I Built Two Apps That Make $120K/Month

Key Concepts

• Problem-First Development: Building software solutions based on personal pain points encountered in daily hobbies or tasks.
• MVP (Minimum Viable Product): The simplest version of a product that solves a core problem, often built rapidly using AI tools.
• AI-Assisted Coding: Utilizing tools like Cursor, Claude, and ChatGPT to generate code, build MVPs, and automate technical workflows.
• Subscription-Based Revenue: Utilizing SDKs like RevenueCat and Superwall to manage recurring billing and paywalls.
• TikTok Slideshow Marketing: A repeatable, low-cost content strategy for driving app downloads through viral-style visual templates.

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1. Business Overview: Cardstock and Scanamon

Kyle Fowler has successfully built two apps that generate over $120,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR):

• Cardstock: A sports card value scanner that allows users to identify cards via camera, track market values, and manage collections. It has approximately 15,000 active subscriptions and $75k MRR.
• Scanamon: A similar tool tailored for Pokémon cards. Despite being only one year old, it has reached 3,400 active subscriptions and $17k MRR, with a higher monthly acquisition rate (16,000 new customers) than the more established Cardstock.

2. Development Methodology and Tech Stack

Kyle emphasizes that building apps is significantly easier today due to AI. His approach has evolved from manual coding to AI-driven development:

• Tech Stack: Swift/SwiftUI (iOS), Core Data (local storage), AWS EC2 (backend database), RevenueCat (subscriptions), and Superwall (paywalls).
• Modern Tooling: He utilizes a suite of AI and productivity tools including Cursor (AI code editor), Claude/ChatGPT (coding assistance), Supabase (backend), Railway (deployment), and Code Rabbit (code review).
• Rapid Prototyping: For his newer app, Scanamon, Kyle used Cursor to generate the entire codebase, completing the MVP in a single day.

3. Step-by-Step Framework for App Success

Kyle outlines a repeatable process for identifying and launching profitable apps:

1. Identify the Problem: Maintain a "notes document" to track repetitive, arduous tasks in your daily life. If you aren't finding problems, you aren't paying attention.
2. Determine the Solution: Define the most minimal version of the product that solves the specific pain point.
3. Build the MVP: Use AI agents to write the code. Kyle notes that people often overestimate the difficulty of development; AI can now handle most implementation tasks.
4. Monetize: Implement subscription infrastructure (e.g., RevenueCat/Superwall). If technical hurdles arise, he suggests reaching out to support teams of these services, as they are incentivized to help developers succeed.
5. Validate via Marketing: Use TikTok slideshows to drive traffic. He recommends using platforms like Noise, which connects developers with creators to distribute content templates, paying based on performance (views).

4. Key Arguments and Perspectives

• Solve Your Own Problems: Kyle argues that if you build a solution for a personal problem, you have "won" regardless of financial outcome because you have improved your own life. If the problem is real for you, it is likely real for others.
• The "Chill" Founder Mindset: Unlike founders who over-analyze or suffer from high anxiety, Kyle advocates for a "just build it" approach. He believes in keeping things simple and not overthinking the process.
• The Power of Community: Kyle’s primary advice to his younger self is to not fear asking for help. Successful people are generally happy to share their knowledge, and one should not worry about "bothering" them.

5. Synthesis and Conclusion

The core takeaway from Kyle’s journey is that the barrier to entry for building million-dollar software businesses has collapsed. By focusing on personal hobbies and leveraging modern AI tools to handle the heavy lifting of coding and deployment, individuals can ship products in hours rather than months. Success is not guaranteed, but by following a disciplined process of identifying real-world pain points, building simple solutions, and utilizing repeatable marketing channels like TikTok, anyone can turn a personal interest into a scalable, high-revenue business.