The Story
Steven Cravotta is doing $40,000 MRR from his mobile app Puff Count - and he's not even a coder. The app helps people quit vaping by tracking their usage and providing motivation to reduce consumption.
Steven's approach begins with finding a problem worth solving. Rather than following trends, he bases his ideas on issues he encounters in daily life. For Puff Count, he noticed the vaping epidemic among college students (himself included) and realized there were no good tools to help people quit this new habit.
Before building anything, he validated the concept by researching similar apps on Sensor Tower and Google Trends. He also observed viral TikTok content on vaping, which confirmed the topic's potential popularity.
Key Insights
The Non-Coder's Approach
- •Used 99designs for UI mockups (designers submit based on requirements)
- •Hired developer from Eastern Europe on Upwork (quality + cost efficiency)
- •Started simple, used existing templates
- •MVP cost under $5,000
The 95% Rule
- •"95% of a mobile app's success is in the marketing"
- •Product quality matters less than distribution
- •Focus energy on getting eyeballs, not perfecting features
TikTok Marketing Strategy
Content Philosophy
- •Research successful vaping-related content first
- •Mirror viral elements that appeal to broad audience
- •Entertainment-first, NOT sales-first
- •Subtle call-to-action only at the end
- •Videos should NOT feel like ads
Organic to Paid Pipeline
- •Post organic TikTok content
- •Identify which videos perform best
- •Repurpose high-performing content for paid ads
- •Facebook/Instagram algorithms optimize effectively with proven content
Monetization Strategy
Hard Paywall Approach
- •Users commit to free trial before accessing ANY features
- •No freemium - forces commitment upfront
- •Creates sunk cost psychology
A/B Testing with Superwall
- •Test different price points
- •Test different paywall styles
- •Identify optimal pricing for maximum LTV (lifetime value)
- •Data-driven decisions shifted revenue "drastically upward"
Business Numbers
- •$40K MRR (monthly recurring revenue)
- •Tens of thousands of downloads from TikTok
- •MVP built for under $5K
- •Zero coding experience required
The Validation Process
- •Identify problem you personally experience
- •Research on Sensor Tower (competitor revenue)
- •Check Google Trends (search interest)
- •Observe TikTok content (viral potential)
- •Only build after validation confirms opportunity
Key Advice
For Non-Coders
- •Success is possible with the right team
- •Start with straightforward MVP
- •Collect user feedback before expanding features
- •Build trusted team to fill skill gaps
- •Treat team members well
For Marketing
- •Don't sell directly in content
- •Entertain first, convert second
- •Use organic content to find winners
- •Scale winners with paid ads
- •Let algorithms optimize proven content
Tech Stack
- •99designs (UI design)
- •Upwork (development)
- •Superwall (paywall A/B testing)
- •TikTok (organic marketing)
- •Facebook/Instagram (paid ads)
Resources
- •Puff Count: App Store
- •Follow Steven: https://x.com/stevencravotta