From failed app to 30-app portfolio making $22k/mo in less than a year
Max Artemov built a side project and tried to make it work for 5 years — unsuccessfully. Then, he built a 30-app portfolio within a year and grew it to $22k/mo.
Here's Max on how he did it. 👇
Starting a side project
I started my career in software engineering as an iOS developer eight years ago, but from the start, I always wanted to build a side project.
My motivation was simple: I wanted to achieve financial freedom and work on my own projects without a fixed 9-5 schedule. I wanted to spend more time with my family.
Independence is important to me. I want to control my working hours, what I work on, and my work's overall direction. Running my own mobile app business lets me build a life around those values. Instead of trading my time for a salary, I can create products at my own pace, focus on ideas I’m excited about, and structure my days to support both my professional and personal goals.
My first mobile app was a calorie counter that I tried to grow for over five years using various methods, but it yielded no results. I learned Flutter to expand into the Android market, but that didn't work either.
Then, in February of this year, I found one of Adam Lyttle's YouTube videos where he advocated for growing a mobile app portfolio instead of focusing on a single project. Since I was almost burnt out with my current app, his suggestion excited me. In fact, it completely changed my understanding of mobile apps.
I changed my approach from a single project to a multiple-app portfolio — now, over 30 apps bringing in a total MRR of $22k.
A shift in mindset
One of the biggest challenges I faced early on was my traditional software engineering mindset. I focused on polishing every corner of the app, following all best practices, SOLID principles, and maintaining perfect architecture. While valuable in larger engineering teams, this approach slowed me down significantly as a solo indie developer. I spent too much time on things that didn't meaningfully impact the product or user experience.
That's why my initial product failed. The scope was too big, I overcomplicated things, and I was too attached to the original idea to notice that users didn't need half the features I built.
That experience completely changed how I approach product development — I shifted to an indie-developer mindset: Build fast, ship fast, and focus only on what's essential for the core feature. Instead of over-engineering, I now create simple, understandable architectures that support the MVP and nothing more.
Only after I see real usage and positive feedback do I add more features. This helps me avoid wasting months on ideas that don't resonate and keeps me focused on what works.
I've also learned not to get emotionally attached to an idea — I just build, release, and let the product sink or float based on real user feedback.
Product and ASO stacks
I use the Flutter framework for cross-platform mobile development. I chose Flutter without a particular reason; I just needed a cross-platform solution at the time. Flutter was new, and I decided to try it. I don't regret this decision at all.
For the backend, I rely heavily on Firebase. I use it for most backend tasks, such as authentication, hosting, and running a backend (Firebase Cloud Functions). It's straightforward to set up and use, making it my primary tool.
For ASO-related tasks, I use Astro and FoxData. These tools help me track keyword performance, competitor rankings, and overall visibility, which is important because organic traffic drives a big part of my growth.
Growth via ASO and ads
My main way of getting users is ASO. In fact, learning about ASO boosted my metrics by 50%: impressions, downloads, and revenue. It was inspiring to see how much of a difference it made.
I focus on ASO before I build the app. The technique is simple:
Find a keyword with high popularity and low difficulty — I usually look for popularity over 20 and difficulty under 60.
Build the app around that keyword.
Use the keyword in the title, subtitle, and description.
Repeat.
I create a lot of apps — all with one core feature to solve a specific user problem. Over time, I focus on the ones that gain traction. For those, I double down on marketing.
Beyond ASO, that usually means paid ads. Sometimes, I use TikTok or Instagram marketing. I’m still experimenting to find the best pipeline and approach.
Validating the best app ideas
After an app is released, it usually gets an initial boost in the App Store for the first few days. After that, most apps drop to around 10–50 downloads per week and fade away.
If an app survives the boost, not performing at its peak but also not dropping sharply, and stabilizing over time, then I see its potential.
I don't use a strict download number to decide; I make a case-by-case judgment based on how the app behaves after the initial launch.
Don't fear shipping
The most important advice I can offer is this: Don't fear shipping.
Don’t waste your time polishing an app or thinking about adding one more killer feature that will "definitely" get you tons of users. Get it ready and bug-free with a single feature, and ship it. Let users tell you what they think about it while you’re already working on another app.
What's next?
I try not to plan far ahead, as we don't know what tomorrow brings, but for 2026, I plan to diversify my income by building a few SaaS products. That way, my income won't be fully dependent on the App Store and Google Play Store.
You can follow along on X.
Leave a Comment
Great to see your story. I am in agreement and generally a product that solves a users problem with a duct taped backend is better than a product which follows SOLID principles but doesn't solve one :)
Wow
The lesson isn’t build faster, it’s ‘build only what deserves your time. Big difference.
very succinct and nice.
Appreciate it! Always happy to share what’s working on Reddit for indie devs, especially for fast-iteration portfolios like yours
Love the mindset shift, shipping fast, iterating, and building a portfolio is exactly how traction happens.
Many founders overlook Reddit as a way to validate apps, test messaging, and get early users for MVPs before scaling ads or ASO.
If you ever want to experiment with targeted subreddit traction for your apps, happy to share a few strategies that consistently get results for indie devs building fast-moving portfolios.
This is really interesting. "Find a keyword with high popularity and low difficulty — I usually look for popularity over 20 and difficulty under 60."
How do you determine these numerical scores?
Interesting… that’s almost the opposite of what I’ve heard from people like Alex Hormozi, who really emphasizes sticking with one thing long enough to make it work. What’s your long-term plan? Are you planning to watch how each app evolves and eventually double down on the one that performs best? Or do you see yourself continuing to build more apps indefinitely? And doesn’t maintaining that many projects risk becoming a nightmare over time?
I struggle with the shotgun vs sniper approach too. Personally I like building something that solves one specific problem.
I suspect that the answer lies somewhere in between. It might depend on who you are and what your goals are. If's monetize above all then perhaps build many tools until users confirm the usage. It might be different if you're trying to solve a specific problem.
Inspiring,
I feel I'm still at this phase, I guess: "The scope was too big."
Congrats and thanks for sharing.
inspiration
Awesome journey!
James, fantastic interview with Max. His pivot to velocity is a critical lesson, especially for his 2026 SaaS plan.
Hey James,
This is a phenomenal interview—you've perfectly captured the difference between a perfectionist mindset and a velocity mindset. Max's pivot to portfolio strategy is inspiring, and the $22k MRR is well-deserved.
The part about Max shifting into SaaS in 2026 is the most crucial takeaway for your readers. The validation rules change completely when you move from mobile to SaaS.
The Missing Piece in the SaaS Diversification Plan: Financial Due Diligence
Max's old method of ASO validation works great for mobile, but for SaaS, the financial projections are what investors—or just a founder's spreadsheet—demand. The cost of building the wrong SaaS app is exponentially higher than building the wrong simple mobile app.
We've built a product called SmartValidate™ to address this risk. It uses an AI-augmented process to produce a custom, investor-grade financial viability report on any SaaS idea in 72 hours. It confirms if the LTV/CAC ratio is sustainable and if the growth projections are defensible.
It’s the £199 insurance policy that guarantees founders don't repeat Max's $\text{\$8k}$ mistake on their new, higher-stakes SaaS ventures.
I'd be happy to send you a complimentary SmartValidate™ report on any one of the micro-SaaS acquisition opportunities you cover in your SaaS Watch newsletter, just so you can see the quality of the financial assessment.
Keep up the great work on these interviews!
Mohammad Bukkar
(Founder, Sceamdo Technologies)
Turning a failed app into a thriving 30-app portfolio earning $22k per month shows how persistence can lead to success. A creator of a micro-app built steady revenue streams by analyzing mistakes, refining ideas, and launching multiple micro-apps. We have seen incredible growth in less than a year by experimenting, learning from failure, and scaling smartly.
I am really impressed!
this so cool
Love this story — such a perfect example of how mindset beats perfectionism. Shifting from “one polished app” to a fast-moving portfolio is what unlocked everything. The ASO-first approach + simple MVPs + letting data decide is a powerful combo. Huge respect for the consistency it takes to ship 30+ apps. Excited to see what you build next! 🚀
cool
This is such a refreshing reminder that momentum beats perfection. Focusing on a portfolio instead of betting everything on one "big"app is a brilliant way to compound small wins and learn much faster. The ASO-driven approach is especially smart. you’re basically letting real demand tell you where to build instead of guessing.
Thanks for sharing the process so transparently.
awesome.great person with great attitude. I use simular shipping. Audited web3 prototyps for user to test. user help me to launch dApps with UI/UX created with users together and so launch only Web3 products what really solve User daily problems
Another brilliant success story, and of course, mad accolades for making it happen! For me, it's yet another reminder to build what people actually 'want', rather than putting absolutely everything into building what you know they 'need', and then hit the brick wall trying to market it ...... sigh ... shipping fast is absolutely the way to go, but you can't ship fast into an audience that you need to create in the first place lol
nice post ! :)
Really like how you described the shift from over-engineering to building fast. It’s something I’ve struggled with too. Your portfolio approach makes a lot of sense, small bets, quick feedback, and steady compounding. Inspiring stuff.
What tool you use for keyword research?
The article mentions foxdata or did you mean something else?
Congrats on the launch! What do you feel is better to start with iOS app development or android if I intend to build a microSaaS portfolio
Congrats on the launch! I'm doing a mobile-only build right now to clear debt. The 'shipping anxiety' is real. Good luck with this!"
very interesting, and give a lot of helpful advice for develepers!!! good job bro
Really inspiring story, Max. Going from five years on one app to a 30-app portfolio making $22k per month is incredible. Your shift from polishing every detail to shipping fast and validating quickly is a great reminder for indie devs who tend to overbuild.
I also like your ASO-first approach. Starting with keywords before writing a single line of code is simple but powerful, and your results clearly show that it works.
Love this perspective! In my marketplace journey, we’ve learned that diversifying projects helps discover what resonates. It’s less about spreading yourself thin and more about iterating quickly and letting data guide you. Curious to see which of your bets ends up being the biggest surprise.
Great job with the pivot - Adam Lyttle's Starter Story got me thinking too. Check out his YouTube channel for lots of practical tips on this portfolio of Apps concept. Very actionable insights he shares all his wins and losses - and he has many of both!
Really inspiring story. Max’s “build fast, ship fast” mindset makes a lot of sense—especially today when users care more about solutions than perfect polishing. I run a small niche gaming site (bussimulator-apk. com),so I’ve seen how testing ideas quickly and focusing on what actually gets traction can make a big difference. His ASO-first approach is something I definitely want to apply in my wn projects.
The shift from 'One Big App' to a 'Portfolio of Small Bets' is a game-changer for indie hackers.
Spending 5 years on one idea is risky. Shipping 30 apps in one year is strategic. It diversifies risk and increases the surface area for luck.
I love how Max treated his apps like assets in an investment portfolio rather than emotional attachments.
The lesson is clear: Don't marry your first idea. Build, ship, validate, and repeat. Incredible execution!
Amazing turnaround! Max’s journey shows how consistency, learning from failures, and rapid experimentation can lead to incredible results. Building 30 apps in a year is insane dedication. Really inspiring! Shared this on DNP India as well — truly worth reading.
Cool
Love this story — it’s a great example of why shipping fast beats over-engineering every time. Shifting to a multiple-app portfolio and focusing on MVPs shows that real traction comes from learning quickly, not polishing perfection. Also, your emphasis on ASO and letting user feedback guide feature expansion is a smart approach for sustainable growth. Inspiring to see how mindset changes and small, focused actions can turn into $22K MRR!
That’s such a refreshing take, and I completely agree. It’s easy to get stuck trying to perfect something before anyone even gets to use it, but your point really shows how much faster growth happens when you just ship, learn, and iterate. The shift toward multiple lightweight apps and leaning on ASO feels like a smart, modern strategy too. Seeing how those small, consistent moves added up to $22K MRR is definitely motivating — it’s a good reminder that momentum matters more than perfection.