This app's addiction playbook is insane

August 28, 2025

Hey there,

There's an app making $500K/month in the "quit drinking" space.

My last app Puff Count hit $44k/month helping people quit vaping.

Same niche, same pain point, same playbook that works.

Here's the $500k formula:

Step 1: They weaponize rock bottom moments 

They don't just "solve drinking problems". They target people at their most vulnerable. Their ads hit when you're googling "I drink too much" at 2am.

Step 2: Their ads are psychological warfare 

Look at their Meta ads:

  • Hook: "I used to hide bottles from my wife"

  • Agitation: "Your kids are watching you destroy yourself"

  • False urgency: "Only 3 days left to change your life"

  • Social proof: "127,000 people already quit"

They're selling identity transformation.

Step 3: The onboarding is an intervention simulator 

They make you walk through your worst drinking memories. "How many drinks did you have last night?" Then they show testimonials from people who look exactly like you.

By the time you hit the paywall, you're emotionally committed. Skipping feels like giving up on yourself.

Step 4: They create artificial streaks addiction 

Daily streaks, badges, community pressure. They replace alcohol addiction with app addiction. Genius move. Same dopamine hit but healthier delivery method.

The hard paywall is about commitment psychology. Free trials let you quit. Paying forces you to commit to change.

Peace,
Steven