1. Awareness
Someone hears it exists. SEO, social, ads, word-of-mouth.
2. Interest
They click through. Hook + headline + first screenshot.
3. Consideration
They read enough to evaluate. Reviews, social proof.
4. Conversion
They install. Listing optimization is everything here.
5. Activation
They actually use it. Onboarding matters most.
6. Monetization
They hit paywall and convert. Pricing + value moments.
7. Retention
They come back. Product quality + push.
UNDER-USED
8. Advocacy
They tell others. Free distribution.
App Store Search (ASO)
Biggest acquisition channel for most indies. Free. Optimize ruthlessly.
High ROI
SEO + Content
Compound returns over months. Free traffic that pays back for years.
Compounds
Reddit + Communities
Where niche audiences live. Contributor first, marketer last.
High Stakes
TikTok / Shorts
Most viral potential per post. Algorithm rewards hook quality.
Volume
X / LinkedIn
Build-in-public. Compounds slowly. 6-12 months to meaningful growth.
Patient
Apple Search Ads
Top of App Store for paid keywords. Effective if CPI < LTV.
Paid
Pro Tip
Build a 100-email pre-launch list before writing any code. If you can't get 100 emails for the idea, distribution is your real problem.
Top Failure Mode
Launching into silence. The launch is the START of marketing, not the end. Audience-build for months pre-launch.
First 90 days
Beyond month 3
- Pre-launch (60 days out)
Landing page + email list. Aim for 100.
- Launch week
Email blast + Reddit + Apple Featured pitch
- Month 1
Apple Search Ads testing $10-20/day
- Months 2-3
Double down on winners; cut losers
- Find creators
2-3 in your niche on YT/TikTok
- Scale paid
On channels where CPI < LTV
- Build email
Highest ROI long-term
- Compound SEO
Cornerstone + cluster content
djEnterprises · AI consulting & iOS app studio