For the longest time, I’ve wanted to share my indie hacking journey—a journal for myself and others walking the same path. By “indie hacking,” I mean building and growing apps independently. I’m a solo builder designing, coding, and marketing apps end-to-end. This is my space to document my learnings and experiments, as part of my effort to build in public. 

November:

• Highlights:

  • Highest revenue month. 

  • The highest number of monthly app installs to date.

    

• Lowlights:

  • Foco’s launch was lukewarm. Although it received more installs and downloads than the other two apps. However, the app had low or no retention, resulting in no revenue.

• Learnings: 

  • ASO (App Store Optimization)

    • Before November, I thought I knew ASO but realized I had been winging it. I watched only this video and followed the step-by-step instructions. I identified the right keywords and updated them. 

    • I use AstroASO to track all my keywords. It’s a simple, user-friendly tool ($99/year) that’s less overwhelming than others I’ve tried.

    • The result? My keyword rankings improved within weeks. While there was still a long way to go, it was a promising start.

      

  • Ratings:

    • I regret not implementing App Store rating prompts earlier. Previously, I relied on friends and users to leave reviews, resulting in low ratings overall. 

    • However, once I saw the impact of ratings on keyword rankings for Orbitime, I implemented prompts across both the apps. The results have been encouraging.

  • Social media posts:

    • Posting on Twitter and LinkedIn in November led to spikes in downloads whenever a post gained traction. Initially, I attributed this to ASO improvements, but a drop in installs during December (when I posted less) highlighted the value of building in public. These posts are an attempt to double down on that approach.

December:

• Highlights:

  • Launched a new version of Echo. 

  • Converted some old free users into paid users.

• Lowlights:

  • December was slow, with $0 revenue until last week, when the Echo update launched.

  
  

• Learnings:

  • App Store review went wrong

    • When submitting the new Echo version, I included a subscription for review. Apple approved the app but not the subscription. The app was set to be released automatically. 

    • Users saw a paywall with only the Lifetime plan option. My plan to offer old users a discounted yearly subscription fell through and I hastily lowered the Lifetime plan price. In hindsight, rolling back the app version might have been an option as well.

  • Retention is everything

    • Foco had double or even triple the installs compared to Orbitime and Echo, yet it generated $0 in revenue. I was a bit frustrated, unsure why these numbers weren’t translating into anything. 

    • Two pivotal moments helped me see where I was going wrong. 

      • First, a video on growth (link) reminded me that true product-market fit isn’t about downloads but about retention. 

        

      • Second, a conversation with Kushagra drove this point home when he asked, “What’s Foco’s retention like?” That question shifted my perspective. 

      • I realized I had overlooked retention entirely. Orbitime thrives because its widgets are integral to users’ daily routines, while Echo’s strong M2 and M3 retention showed its potential, despite stagnation due to my lack of updates. This clarity pushed me to focus on improving Echo.

What’s new in Echo

• A complete overhaul.

• Introduced Rings to help users stay within limits and eventually quit. 

• Home screen widgets.

• Experimenting with a hard paywall. After watching a podcast episode with Cal AI's founder, I was convinced to try a hard paywall. He explained how it’s not necessarily a bad thing because the value you’ve already created justifies the ask.

What’s next?

• More campaigns are planned. Hopefully, a few of them will give the intended results.

• I’ve been considering experimenting with Paywalls with Superwall. I might explore that as well.