Dumb iPhone Apps Are Making People Rich Again (Here’s how)
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Many founders are finding success with 'dumb' iOS apps that address simple productivity or health hacks.
- ❖AI coding tools significantly lower the barrier to entry for app development, making small, niche apps feasible.
- ❖TikTok serves as a powerful validation and discovery platform for new app ideas, enabling a 'marketing-first' approach.
- ❖B2B video content creation is a major challenge for companies, creating high-value opportunities for specialized agencies.
- ❖Building robust, asynchronous systems is crucial for scaling a business and avoiding burnout from 'urgency culture.'
- ❖A 'Think Week' can be transformative for identifying and focusing on the most impactful business, even if it means abandoning an 'ego business.'
Insights
1The Resurgence of 'Dumb' iOS Apps
Simple, often 'gimmicky' iOS apps are experiencing a significant boom, with many founders generating $10K-$100K+ per month. Examples include apps that require push-ups before social media access ('Push Scroll') or track vaping cessation ('Puff Count'). This trend is driven by two main factors: ease of development and new discovery channels.
Pat notes that six out of twelve founders he speaks to weekly are 'crushing it with iOS apps.' He cites 'Push Scroll' doing $30K/month and 'Puff Count' being sold for 'a lot of money.'
2Validate First, Build Later Strategy for Apps
A highly effective strategy for app development involves creating viral marketing content (e.g., TikTok videos) demonstrating the app's concept *before* actually building the app. If the video goes viral, it validates demand, prompting rapid development.
The 'Push Scroll' founders created a viral video pretending the app existed, garnered hundreds of thousands of views, then scrambled to build the app, which subsequently took off.
3AI Coding Lowers App Development Barriers
The advent of AI coding tools has drastically reduced the resources required to build an iPhone app. What previously needed a team of four (designer, product, backend, frontend engineers) can now be done by a 'team of zero' or one person, making previously unfeasible niche apps cost-effective.
Pat states that 'with AI coding tools, you can just have an idea... you can just build it with zero' and that 'apps that couldn't have existed before because it wouldn't have been cost effective' are now possible.
4B2B Video is an Unsolved Problem and High-Value Opportunity
Despite video being the 'native tongue of the internet,' most B2B companies lack a clear playbook or internal function for effective video content creation. This creates a significant market for agencies specializing in B2B video strategy and done-for-you services.
Pat notes that 'there's no playbook right now for video' in companies. He cites an agency charging Microsoft and Figma $50K-$100K/month for YouTube strategy and mentions another 'done-for-you' street interview service doing $10M in revenue.
5Systems Over Urgency: The 'Busy People Are Losers' Philosophy
Building a business around asynchronous systems and clear processes, rather than 'urgency culture' or constant reactivity, allows for deep work, employee flexibility, and sustainable growth. This contrasts with the common 'badge of honor' associated with being constantly busy.
Pat states, 'busy people are the biggest losers' and describes building his company on Notion with assigned tasks and no strict deadlines, allowing him to 'play tennis every day at noon.'
6The Power of Focused 'Think Weeks'
Taking dedicated time away from daily operations and digital distractions to reflect deeply on business direction can lead to critical insights and strategic pivots. This focused clarity can dramatically change a business's trajectory by identifying and eliminating less impactful projects.
Pat's 'Think Week' involved a cross-country drive without phone or email. He realized Starter Story (making $8K/month with 20% effort) was his core business, not his 'ego business' (a software plugin doing $2K/month). After going all-in on Starter Story, he 'doubled the business's revenue in a single month.'
Bottom Line
The iOS API's screen-blocking capabilities are a fertile ground for 'gimmick' productivity and habit-forming apps.
Developers can leverage existing iOS features to create simple, viral solutions for common digital addiction or self-improvement challenges.
Identify prevalent 'doom scrolling' or unhealthy digital habits and build a simple app that uses screen-blocking or gamification to interrupt and redirect behavior.
The 'shame' and 'difficulty' associated with creating authentic video content (especially short-form social media) for businesses is a significant barrier for most companies.
This emotional and logistical barrier means there's less competition for those willing to overcome it, and a high demand for services that remove this burden for businesses.
Develop specialized 'done-for-you' video services focusing on specific formats (e.g., street interviews, 'fake' podcast clips) or niche industries, charging premium rates for removing the 'embarrassment' and production complexity.
Opportunities
Viral 'Dumb' iOS App Development
Create simple, single-purpose iOS apps that leverage existing device features (like screen blocking) for productivity, health, or habit formation. Validate ideas with viral TikTok videos before building, then develop quickly using AI coding tools.
B2B YouTube Strategy Agency
Offer high-level YouTube strategy, content planning, and packaging (titles, thumbnails, treatments) to large B2B companies (Fortune 500, tech giants) struggling to establish an effective video presence.
Done-For-You Niche Video Content Service
Specialize in a specific, popular video format (e.g., man-on-the-street interviews, 'podcast-style' clips without a full podcast) and offer it as a turnkey service to companies. This removes the production burden and 'shame' for clients.
Systemization & Playbook Consulting for Creators/Solopreneurs
Help growing creators or solopreneurs implement robust, asynchronous operating systems (like a customized EOS or Notion-based workflow) to manage tasks, content production, and team collaboration, enabling scale beyond individual effort.
Key Concepts
Lollapalooza Effect
Multiple independent factors conspire in one's favor, creating an outsized, compounding opportunity (e.g., AI making apps easier to build + TikTok making them easier to discover).
Ego Business vs. Actual Business
Distinguishing between the business you *think* you should be building (often influenced by external perceptions or aspirations) and the business that is actually generating momentum, revenue, and aligns with your strengths.
Value Hypothesis & Growth Hypothesis
From Eric Ries' 'Lean Startup,' these are two distinct hypotheses: the 'value hypothesis' tests if a product is valuable to users, and the 'growth hypothesis' tests how a business will achieve sustainable, compounding growth (e.g., SEO, ads, viral loops).
Lessons
- Explore simple, 'gimmicky' iOS app ideas that solve a common, relatable problem (e.g., productivity, health) and leverage existing phone features.
- Before building an app, create a viral video demonstrating its concept on platforms like TikTok to validate market demand and gather early interest.
- Investigate AI coding tools to rapidly prototype and develop app ideas, significantly reducing development time and cost.
- Consider offering B2B video strategy or specialized 'done-for-you' video production services, as this is a high-demand, underserved market for companies.
- Implement asynchronous systems (e.g., Notion, modified EOS) to manage tasks, content, and team workflows, reducing 'urgency culture' and enabling scalable growth.
- Schedule a 'Think Week' or dedicated period of deep reflection to re-evaluate business priorities, identify 'ego businesses,' and focus intensely on the most promising ventures.
Pat Walls' YouTube Content Creation System
**Start with Packaging (Pre-Production):** Before filming, design the title and thumbnail. This 'treatment' acts as a pitch, defining the video's core appeal and emotional impact for the viewer.
**Identify the 'Big Idea':** Every video must revolve around one central, compelling idea (e.g., a 10-step playbook). Avoid trying to tell an entire life story; focus on a single, valuable takeaway.
**Leverage Proven Content:** Use successful social media posts, Reddit threads, or conference talks as 'bones' or outlines for video content, as these already demonstrate audience interest.
**Interview to Fill Blanks:** During interviews, aim to extract information that specifically fills out the pre-defined 'skeleton' of the winning video idea, rather than conducting a free-form conversation.
**Systematize Production:** Implement a Notion-based system to track all content (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter), assign tasks to freelancers, and manage the entire production workflow asynchronously.
Notable Moments
Pat Walls' 'Think Week' and Business Pivot
After three years of splitting focus across multiple projects and experiencing burnout, Pat took a week-long, disconnected road trip. This period of intense reflection led him to abandon his 'ego business' (a software plugin) and go all-in on Starter Story, which was generating 80% of his revenue with only 20% of his effort. This decision dramatically changed his business trajectory, doubling Starter Story's revenue in a single month and ultimately leading to its acquisition.
Quotes
"When I talk to 12 founders a week, I'm seeing six of them are crushing it with iOS apps."
"If we build it, they will come... it's like, if they come, then we'll build it."
"You have your ego business... but actually follow the money where what's making money? What are you truly good at making? What are you meant to build?"
Q&A
Recent Questions
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