From Zero to $265,000: How a Self-Taught Coder Built and Sold Two Apps in Just Two Months

In the fast-paced world of app development, success stories often take years to unfold. But what if you could go from zero coding knowledge to selling apps for hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a matter of months? That's exactly what Nico, a self-taught coder, managed to achieve. This article delves into Nico's journey, exploring how he taught himself to code, built multiple apps, and ultimately sold two of them for a combined total of $265,000.

The Journey Begins: From Bank Job to Coding Bootcamp

Nico's story begins with a summer job at a bank - a position he quickly realized wasn't for him. After just three days, he resigned, setting the stage for his entrepreneurial journey. At 19 years old, with no prior experience in entrepreneurship or coding, Nico decided to explore various business opportunities.

His first venture was creating a brand of ties made in France. While this didn't pan out as expected (after all, who wears ties anymore?), it introduced him to the world of e-commerce and marketing. This experience led him to discover dropshipping through Facebook groups, which in turn taught him how to run Facebook ads.

Armed with his newfound marketing skills, Nico landed a freelance gig with a Belgian clothing brand. However, when the brand owner decided to work with someone cheaper, Nico found himself at a crossroads. His own e-commerce brand wasn't performing as well as he'd hoped, generating sales but little profit.

It was at this point that Nico made a decision that would change the course of his career: he decided to learn how to code.

The Two-Month Coding Bootcamp

In a bold move, Nico locked himself in a hotel room for two months with one goal: to teach himself how to code. This intense, self-imposed bootcamp was challenging, but it paid off. By the end of those two months, Nico had acquired enough skills to build his very first app.

This period of focused learning laid the foundation for Nico's future success. It equipped him with the technical skills necessary to bring his ideas to life, without relying on others for development.

Building and Selling Apps: The Success Story

Over the course of a year, Nico built an impressive 17 apps. While most of these didn't gain traction, two stood out from the crowd and became his ticket to success.

MeLogo: AI-Generated Logos

The first successful app was MeLogo, an AI-powered logo generation tool. Here's a breakdown of its performance:

• Generated $26,000 in sales
• Sold for $65,000
• Total revenue: approximately $85,000

MeLogo offered users the ability to generate logos using AI. The business model was based on one-time payments, with users selecting packs of 5, 10, or 15 logo options. Customization features allowed users to add text or adjust positioning.

Nico worked on MeLogo for about six months, from November to March when the sale was finalized. The app attracted two main types of customers:

1. People curious about AI technology
2. Small entrepreneurs who wanted a professional logo without the expense of hiring a designer

ToNotes: Voice Notes to Text

Nico's second successful app was ToNotes, a tool for converting voice notes into properly formatted text. Here's how it performed:

• Generated $77,000 in sales
• Sold for $200,000
• Total revenue: $277,000

ToNotes started with a one-time payment model (a one-year pass) but eventually switched to a subscription model priced at $60 per year or $12 per month. The app attracted around 10,000 users, primarily people who frequently needed to brainstorm ideas and write them down for later reference.

The Recipe for Success: Nico's Approach to App Development

Nico's success wasn't just a stroke of luck. He developed a systematic approach to identifying, building, and marketing his apps. Let's break down his strategy:

Finding Winning Ideas

Nico uses four main criteria to evaluate potential app ideas:

1. Personal Value: Is the app solving a real problem that people care about?
2. Scale: Is there a sizable market for the solution?
3. Skills: Can Nico build the app with his current skill set?
4. Distribution: Is there a profitable way to reach potential users?

Interestingly, Nico notes that his most successful ideas often came from solving problems he personally experienced.

From Idea to Launch: Nico's Development Process

Nico's approach to building apps is both systematic and efficient:

1. Set a hard deadline: This forces focus on essential features and prevents endless tweaking.

2. Create an app prototype:

   • Plan essential features
   • Research design ideas (using resources like Dribbble and Google Images)
   • Create a prototype (using Figma for complex interfaces, or coding directly for simpler ones)

3. Add SaaS layers: Implement features like authentication and payment systems.

4. Develop a compelling landing page: Create a sales page to drive sign-ups or purchases.

5. Optimize: Focus on SEO, mobile responsiveness, and fixing minor issues.

Rapid Launching Techniques

Nico emphasizes the importance of launching quickly to validate ideas. For MeLogo, he used Typeform to collect user information and payments, allowing him to start generating sales before building a full backend. This approach helped him validate the idea and justify further development.

Marketing Strategies: How Nico Gained Thousands of Users

Nico's marketing approach varied depending on the project and available resources. Here's how he marketed his two successful apps:

MeLogo: Organic Growth

With limited savings, Nico couldn't invest in paid advertising for MeLogo. However, being one of the first AI-generated logo tools on the market, the app naturally attracted curious users.

ToNotes: Organic Validation to Paid Advertising

For ToNotes, Nico started with organic growth to validate the idea. Once he reached about 1,500 MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue), he knew the idea had potential and began running paid ads.

Nico's paid advertising strategy included:

• Starting with basic static ads (images with headlines)
• Creating landing pages for specific audiences
• Developing targeted ads for these audiences

This approach led to significant growth for ToNotes. Nico's daily ad spend ranged from $20 to $100, which was appropriate given his limited resources for content creation and customer support.

Nico's Paid Advertising Insights

Nico's success with paid advertising offers valuable insights for other app developers:

1. Platform-specific strategies: Adapt your approach based on whether you're using search platforms (like Google) or interruption platforms (like Facebook or Instagram).

2. Attention-grabbing content: For interruption platforms, focus on catching users' attention as they scroll through their feeds.

3. Organic-looking ads: One of Nico's most successful ads for ToNotes featured a person recording the script in their office, making it look more like organic content than a polished ad.

4. Problem-focused messaging: Nico's ads focused on the problems his app solved, mentioning the app name only towards the end of the ad.

The Sale Process: How Nico Sold His Apps

Nico successfully sold both MeLogo and ToNotes through Acquire.com. Here's his advice for selling apps:

1. Treat your listing like a landing page: Showcase your startup as a product.

2. Price strategically: Underprice your startup initially to generate interest from multiple buyers.

3. Be prepared for negotiations: Nico's experience with MeLogo shows how pricing can evolve during the sale process.

Tools of the Trade: Nico's Tech Stack

Nico's efficient development process relies on a carefully chosen set of tools:

1. Next.js: His main JavaScript framework
2. Next UI: A component library that speeds up development
3. ChatGPT: For coding assistance
4. V0: For rapid interface design
5. Ahrefs: For SEO optimization
6. FeedbackWidget.io: Nico's own tool for collecting user feedback
7. ABTest.io: Another of Nico's creations for A/B testing and conversion rate optimization

Life After Success: Nico's Current Routine

After selling his apps for a quarter of a million dollars, Nico's life has changed significantly. He now enjoys a flexible routine, alternating between intense work periods and time for hobbies and relaxation. During focused work phases, he typically:

• Wakes up between 5:30 and 6:00 AM
• Goes to the gym
• Works until 7:00 or 8:00 PM

This mix of intense work and rest periods allows Nico to maintain high productivity while avoiding burnout.

Lessons Learned: Advice for Aspiring App Developers

Reflecting on his journey, Nico offers valuable advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps:

1. Don't get emotionally attached to your products.
2. Create technical prototypes quickly to solve problems.
3. Talk to users as soon as possible.
4. Focus on making your first dollar online before thinking about scalability.
5. Compound small wins to build momentum.

Conclusion: The Power of Just Getting Started

Nico's story is a testament to the power of taking action. While it might seem like he had a secret formula for success, the reality is that he simply got started, shipped multiple products, and eventually found success through persistence and experimentation.

For those inspired by Nico's journey, the key takeaway is clear: don't wait for the perfect moment to start. Begin today, leverage the available AI tools and emerging markets, and focus on shipping products consistently. With dedication and the right approach, you too could find yourself on a path to app development success.

Remember, every successful app developer started somewhere. By taking that first step and committing to continuous learning and improvement, you're already on your way to potential success in the world of app development.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPijWd9uk-I