's a builder, NOT a marketer. In this video, we'll dive into how Bhanu used his building skills to get thousands of views on his product (for free). Join an upcoming Starter Story Build Bootcamp → https://build.starterstory.com/select-plan?promo=BHANU&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=bhanu Follow Bhanu: https://x.com/pbteja1998 Check out SiteGPT: https://sitegpt.ai/ This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Hassam is a non-technical founder who built his app 100% with AI. Then he hacked distribution by using someone else's audience to share his work. This video breaks down his distribution strategy that helped him his $25K MRR in 90 days Build an app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=hassam Follow Hassam: https://x.com/hasaamb This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Over the past year, Rob Hallam has been furiously building in public on X/Twitter. He posts every day and has grown his app to over $10K/month. In this video, Rob breaks down his build in public playbook and how anyone can use the power of the internet to build their own successful saas. Grab the Personal Brand Playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-personal-brand?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=rob-build-playbook Build an app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=robhallam Follow Rob: https://x.com/robj3d3 Check out SuperX: https://superx.so/

Alejandro and Mario built Pushscroll: a fitness app that's making $30K/month. But they took an entirely different approach. This story is about a new way to build apps: where your first MVP isn’t code, it’s content. Get the Content-First Playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-validate-app-idea?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pushscroll-playbook Build an app with AI → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pushscroll Follow Alejandro: https://x.com/skyirezumi Founder Mario: https://x.com/null_deref

Louis built a mobile app that made $800K in 1 year. And he did it all by posting on TikTok for $0. This video breaks down how he did it and why this works. Get 90% off Xero for 6 months using this link. Terms & Conditions apply → https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/StarterStory_mobileapp Get the TikTok Playbook → https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-organic-short-form?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=louis-david-short-form Follow Louis: https://x.com/LouisDavidPH Check out GlowUp: https://www.useglowup.app/

This is the story of how Ivan built an AI agent and the specific steps he took to grow it to $10K MRR. *Get the free guide to make money with AI Agents:* https://clickhubspot.com/mgh Follow Ivan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-nedlekovski/ Check out Lancer: https://www.lancer.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Zero to $10K MRR 1:18 - Founder and App overview 2:32 - Ideas and opportunities 5:31 - Build your own AI agent 6:41 - Growth strategy and tactics 9:30 - His distribution playbook 12:20 - Tech stack and costs 13:36 - Final advice 15:24 - Pat's reflections on the episode

George built a mobile app without writing a single line of code. This video breaks down how he vibe coded his app, his influencer partnership playbook, and how non-coders can build profitable mobile apps using AI tools. Build an iOS app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/the-ios-bootcamp?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=george Follow George: https://x.com/GeorgeLampro20 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Max is a full-time developer who builds apps before and after work. His philosophy is simple: ship fast, don’t get attached, and move on. In this video, we break down his entire process for finding app ideas and shipping them fast. Find your next business idea → https://clickhubspot.com/b2b1ab Ship your next app → https://build.starterstory.com/select-plan?promo=28APPS Follow Max: https://x.com/maks6361

Louis Pereira shipped the MVP of his app in just 12 hours. He got traction and customers on the first day. And today, he’s making over $15K/month from that same app. This is the story of how a regular dude from India changed his life by building and shipping fast. Get 90% off Xero for 6 months using this link. Terms & Conditions apply → https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/StarterStory_theappIbuilt Find an idea to build this weekend → https://www.starterstory.com/weekend?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=audiopen Ship your next app fast → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=audiopen Follow Louis: https://x.com/louispereira Check out Audiopen: https://audiopen.ai/

Tibo runs a portfolio of successful micro-SaaS projects and in this video, we walk through his specific playbook he uses over and over again to launch successful saas companies. Learn how top startups grow → https://clickhubspot.com/c1f798 Build and launch an app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=tibo Follow Tibo: https://x.com/tibo_maker This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Presh has built 3 niche health tracking apps. This video breaks down his philosophy of building for problems you personally experience and why health and wellness niches create sustainable app businesses. Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=presh Follow Presh: https://x.com/preshdkumar Check out The Wellness Company: https://thewellness.company/

Gil is a developer who left the VC-backed world to bootstrap his own app. He has a simple playbook for building apps: pre-sell first and THEN build. In this video, we break down how he bootstrapped his app to over $30K/month Build your own micro-saas → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=gil Follow Gil: https://x.com/gilhildebrand Check out his app: https://subscribr.ai/ We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Loïc has co-founded 3 success SaaS apps using the same playbook. This video breaks down what that playbook is and how he used to to grow his apps to over $35K MRR each. Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=loic Follow Loic: https://x.com/LoicBerthelot Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Loïc Berthelot spent 5 years building failed before he learned an important lesson: start with problems, not solutions. Since then he co-founded 3 success SaaS apps. This video breaks down the playbook he used to build his apps to over $35K MRR each. Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=antonletterly Follow Loic: https://x.com/LoicBerthelot 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Who is Loic? 1:33 - Loic's Apps 2:38 - Background 3:45 - Builder-Creator Partnership This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

David Attias was working in finance when he discovered an app making $200K/month. He thought the app was genius. So he rebuilt it in a different niche, and five months later, STOPPR is generating $12K/month with zero coding background required. This video breaks down David's full app cloning playbook. 🛠️ Want to build your own app with AI? → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=stoppr David's app: https://www.stoppr.app/ Follow David: https://x.com/david_attisaas We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

Anton built a note-taking app that is designed to be simple and easy to use. This video breaks down his simple product philosophy and how focusing on design and UX created a product users love. Grab the Black Friday deal → https://www.starterstory.com/blackfriday?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=anton Build your own simple app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=antonletterly Follow Anton: https://x.com/Samarsky Check out Letterly: https://letterly.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:51 - Black Friday deal! 1:25 - Who is Anton? 1:49 - Numbers behind the business 2:26 - Idea for the app 3:20 - What makes his app different? 4:20 - Build your own simple app 5:00 - Why user experience matters 7:01 - Simple app playbook 8:38 - How Letterly works 10:50 - Tech stack and costs 11:51 - Final advice 13:04 - Your turn to build This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

This is the story of how Miquel grew Late to $40K/month with just one marketing system. *Get compliant:* https://www.vanta.com/lp/demo-1k?utm_campaign=1k_offer&utm_source=starter-story&utm_medium=paid-partner *Get our free guide to find a $1M business idea:* https://clickhubspot.com/ekm Follow Miquel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miquelpalet/ Check out Late: https://getlate.dev/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Zero to $40K in 7 months 0:50 - Need an app idea? 1:09 - App overview 2:41 - Founder background 3:40 - Distribution overview 4:44 - Is your app compliant? 5:44 - Deep dive on Google 6:50 - The SEO (Organic) Strategy 8:00 - The Paid Ads Strategy 9:20 - Find your $1M idea (free template) 10:06 - Google Playbook for 2026 13:28 - Late demo 14:55 - Tech stack and costs 15:21 - Advice to young founders 16:16 - Pat and Gus reflections 17:31 - Is SEO really dead? 19:19 - Time to build your idea!

Jack and Nick are two brothers who turned their obsession with breathwork into a niche mobile app. But here's what they did different: they validated their idea with content before writing a single line of code. Build an app with Rocket → https://www.rocket.new/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=starterstory&utm_campaign=3rdintegration Starter Story Build→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=sweeneybrothers Check out Coherence: https://www.coherencebreath.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:26 - Numbers behind the app 1:50 - Brothers backgrounds 3:33 - Create content first 5:45 - Build fast with Rocket 6:46 - Content before Product Playbook 8:30 - Piece of content example 9:19 - Coherence demo 10:24 - Tech stack 10:55 - Costs & margins 11:40 - Advice to founders 12:14 - Build and launch fast This video is an educational case study of these founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Eyal and Yahli Hazan built an app that was stuck at $2K MRR for months. The problem? Their app simply wasn't good enough... So they spent 4 months rebuilding it and after relaunching, they hit over $10K MRR in one week. This video breaks down why distribution isn't everything and how to optimize your product based on data. Join our Black Friday VIP list → https://www.starterstory.com/blackfriday?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=propgpt Build your own app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=propgptvideo Follow Eyal: https://x.com/eyali__ Follow Yahli: https://x.com/YahliHazan 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:04 - Founder & app backgrounds 1:59 - Build process 2:19 - Grab the best deal of the year 2:56 - Initial distribution 3:54 - The breakthrough 4:42 - Starter Story Build 5:35 - How to build a great product 6:49 - Great app playbook 8:13 - Tech stack and tools 8:42 - Costs & margins 9:27 - Advice and lessons 10:10 - Final word This video is an educational case study of these founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Nothing in this video constitutes gambling advice, financial advice, or encouragement to place bets. Viewer discretion is advised. If you choose to gamble, please do so responsibly. Need help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (US).

Pontus Abrahamsson had a crazy idea on his flight to France. And as soon as he landed he called his co-founder and said, "we need to build a directory." So they bought the domain, built the app in 3 hours, posted it, and it went super viral. This video breaks down why directories still work in 2025 and how to design beautiful websites with AI. Join our Black Friday VIP list → https://www.starterstory.com/blackfriday?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pontus Build your own app → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=pontusvideo Follow Pontus on X: https://x.com/pontusab 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:09 - Special Announcement 2:02: Pontus background 2:31 - What is a directory? 3:13 - How Pontus found the idea 3:50 - Building the MVP 4:41 - How he ships fast 5:27 - Pontus' launch strategy 6:33 - Designing with AI 8:03 - Check out Starter Story Build 9:04 - Are directories dead in 2025? 10:08 - Cursor Directory tool 11:48 - Lean tech stack 12:49 - "start something simple" 13:36 - Final Word This video is an educational case study of one founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Julian Gargicevich discovered a fitness app that was crushing it, but when he tried it, he thought: " Maybe I can build something better." He built his MVP in 2 months, posted it on Reddit, and his app had almost immediate product-market fit. Now his team is at $400K/month with 70K+ subscribers. End AI Analysis Paralysis → https://clickhubspot.com/4d74f4 Build your own app with AI→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=juliangravl Follow Julian on X: https://x.com/julian_gargi 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:09 - Julian's background 2:51 - How he found the idea 4:01 - Building the MVP 4:48 - His first 1,000 customers 5:45 - Learn about AI from the experts 6:55 - Marketing strategy breakdown 7:46 - 5 tips for building mobile apps 9:31 - How the app works (full walkthrough) 12:11- Mobile app teck stack 12:37 - Costs & Margins 13:54 - "Be proud of what you build" 14:55 - Final word This video is an educational case study of one founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

Connor Burd is a 23-year-old founder who has built several apps that make $100K/month. He vibe-coded his latest project in just 14 days, and it’s already at $20K/month. This video breaks down his repeatable framework for revenue-first apps, why he only uses Facebook ads to grow, and the exact vibe coding process that lets him build in 2 weeks what used to take him 6-8 months. Build your own app with AI→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=connorburd Follow Connor: https://x.com/busdownbonnor 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:54 - Who is Connor 1:12 - Numbers behind his apps 1:49 - Connor's background 2:46 - The $1M vibe coding process 7:02 - Connor's validation framework 8:12 - $20K/mo marketing playbook 9:57 - The $20K/mo app reveal 11:10 - What made Payout successful 11:46 - Tech stack 12:14 - The key to a successful app 12:49 - The final word

Ania Wysocka experienced a panic attack in university and decided to build a mental health app. Today, Rootd has been downloaded more than 4M times, and has made over $1M! 🛠️ Want to build your own app with AI? Check out Starter Story Build → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=ania Check out Rootd: https://www.rootd.io/ Follow Ania's journey: https://x.com/aniamargaret 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: ‪@StarterStoryBuild‬ 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - Who is Ania & what she built 1:11 - Idea for Rootd 1:51 - How Ania validated the idea 2:40 - Ania's validation framework 3:16 - Building as a non-technical person 4:11 - Building the full app 5:10 - Growth timeline of Rootd 5:38 - Building alongside a 9-5 6:29 - Build your own app 7:10 - Growth: from 0 to 4M downloads 8:42 - Growth hack: being helpful on social media 9:18 - Ania's successful app playbook 10:32 - The most important metric 11:28 - What is Rootd 13:03 - Listen to users 14:26 - The final word

This is how Samuel Rondot built 3 apps that are making a total $35K per month, by copying already successful projects. Discover real-world design inspiration → https://go.starterstory.com/samuel Start your side project using AI today → https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=samuelrondot Follow Samuel's journey: https://x.com/samuelrdt 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Who is Samuel Rondot 1:11 - How Samuel taught himself coding 1:58 - Framework for learning coding 2:43 - Samuel's ideation strategy 3:45 - Validating an idea 5:11 - How Samuel copied his apps 6:26 - Discover real-world design inspiration 7:28 - Samuel's businesses breakdown 8:02 - Marketing strategy 9:49 - Tech stack 10:29 - Costs & margins 11:02 - You don't need to innovate 11:34 - How to start building apps 12:55 - Turn your idea into a real-world app

This is how Angus Cheng built a simple tool that makes $40K/month. Extend your startup’s runway → https://go.starterstory.com/angus Build your own AI app→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=anguscheng Follow Angus’ journey: https://x.com/BallerIndustry 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:41 - Who is Angus 0:56 - Coming up with an idea 1:31 - Validating the idea 1:54 - Angus’ ideation framework 2:28 - Building an MVP 3:02 - Angus’ building method 3:34 - From $0 to $40K MRR 3:57 - Angus’ marketing strategy 5:09 - The best bank for startups 6:06 - Team behind the business 6:18 - 9-5 to solopreneur 6:44 - Solorpreneurship pros VS cons 7:51 - Angus’ background 8:20 - Tech stack 8:46 - The biggest lesson learned 9:17 - Successful SaaS blueprint 10:14 - The final word

This is how Lukas Hermann built a simple app to $25,000/month. Build on a growing marketplace → https://go.starterstory.com/lukas Build your own simple app→ https://build.starterstory.com/build/ai-build-accelerator?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=lukashermann Follow Lukas: https://x.com/_lhermann 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:45 - Who is Lukas? 1:19 - Validating idea on Reddit 2:12 - Building MVP 3:08 - Running the business with his wife 4:06 - Lukas’ background 5:15 - Build on a marketplace 6:40 - Growing the app 8:03 - Word of mouth growth 9:09 - Tech stack 9:51 - Costs to run the business 10:18 - How Stagetimer works 11:00 - Why would people pay for this? 11:35 - How he found this idea 12:19 - Lessons learned 12:55 - “Just get started” 13:43 - Final word

This is how Sebastian Röhl built a mobile app to $15K MRR Complete your LLC filing today → https://go.starterstory.com/zenbusiness Learn how to build mobile apps → http://build.starterstory.com/build/ios-bootcamp?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=sebastian Follow Sebastian: https://x.com/SebastianRoehl 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Who is Sebastian 1:49 - Numbers behind HabitKit 2:15 - Building HabitKit 3:30 - Sebastian’s background 5:26 - Launch your LLC the right way 6:36 - Growing HabitKit 7:39 - App Store Optimization 8:40 - How to find and validate ideas 9:22 - Tech stack 10:36 - Cost to run the business 11:15 - Biggest lessons 11:53 - Advice 12:58 - Final Word

Maddox built a $15K/month gaming website. This video breaks down his exact strategy for driving massive traffic to a simple website. *Learn how the best apps grow →* https://build.starterstory.com/build/playbook-organic-short-form?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=maddox Follow Maddox: https://x.com/_maddox1337 Check out his new project: https://maddoxcloud.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - By the end of the video... 0:45 - Founder Background 1:10 - $15K/month gaming website (stats, revenue) 2:39 - Finding the idea 4:06 - How he built the website 5:10 - Growth strategy with TikTok 6:28 - Math behind a 5M view video 7:29 - Organic short-form playbook 8:33 - Selling the website 9:27 - Website playbook in 2026 10:35 - Tech stack and tools 12:12 - Power of staying consistent 13:01 - What's next? 13:26 - Pat and Gus reflections 15:45 - It's time to BUILD!

This is how Steven Cravotta built a viral iPhone app to over $40,000/month. 📚 52+ Micro-SaaS Business Ideas → https://www.starterstory.com/micro?utm_campaign=stevencravotta&utm_source=youtube Follow Steven's Journey 🐦 Twitter - https://x.com/StevenCravotta 🎥 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@stevencravotta 🎥 Steven's Wordle Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFWQzrBmLyc 🔔 Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

This is the breakdown of how David Bressler went from working a full-time job to building an AI app valued at over $1M in just over 1 year. 📚 52+ Micro-SaaS Business Ideas - https://www.starterstory.com/micro?utm_campaign=davidbressler&utm_source=youtube Follow David 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/bresslertweets 🔔 Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

📚 Make Your First $1 (10x Faster) with Case Studies - https://www.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=brett&yts=true 📩 Business Ideas Newsletter (free) - https://www.starterstory.com/newsletter/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=brett In this episode, I meet up with Brett from DesignJoy so I could ask him how he built a $1.3M per year one-person business WHILE working a 9-5. He reveals the secrets behind his pricing strategy, how he found his idea, and some actionable advice on how anyone can use this special business model to turn a single skill into a $1M/year business. Hope you all enjoy! 0:00 - Intro 0:52 - The $1.3M/year business model 1:24 - How he runs the business 2:06 - Finding the idea & building it 2:59 - Working a 9-5 while building the business 3:23 - Pricing strategy 4:10 - How to build a productized service with one skill 4:52 - Costs & tools 5:19 - Solopreneur marketing strategies 5:58 - How to find ideas & build them fast 6:40 - Starter Story Trial 7:14 - How to get better at design 7:56 - Day in the life / routine 9:10 - Advice for entrepreneurs Follow Brett 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrettFromDJ 🔔Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/@starterstory 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starter_story/ 🐦 X - https://x.com/starter_story 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs

Jonathan Fishner built ChartDB, an open source database visualization tool for developers. This video breaks down how to identify and sell to your ICP, no matter how "small" you think the audience is. *Get our free guide to find a $1M business idea →* https://clickhubspot.com/swt *Build your own niche app →* https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=chartdb Follow Jonathan: https://x.com/jonathanfishner Check out ChartDB: http://chartdb.io/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:46 - Ideas template 1:04 - Founder background 1:35 - What is ChartDB? 2:25 - How to find developer tool ideas 3:55 - Initial growth and marketing 4:51 - Why the hacker news post worked 5:45 - How to find $1M ideas hiding in plain sight 6:36 - Developer Tools Playbook 9:38 - ChartDB demo 10:41 - Tech stack and costs 11:57 - Advice to founders 13:00 - Pat and Gus reflections 15:10 - Build your own niche app

This is the story of how I sold Starter Story :) I'm sharing more about how and why here: https://go.starterstory.com/workshop All love, – Pat & The Starter Story Team

Vikash built Bulkmockup, a Photoshop plugin that makes $12K/month. This video breaks down the three-step content system he uses to grow and get customers on auto-pilot Build your own micro-saas → https://build.starterstory.com/select-plan?promo=TINY&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=vikash Follow Vikash: https://x.com/vikashkprajapat Check out BulkMockup: https://www.bulkmockup.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:13 - BulkMockup overview 1:32 - Business analytics and dashboards 2:13 - Founder background and idea 3:34 - Going from idea to product 4:34 - Content through customer pain 5:25 - Real examples of content 6:40 - Content Flywheel Playbook pt. 1 8:40 - Solve one problem 9:38 - Content Flywheel Playbook pt. 2 11:30 - App Demo 12:48 - Tech Stack 13:33 - Final advice 14:18 - Pat and Gus reflections 16:50 - Build your own app!

Nic built a micro-saas that makes $16K MRR. And he did it by picking a painfully specific niche and solving their whole problem. This video breaks down how even a "small" niche can still get you to $10K/month Make sure your app is compliant → https://delve.co/book-demo?utm_source=starterstory&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=primary-feb-05-26 Build your own micro-saas → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=blogtopin Follow Nic: https://x.com/nikpolale Check out his app: https://www.blogtopin.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Build your own micro-saas 1:27 - Blog to Pin overview 1:50 - Business analytics 3:08 - Founder background 4:38 - Building the micro-saas 5:34 - Make sure your app is compliant (sponsor) 7:29 - Growth channels 9:00 - Finding similar app ideas 9:44 - Micro-Saas playbook 13:05 - App demo 14:26 - Tech stack 14:46 - Advice 15:30 - Pat and Gus chats 16:49 - Ready to build?

Florin Pop is a developer who's made $500K over 6 years – not from one breakout hit, but by stacking dozens of tiny projects. This video breaks down his building framework and why playing the long game with a portfolio of projects beats chasing one big win. Get compliant → https://www.vanta.com/downloads/compliance-for-startups-bundle?utm_medium=paid-partner&utm_source=starter-story&utm_campaign=compliance_for_startups Build your own project → https://build.starterstory.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=florin Follow Florin: https://x.com/FlorinPop17 Check out his projects: https://www.florin-pop.com/one-million/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Build your first project 1:17 - Who is Florin? 1:44 - Different income streams and projects 2:35 - Founder background 3:28 - Make sure your company is compliant (sponsor) 4:39 - Why multiple projects works 6:18 - How to manage multiple projects/apps 7:15 - What it takes to build a successful portfolio 8:19 - Ready to launch your own project? 8:59 - Multi-project playbook 11:31 - Tech stack 12:00 - Final advice 12:34 - Pat and Gus final thoughts 14:53 - Take action!!

Ethan dropped out of college after realizing AI could build in a day what took him a week. 6 months later, his app makes $20K/month. This is his exact playbook for finding, building, and marketing a niche app. *Free bootcamp → Build Your Own Mobile App:* https://clickhubspot.com/wrbj Follow Ethan: https://x.com/aureliuscajigas Check out CutCoach: https://www.cutcoach.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Don't build for anyone 00:01:07 What's your story? 00:01:38 App dashboards and data 00:02:32 Ethan's background 00:03:27 Finding the niche app idea 00:04:30 How he built the app 00:05:15 Learn to build an iOS app 00:06:01 Niche app playbook 00:07:57 Tech stack 00:08:24 App marketing playbook 00:09:35 How he scaled to $20K/month 00:10:45 CutCoach app demo 00:11:45 Advice to younger self 00:12:41 Pat and Gus reflections 00:13:48 Go build your own niche app!

Flo's app was stuck at a few hundred bucks for over a year. Then one partnership changed everything and grew his app to $35K/month. *Get our free organic short form playbook:* https://clickhubspot.com/wsf Follow Flo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-vates-195429244/ Check out MonAI: https://www.get-monai.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Distribution is harder than ever before 00:01:02 What's your story? 00:01:28 App overview and stats 00:02:17 Founder background 00:02:57 How he found the app idea 00:03:45 Distribution overview 00:04:41 How Flo works with the influencer 00:06:58 Influencer example and impact 00:08:31 Learn distribution from successful founders 00:09:26 Influencer marketing playbook 00:14:09 MonAI demo 00:15:30 Tech stack and tools 00:16:30 Flo's final advice 00:18:06 Pat and Gus reflections