I'm 14 And I Built A $14K/Month App

Business snapshot (what Evan built)

• App: Locked — gamified health/fitness app focused on helping users “stay on task” using:
  • character-based onboarding
  • XP/levels
  • leaderboards
  • badges and motivational features

Monetization / pricing

• $40/year or $7/week
• Yearly includes a 3-day free trial
• If users exit (“X/escape”) the paywall, they see a “transaction abandon” offer: $20/year (discounted)

Growth outcome (key metrics + timeline)

• Reached: ~$14,000/month revenue within a few months (launched → “4 months later” at that level per intro)
• Launch timeline (idea → app store): about 1.5 months

Example single campaign impact (influencer video)

• Posted ~Feb 6 → revenue spiked from about $300/day
• Spikes mentioned: $728, $600, $700, $678, $600, up to nearly $1,000
• Estimated totals for that video:
  • ~$3,000 revenue
  • ~1,800 downloads
  • ~1 million views across platforms

Performance assumptions used for deal-making

• Evan estimates app RPM = ~$2–$3
• Target influencer CPM must be lower than RPM
• Typical creator pricing/CPM range: ~$1 to $1.50

Operating + product build details (execution)

• Design: Figma
• Development: Xcode + Cloud Code
• Paywall experimentation: Superwall
  • A/B tests paywalls
  • pricing mentioned: takes ~1% of earnings
• Backend / database: Superbase (described as free)

UX loop (how the app works)

• Main screen shows level + XP
• Add custom tasks + starter tasks
• Completing tasks gives 100 XP
• Tabs for:
  • all-time rankings
  • last 7 days
  • today
• Motivation screen (includes motivational content attributed to “Jeremiah”)

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Core growth playbook: influencer distribution (the “one channel”)

Evan’s central claim: he grew Locked fast without paid ads or a big initial audience, using creator/influencer partnerships that felt authentic.

Why influencer marketing worked (business logic)

• Trust transfer: influencers already have audience trust, so recommendations feel less like an ad.
• Content-market fit: influencers created content aligned with the “stay locked in / on task” positioning.
• Immediate app mention requirement: influencer videos show the app within the first 15 seconds.
• Deal structure tied to performance: minimum view clauses help keep cost per outcome controlled.

Influencer selection + sourcing process (step-by-step)

1. Find creators in the niche
   • Search related terms on Instagram/TikTok
   • Review their videos and accounts
2. Outreach
   • Send the same message to each creator
   • Message starts with “paid promo?”
3. Get them on a call
4. Close with a profitable deal
   • Profit constraint: aim for CPM lower than RPM

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Influencer deal structures (pricing models + caps)

Evan offered four main deal types and emphasized caps and minimum view clauses.

1. Flat rate

   • Example: $500 for 1 reel, $1,200 for 4 reels
   • Use when creators are reliably able to hit target CPM without minimums

2. CPM-based

   • Example: $1 per 1,000 views or $2 per 1,000 views
   • Always include a cap
     • Example: if creator gets 10M views but cap is $500, pay is capped at $500

3. Minimum view clause (most common)

   • Example: $500 with a 500,000 minimum view clause
   • Purpose: keep effective CPM under RPM

4. Bonus / performance ladder

   • Example: $500 for a video
   • If it hits 1M views, pay an extra $500

Campaign launch steps (operations)

• Send video requirements + a contract
• Give creators a 1-week deadline to deliver the first video
• If early performance generates revenue, continue the partnership

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Frameworks / playbooks explicitly referenced

• Influencer distribution playbook
  • targeting creators in niche → outreach → call → profitable CPM vs RPM deal → structured payout → content requirements → rapid launch
• Auth/organic short-form distribution concept
  • leveraging TikTok/IG Reels/YouTube Shorts style content (positioned as “organic short form playbook” by the show)
• Paywall optimization loop (implied)
  • A/B test paywalls via Superwall to improve conversion

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KPIs / targets mentioned (quant + thresholds)

• Revenue scale target achieved: $14,000/month
• RPM assumption: $2–$3
• Target CPM: must be lower than RPM
  • typical creator CPM range mentioned: $1 to $1.50
• One campaign reported:
  • ~1M views
  • ~1,800 downloads
  • ~$3,000 revenue
• Paywall economics tool: Superwall takes ~1% of earnings
• Trial: 3-day free trial on yearly plan

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Concrete actionable recommendations (from Evan’s approach)

• Require influencers to show the app in the first ~15 seconds (increase conversion relevance).
• Engineer partnerships around a unit-economics rule: CPM < RPM
  • enforce via minimum view clauses or caps
• Offer different deal types depending on creator reliability
  • use minimum view clause as the default
• Provide clear requirements + a tight 1-week delivery deadline to move fast

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Sources / presenters

• Evan (founder of Locked)
• Pat Walls (host, Starter Story)
• Gus (producer; comments on the episode)
• Jeremiah Jones (influencer referenced in the case example)