This app made over $1M

Anya

• Background and Origin Story
  • Built Rooted after experiencing a panic attack in her fourth year of university.
  • Had no prior understanding of panic attacks when the first one happened.
  • Was far from home, had no family doctor, and struggled to find useful resources.
  • Searched app stores and online resources but found apps that felt too clinical or hypnosis-based.
  • Decided to build something that spoke more directly to what she needed in the moment.
• Pivotal Moments and Turning Points
  • Validated the idea by downloading existing apps and reading user reviews.
  • Found repeated user complaints about identifying panic attacks and getting through them in the moment.
  • Built an early prototype and received encouragement from the first few hundred users despite bugs and unfinished parts.
  • Worked on Rooted while holding another job four days per week, leaving little time for weekends or social life.
  • Went full time about two and a half to three years into Rooted after revenue could support her comfortably for more than a year.

Products and Offerings

• Rooted
  • Built Rooted for panic attack and anxiety relief.
  • Centered the first prototype on a panic attack button that walked users through a panic attack.
  • Kept the panic attack button as the core aha moment over the years.
  • Included a simple breathing tool.
  • Included lessons explaining panic attacks, anxiety, physical effects, mental effects, causes, and theories.
  • Added a journal tool for feelings, accomplishments, burdens, and gratitude.
  • Added more than 100 visualizations and sleep sounds.
  • Added simple relaxing games for anxious moments on planes, subways, or similar settings.

Metrics and Financials

• Downloads and Revenue
  • Reached more than 4 million downloads since launching in 2019.
  • Generated more than $1 million in revenue.
  • Reached around 10,000 downloads in the first year.
  • Reached 100,000 downloads around year two.
  • Reached 1 million downloads around year three.
• Quality Metrics
  • Maintained a 4.8 out of 5 rating.
  • Tracked user reviews as a core success metric.
  • Learned from usage that Rooted could help users feel better from a panic attack in under two minutes.
  • Received reviews from users saying Rooted helped them return to work, school, and confidence in daily life.

Strategy and Growth

• MVP Validation
  • Recommended launching an MVP when the founder is confident other people experience the same problem.
  • Focused the earliest product on the most helpful experience during a panic attack.
  • Sketched the app in notebooks before turning the ideas into wireframes.
  • Taught herself enough Photoshop and Illustrator to create wireframes and communicate the product vision.
  • Worked with a student developer after agency development proved too expensive.
• Organic Growth
  • Spent hours engaging on social media by leaving helpful comments and linking back to Rooted when relevant.
  • Avoided leading with a direct download pitch and instead answered questions the app could help solve.
  • Used personal storytelling in press outreach after realizing that putting her name to the story resonated more strongly.
  • Cold-pitched journalists who covered mental health through LinkedIn or email.
  • Earned features in outlets including Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and Time magazine.
• App Store Optimization
  • Focused on matching the product page to what users were looking for.
  • Encouraged a loop where users found the app through relevant keywords, had a matching experience, and used those same terms in reviews.
  • Released updates frequently, about once per week, to show active development and improve the app.
• Partnerships
  • Partnered with wellness organizations.
  • Built B2B relationships.
  • Benefited from therapy groups and psychologist offices recommending and using Rooted.

Tech Stack and Infrastructure

• Design and Development
  • Started with notebook sketches of what would be helpful during a panic attack.
  • Created wireframes in Photoshop and Illustrator.
  • Launched the first MVP with help from a student developer.
  • Prepared content and wireframes before development so the first version could be built in a few months.

Lessons and Advice

• User Focus
  • Recommended listening closely to users because they reveal what to focus on.
  • Continued reading all user reviews even after someone else began handling responses.
  • Believed tracking user reviews and product quality over revenue helped Rooted grow.
• Founder Advice
  • Encouraged founders to launch MVPs and prove ideas themselves instead of listening too much to naysayers.
  • Recommended taking care of yourself while building.
  • Warned that intense mission-driven work can lead toward burnout.
  • Suggested celebrating small wins instead of always rushing to the next milestone.