Starter Story

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:

• 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:

• 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

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

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

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!

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

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

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