This app made over $1M

Ania experienced a panic attack in her fourth year of university and was dissatisfied with existing mental health apps, which became the catalyst for developing Rootd.

Without a technical background, she drew sketches in a notebook and created wireframes using Photoshop and Illustrator. She collaborated with a student developer to complete the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in a few months.

She achieved approximately 10,000 downloads in the first year, 100,000 in the second year, and 1 million in the third year. She continued development for several years alongside her main job working 4 days a week, transitioning to a full-time entrepreneur in 2.5 to 3 years.

The three pillars of her growth strategy were: ① active and helpful commenting on social media, ② gaining PR by directly emailing journalists (featured in Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, and Time magazine), and ③ App Store Optimization (ASO).

The app's core feature is the "panic attack button," designed to calm users within 2 minutes. It also offers a deep breathing tool, lessons for understanding anxiety, a journaling feature, over 100 visualizations and sleep sounds, and relaxing games.

The most important metric is not sales or download numbers but "user reviews." She maintains a high rating of 4.8/5.0 and reads user feedback weekly to incorporate it into product improvements.

The four steps to success: ① build a product that delivers on its promises, ② listen to users, ③ continuously optimize App Store presence (weekly releases), and ④ strategic partnerships (B2B contracts with therapist groups and psychology offices).

She prioritized feedback from the first few hundred early users from the MVP launch. Encouraged by their pleas to "keep going" despite bugs and incomplete parts, she continued to refine the product.

She dedicated 3 days a week to Rootd development and 4 days to her main job, working for several years, sacrificing weekends and social life. She transitioned to full-time when revenue reached a level that could comfortably sustain her for over a year.

Advice for entrepreneurs: prioritize user feedback and celebrate small wins. She emphasizes the importance of self-care, drawing from her experience of nearly burning out.