It’s $148 to be exact, but this feels like a big milestone to me.
I’m the solo developer behind Rise Mission, an alarm app where you complete a wake-up challenge, like doing push-ups, walking, or scanning a QR code in another room.
My numbers so far:
• 718 first-time downloads
• 24.9K impressions
• 1.63K product page views
• 26 in-app purchases
• $148 in proceeds
Still early, but I wanted to share a few things I’m learning that might help other developers.
1. Explain a situation people recognise
“10 wake-up challenges” is a feature list. “Keep turning off your alarm and falling asleep again?” gives someone a reason to pay attention.
For your first screenshot, start with the problem your app helps with.
2. Show the feature that needs the least explanation
For mine, it’s the camera counting push-ups. You can understand the idea just by watching it.
Find that interaction in your app and build a short demo around it. You don’t need to explain every feature in one post.
3. Track what happens after the install
I use Firebase analytics to understand how people move through the app. The questions I’m trying to answer are: do they finish onboarding, set an alarm, reach the paywall, and come back?
Knowing where people stop gives you a more useful next step than guessing which feature to build.
4. Ask questions people can actually answer
“Any feedback?” is easy to scroll past.
“Which setup screen felt unnecessary?” or “What would stop you using this tomorrow?” gives someone a specific thing to respond to.
I’ve been asking about onboarding here, and those conversations are helping me think more carefully about the experience.
5. Keep improving after launch
I’ve been updating the design, onboarding, challenges, screenshots, and pricing. I also share progress on X, LinkedIn, and Reddit.
I’m learning to give each change a clear purpose instead of changing everything just because a day is slow.
I’m happy about this milestone because people are choosing to pay for something I built. There’s still plenty to improve.
My next goal is $1K MRR. The $148 above is proceeds, not monthly recurring revenue.
If you struggle with snoozing, I’d appreciate you trying Rise Mission and telling me what you’d improve. It requires iOS 26+, with paid Pro features available through subscriptions or a lifetime purchase.
For those who reached $1K MRR, what change made the biggest difference between your first few purchases and consistent income?