I turned my addiction into a $44k/month app

Hey there,

In college, I got addicted to vaping.

So did all my friends.

One night, I decided I wanted to quit. But it was way harder than I thought.

I asked myself: How many times am I even hitting this stupid vape every day?

I had no idea, and neither did my friends.

That's when I realized: if I can't track it, I can't quit it.

So I built Puff Count – an app that helped you quit vaping.

Here's how I went from addiction to $44k/month:

Step 1: I validated the problem was real

Vaping wasn't just my problem. It was everywhere.

TikTok was flooded with "quit vaping" videos getting millions of views.

Vape stores were popping up on every corner.

Google Trends showed "quit vaping" searches constantly increasing.

The demand was real. I just needed to build the solution.

Step 2: I brain-dumped everything

I sketched out the app design on paper.

What did I need it to do? Track puffs. Show progress over time. Make quitting feel achievable.

Simple and focused. One problem, one audience.

Step 3: I hired a developer

I'm not a developer, so I hired one on Upwork. We hopped on a quick 15-min chat, and I instantly knew he was the guy.

He built Puff Count better than I had imagined and is now the CTO at Posted (my current app).

Step 4: I launched and marketed the hell out of it

For the first few months, nothing happened.

I was posting TikToks every day. Most got 200 views. Some got 7.

I thought about quitting. 

Maybe my validation process was wrong? Maybe I sucked at marketing?

But I kept going because I knew the problem was real.

Then one video hit 2.6 million views and everything changed.

I saved every viral "quit vaping" video I could find on TikTok.

Then I made my own versions. Same hooks, same format, my authentic take.

Downloads exploded.

Organic content got me to $5k/month. Then I ran paid ads and scaled it to $44k MRR.

Step 5: I exited after 4 years

I ran Puff Count for 4 years. 1M people downloaded the app. Thousands quit vaping.

Then I sold it to a European studio for a great offer.

Why? After 4 years, I was tired.

I didn't want to make TikToks about vaping anymore. I wanted to build something bigger.

So when a European studio made me a great offer, I took it.

But here's the lesson: The best app ideas come from your own problems.

I was addicted to vaping, and I couldn't find a good solution. So I built one.

And it printed $44k/month + a juicy exit value.

What problem are you dealing with right now that thousands of other people probably have too?

That's your next app.

Learn how to turn your problems into profitable apps

Peace,
Steven