Mark

product lead, building mobile apps
teardowns of what actually works in the app industry
posting app growth hacks daily

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

this app doesn't sell brain games. it sells you a smarter version of yourself.

iq boost pulls $100k/mo on 50k downloads.

here's how they do it - and how to use it in your own onboarding 👇

- opens on massive social proof: "1 billion+ brains trained," before asking for anything
- asks your age, gender and goals, so every screen after feels made for you
- the killer move: "what do you want to know about yourself?" - IQ, archetype, ADHD type. suddenly it's about your mind, not their games
- a "98% increase in cortical activity" chart makes the payoff feel scientific
- a "creating your plan…" loader so the result feels built just for you
- the paywall sells the transformation, not the features: a personalized plan, 7-day access for $0.29, "2,425 joined today"

every screen quietly moves you from "some games" to "the person you could become."

they're not selling the app. they're selling your future self back to you.

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

this is the smartest "viral feature" i've seen
the app: a shared disposable camera for weddings, riding the disposable-cam trend hard.

the genius - all videos are ai ugc
an ai bride, new one every time, the format repeats forever.

it launched and instantly had infinite content. already $20k/month.

ai ugc reactions are the new meta

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

ai shorts might be the most unhinged app niche of 2026.

three apps, all under a year old, all pulling $20–40k a month — and not one of them filmed a single frame. fake anime episodes, micro cartoons, 60-second soap operas nobody admits to watching. all ai. and people binge it for hours.

the funnel is almost unfair: drop a clip on tiktok or reels, it hooks someone mid-scroll, and they come straight to the app for more.

build a pipeline that pumps out watchable ai shorts and you're early to the easiest content lane open right now.

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

whoever's running this app is printing money on autopilot.

step 1: take a challenge that's already viral - "75 hard." step 2: rebrand it "her 75." step 3: post ai-generated "day 1 → day 75" transformations. new girl every time.

the video and the app are the same loop - it literally can't run out of content.

300k downloads, $200k/month.

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

stop overcomplicating your onboarding.

the team that built dark sky (acquired by apple) just shipped a new weather app.

$30k/mo. under 5k downloads.

here's the sauce 👇

Onboarding
- One screen, swipe through the value props
- No quiz, no account, nothing to fill out
- The trial sits pinned at the bottom the whole time

Paywall
- One plan: Individual or Family, annual only
- 2-week free trial, then $25/year
- One tap to start - no decoy tiers, no timer

this is what confidence looks like: you only earn a one-screen flow when the product holds up.

the best onboarding doesn't work hard to convince you. it trusts you already get it.

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

people don't realize how much money is sitting in "i want her exact outfit."

this app's content is genius, and it's already $20k/month

a girl posts "i was so jealous of her clothes… until," screenshots the fit, the app finds every piece.

no hard sell, no ad - just a moment people want in on.

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

two photos. one caption. 48.8M views

that's the whole WayShot playbook

a stunning edited pic, "she edits her photo too much," swipe to the boring original

THAT'S what the app does.
no pitch. no "download now." just a meme that happens to be a demo

$100k/month posting "relatable" girl memes

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

this face-search app makes $60k/month off 200k downloads.

here's why it works.
it doesn't sell facial recognition.
it sells the thing every girl with a hinge date secretly wants: proof he's not lying.

so the content is never "look at our app." it's "i found out everything about him in 10 seconds 😭"
4.7M views on one clip.

the feature is boring. the outcome sells itself.

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

iScreen pulls $400k/month and barely posts its own content

it just hijacks fandoms

creators turn a trending idol edit into a moving lockscreen, then "tutorial in comments" sends you to the app

3k-follower account. 10k saves on one video

the app was never the hook. the fandom was

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@Lupin_Ai_Coder FLIP

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@VikramVerm25510 Ai Mass

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@mikefutia Sora

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@mikefutia Sora

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

Got some custom figures for my deck and a hope for the best future of $SOL
@SuperteamPOL

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@HypersOnHL Need a spot, please 🙏

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@HypersOnHL Give a spot, pleeeeaseese 🙏

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

💪🙏

[Sanctum ☁️ @sanctumso]

boo, we’re trending @phantom 👻

[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

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[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

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[Mark @notmarkbuilding]

@DirtSol 9btKfYP6cwgweJ9YabeTPV5CERu8UoskP5f6ZGrhod7w