Why I study my competition like a stalker

August 26, 2025

Hey there,

I study my competitors so obsessively, I probably know their apps better than they do.

I've exited multiple apps and hit 7-figures in App Store revenue.

99% of apps fail because founders make the same 5 mistakes.

Mistake #1: They solve fake problems 

Apps that try to be everything to everyone hardly get any downloads. 

I stalk user reviews to find the real problems people complain about. 

Pick one painful, specific problem and go all in. Puff Count was "quit vaping" not "let me make everyone healthy"

Mistake #2: They skip market research 

Winners study their competition and audience like obsessed stalkers. 

I spend hours dissecting competitor apps: their onboarding flows, pricing pages, user reviews, even their job postings to see what they're building next. I know their revenue, ad spend, and which creators they use for content.

Before building Puff Count, I downloaded every quit-smoking app, took screenshots of their flows, which keywords they rank for, and even joined their user communities. That obsessive research showed me exactly where the gaps were.

Mistake #3: They overcomplicate everything 

Confused users bounce immediately.

Skip the fancy features. Solve the problem first, add dark mode and other features later.

Mistake #4: They treat marketing as an afterthought 

A mediocre app with great marketing will always outperform a great app with bad marketing. 

I save every competitor ad I see and study which hooks they're testing. Start with marketing in mind. I had viral "quit vaping" videos saved that ended up going viral for me too.

Mistake #5: They launch and disappear 

Launch is just the beginning. Collect feedback, iterate fast, and give users what they actually want.

Peace,
Steven