The indie maker's dilemma: 2 months in, 700 downloads, and I'm stuck
2 months ago I launched SelfOS — a productivity app I built from scratch using AI (Claude + Figma), with zero coding background. I shared my "zero to App Store" journey here and got some great feedback.
Now I'm back with an update. And a question I can't figure out.
The numbers (2 months in)
~700 downloads across iOS and Android
~20 paying users
5.0 rating on both stores
Revenue: around $150 total
Not life-changing, but real people are using it. Some even paid. That part still feels surreal.
What I tried for marketing
Telegram ads:
Small aesthetic channels (3K subscribers): $0.21 per install ✅
Big general channels (230K subscribers): $5.83 per install ❌
Lesson: Smaller, niche communities convert way better than big generic ones.
Indie App Santa ($75 promo):
Expected: 200-400 downloads
Reality: ~40 downloads, 18 lifetime purchases (~$100)
Verdict: Broke even, but not the boost I hoped for
Threads (free):
Dropped a comment in a relevant "share your app" thread
Result: 120+ downloads overnight
Cost: $0
That last one was wild. Random, unexpected, free — and outperformed everything else.
One thing that helped retention
While marketing was a struggle, I found something that actually improved retention: a little bonsai tree inside the app 🌳
It blooms as you complete tasks and build streaks. Simple gamification, but it gives users a reason to come back — not because of guilt or pressure, but because they want to see their tree grow.
It's like a visual mirror of your progress. And surprisingly, people love it.
So even if I can't crack distribution yet, at least the users who do find the app tend to stick around.
The dilemma I'm stuck in
Here's where I need help.
I'm caught in a loop:
Build more → but who will see it?
Market more → but the product could be better
The thing is:
Without more users, I don't know what to build next
Without new features, I feel like I have nothing fresh to market
Without marketing, no new users come
Classic chicken and egg.
My current plan
Build presence on Instagram, X, Pinterest, Threads
Look for micro-influencers in the productivity/aesthetic niche
Keep shipping small updates to have something to talk about
But honestly, I'm not sure if this is the right approach or just "feeling productive while avoiding the real problem."
Questions for you
For those who've been through this early stage:
How did you break the loop?
At what point did you shift focus from building to distribution?
Any tactics that worked for early traction without a big budget?
If you're curious: SelfOS is a minimalist life planner — tasks, goals, habits, shopping lists. Privacy-first, no accounts, aesthetic design. App Store / Google Play
Thanks for reading! 💚
Your Threads spike is the most interesting data point here and you buried it. 120 downloads for $0 vs paying $0.21/install on Telegram. But the question that matters: did any of those Threads users convert to paid? If that cohort retained and paid at even half the rate of your TG users, you don't have a chicken-and-egg problem, you have an answer you haven't measured yet.
Just launched too , same vibe coding origin story, zero SwiftUI coding background before this. The Threads discovery is interesting. I've been trying to figure out where organic traction actually comes from without spamming. Following to see how this unfolds.
2.8% paid conversion on a productivity app is honestly not bad — I'd argue you don't have a growth problem, you have a sequencing problem.
Before you try to scale downloads, figure out why those 20 people paid. Like actually ask them. Because if you can identify the pattern, you can double that conversion rate and suddenly 700 downloads turns into $300+ instead of $150. Way cheaper than chasing more top-of-funnel.