My $40k MRR Mobile App Tech Stack

October 04, 2025

Hey there,

When I started building mobile apps, I burned through so much cash on tools that didn't move the needle.

I'd sign up for everything. Spend hours setting up dashboards. Then realize half of them were useless for what I actually needed.

After scaling Puff Count to $44k MRR, I finally figured out which tools matter and which are just burning money.

Here's my exact tech stack broken down by phase:

Phase 1: Research

Most people skip this and jump straight to building. Don't do that. This phase made the difference between Puff Count succeeding and failed apps dying at 100 downloads.

Tools I use:

· My brain: I looked at problems I actually had in my daily life
· Google Trends: Validate search volume is going up, not down
· SensorTower: Spy on competitors and see if they're making money

Phase 2: Building

Time to bring your idea to life. I start by sketching everything on paper first. Features, user flows, interfaces. All the ideas in my head onto a page.

My tools:

· 99designs: Run design contests, pay only for winners
· Upwork: Hire devs and marketers without breaking the bank
· Mobbin: Study onboarding flows from top apps
· Paywall Screens: See which paywalls convert best

Phase 3: Optimization

This is where you turn users into paying customers. Most founders skip straight from building to marketing and wonder why their revenue sucks.

Game-changer tools:

· Superwall: Split-test paywalls without app store updates.
· Mixpanel & Amplitude: See where users are dropping off
· RevenueCat: Track LTV and subscriptions

Phase 4: Marketing

I scaled Puff Count to $44k MRR by mastering organic TikTok content. Posted daily. Studied what went viral. Recreated winning formats.

You need a repeatable system for content that converts. Not just one-off viral videos, but a process that works even when you're not the one posting.

Marketing tools I use:

· TikTok/Instagram: Organic reach is still free if you know what works
· Posted: Creator contests that get you hundreds of videos without upfront costs
· TT/Meta Ads Manager: Scale your winning organic content with paid ads

That's the full stack that took me from zero to exit.

But tools alone won't build your app business. You need a system for using them at the right stage.

In my accelerator, I walk app founders through exactly when to use each tool, which ones to skip, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes I made.

Peace,
Steven