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.