The one-sentence test 99% of apps fail

October 09, 2025

Hey there,

Your app has 47 features and zero downloads.

Want to know why?

Nobody wakes up at 2 AM thinking "I wish there was an app with gamification badges and a social feed."

They wake up thinking "I need to fix this problem, and I don't know how."

You built what you think is cool. Not what people are desperate for.

Here's the test: Can you explain what painful problem your app solves in one sentence?

Not what it does. Not its features. The actual problem.

If you can't, you don't have an app.

Most founders build backwards. They think of a cool feature, then try to find people who might want it.

That's why 99% of apps die with under 1,000 downloads.

Winning apps start with one specific, painful problem and build the simplest possible solution.

Not 10 features. One.

Not "productivity platform." Set a 25-minute focus timer so you can actually study.
Not "make people healthier." Track exactly how much you're vaping so you can quit.
Not "social fitness app." Count your daily steps so you stop lying to yourself about exercise.

One painful problem. One simple solution.

Everything else is noise that confuses users and kills conversions.

Right now, your app is trying to be everything to everyone. That's the kiss of death.

When someone downloads your app, they have 60 seconds of patience. If they can't immediately understand what problem you're solving, they're gone.

If your solution isn't 10x better than their current painful reality, they won't even bother downloading.

Strip away every feature that doesn't directly solve the core problem.

Find the ONE thing people are desperately searching for. Build that. Make it stupid simple.

Add features later, only after users ask for them.

Peace,
Steven