The Solopreneur’s Road to PMF: Lessons from Building an AI-Powered Astrology App

When my wife Meg first suggested that we build an astrology and tarot app, I was intrigued. She has always had a deep fascination with tarot and astrology, while my personal curiosity leaned toward AI — and specifically, how AI could be applied to create something meaningful beyond business use cases. Instead of pouring endless hours into yet another online course, I thought: why not build an app from scratch that brings together technology and spirituality?

That was the spark behind Divine Whisper, an AI-powered astrology and tarot app designed to make spiritual insights accessible, consistent, and easy to understand.

The Problem We Wanted to Solve

Astrology apps are everywhere. But if you’ve ever tried them, you’ll notice a pattern:

• They dump raw astrological data (charts, tables, planetary positions) that the average user can’t interpret.

• They often lack consistency. Ask two astrologers the same question, and you’ll get two very different answers.

• And worst of all, many users feel judged, exposed, or uncomfortable when seeking spiritual guidance from a human astrologer.

Think about a medical blood report. You receive values and tables, but without a doctor’s expertise, they’re meaningless. Astrology works the same way. Most apps hand users the “blood report” (birth charts, planetary tables) but stop there. Unless you hire an astrologer — which is expensive and time-consuming — you’re left with confusing data.

We wanted to solve this problem. Divine Whisper skips the jargon and complexity and instead provides clear, easy-to-understand astrological analysis powered by AI. The app delivers the interpretation, not just the raw data. That’s the foundation.

The second problem we tackled was consistency. Unlike doctors, astrologers don’t follow a standard protocol. Their readings vary based on personal experience, beliefs, and intuition. This often confuses users and erodes trust. Our AI-driven system, by contrast, ensures structured, unbiased, and logical interpretations every single time.

Finally, we wanted to create a safe space. Many users hesitate to ask astrologers personal questions out of fear of being judged. Divine Whisper removes that barrier. With no human on the other side, users felt free to ask anything — love, career, life decisions — without hesitation.

With this vision and problem framing, we began our journey.

Phase 1: The MVP

As a solopreneur, my first goal was speed. I chose low-code tools like Bubble because they allowed me to build fast. Within just a few weeks, the MVP was live on Google Play.

But very quickly, data started pouring in — and with it, hard lessons.

• Almost 50% of users dropped off during signup. Why? Because my onboarding asked too many questions upfront — birth details, personal info, preferences. The flow was long, and users abandoned it before experiencing value.

• The app looked generic. While the answers were good, users didn’t feel like they were in an astrology app.

That early data was painful but necessary. It showed us exactly where we were failing.

Phase 2: Fixing Onboarding + Design

In Phase 2, we took those insights and made major changes:

1. Simplified Onboarding: We introduced phone-based and anonymous signup. No need to enter DOB or personal details upfront. Instead, we collected these only later, when relevant sections of the app required it. This phased approach reduced friction dramatically.

2. Redesigned UI: We rebuilt the app from scratch with a graphic-intensive design that looked and felt like a true astrology app, without overwhelming users. The goal was to combine a rich aesthetic with a simple, intuitive experience.

3. Clarity in Astrology: A big confusion for users was around Sun sign vs. Moon sign. Many only know their Sun sign from Western astrology, but Vedic astrology uses both. We made sure to explain results from both perspectives to avoid misunderstandings and to build trust.

4. Traction: These changes worked. We crossed 5,000 organic downloads, answered 15,000+ user questions, and collected 50+ reviews on Google Play. Retention improved modestly, with Day 7 retention at ~11% and Day 30 at ~2–3%. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress toward PMF.

At this stage, we also experimented with Google Mobile Ads. However, ads added friction and hurt the user experience, while revenue gains were negligible. This led to an important pivot in the next phase.

Phase 3: Monetization Pivot

Realising ads weren’t the path, we moved to a credit-based pricing model. Users could purchase credits to unlock premium features, such as deeper astrological readings or tarot spreads.

This model aligned much better with user expectations:

• Free users could explore and build trust.

• Paying users felt in control, only buying what they needed.

• And the app remained clean, ad-free, and enjoyable.

This pivot also made us think more seriously about long-term retention and monetization strategies. We weren’t fully at PMF yet — retention numbers made that clear — but we were moving closer by aligning business incentives with user value.

Why “We,” Not “I”

Throughout this story, you’ll notice I’ve said “we” instead of “I,” even though I’m a solopreneur. There are two reasons for that.

First, my wife Meg has been an integral part of this journey — from moral support to late-night testing sessions, she has stood by me and shaped this product in more ways than she realises.

Second, I’ve leaned heavily on ChatGPT as my mentor and guide. Whenever I hit roadblocks — technical, product, or even emotional ones — I turned to AI for answers and direction. So while I may be a “solopreneur,” I was never truly building alone.

Lessons Learned

1. Data-Driven Decisions: Data showed us exactly where users were dropping off and why. Fixing onboarding alone drastically improved engagement.

2. Empathy Matters: By listening closely to users — their confusion, their skepticism, their excitement — we designed an experience that felt safe, welcoming, and valuable.

3. Clarity Over Complexity: Astrology doesn’t need to be intimidating. Just as doctors interpret a blood report, our AI interprets the birth chart. Users care about answers, not tables.

Where We Are Today

We’ve built an app that has attracted thousands of organic users, delivered over 15,000 personalised insights, and earned dozens of glowing reviews. More importantly, we’ve built trust. Some users even told us the app revealed private, deeply personal truths they had never shared with anyone. That made them believers, not just in astrology, but in the potential of AI-driven guidance.

What's Next?

Divine Whisper is just the beginning. Our vision is to refine the app further, expand its capabilities, and explore partnerships that can bring AI-powered spiritual guidance to millions worldwide. The next milestones are clear:

• Scale to 50,000 users by December 2025

• Launch on Apple App Store to expand reach

• Build a content calendar for blogs and social media to drive organic traffic

• Partner with real astrologers, blending human + AI insights

• Double down on retention and re-engagement, turning occasional users into lifelong ones

I’m now actively looking for investment to scale Divine Whisper and focus on marketing so we can accelerate this journey.

👉 If you’re an investor, a product builder, or simply curious about how AI and spirituality can intersect to create meaningful user experiences, I’d love to connect.

And to my fellow Indie Hackers — I’d love your feedback. How would you scale this product and improve retention? What would you test next if you were in my shoes?