I built a fashion app because I was tired of asking my mom if my outfit looked okay
Yes, you read correctly, I'm tired of asking my mom if my outfit is good enough for a date I might be having, or to hang out with friends, etc.
Until now, I always played it safe with boring basics, looking the same every single day. Every fashion app I tried was built for women. Men who want to dress better but don't know how are completely ignored.
And that's why I built Lynen, so I can become a functioning adult that knows how to dress properly for every occasion (without asking his mom as much). The app tells you if your outfit works and it can also give you inspiration when you're stuck. Built specifically for men.
Where I am today:
Live on the App Store (Play Store coming soon)
50-200 early users, all organic, zero paid acquisition
Hired a friend to help with social media (hardest part until now is creating content with my face in it - and I'm still not there)
What I'm figuring out now:
How to grow without a budget
Whether to focus on content, ASO, or communities first
Happy to share what's working and what isn't as I go. And if you've got any tips for a solo founder with zero experience building apps (and how to grow them) I'd love to hear it.
Download Lynen on the App Store → App Store Link
Most men’s fashion tools are too high-end so focusing on the 'functional adult' vibe is a smart move. If you’re looking for zero-budget growth jumping into subreddits where guys are already asking for outfit feedback is probably your best bet for high-intent users. Does the app suggest specific pieces to buy if an outfit isn't working or just give general advice?
Thanks! I've started to post on subreddits to generate engagement and you are right, high-intent users are already there, I just have to be able to post consistently.
On your question: today Lynen focuses on feedback and inspiration, no shopping suggestions yet. It's actually on the roadmap, the idea is to eventually recommend real pieces that complete or fix an outfit. The blocker right now is that affiliate programs require a minimum user base to get accepted, so I'm focused on growing first. Bit of a chicken-and-egg problem honestly.
That chicken-and-egg struggle is real! Honestly if the goal is to hit that user threshold for affiliate programs quickly a solid Digital PR push or some high-authority media placements (MSN, AP News etc) could be the shortcut you need to build that trust. I actually handle media placements for startups so if you ever want to bridge that gap and get some massive visibility let me know. Would love to help you scale this!