A couple of months ago, my friends kept complaining about the same thing.
They’d lose hours every night doomscrolling.
Same problem I had.
We’d talk about how much time gets wasted and how terrible you feel afterward, but nothing ever changed.
So I decided to build something for them.
The Idea
I made a small iOS app that uses the same swipe instinct, but replaces useless content with short micro-learning cards.
Things like:
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Science
- History
The idea wasn’t to fight the habit — just redirect it.
Instead of infinite junk, you get something mildly useful.
What Happened Next
I honestly wasn’t expecting much.
At first, it was just my friends using it. Then people outside my friend group started downloading it too.
Now it’s making around $6 in monthly recurring revenue.
Total coffee money.
Absolutely chump change.
But weirdly… I’m proud of it.
Why It Still Matters
This wasn’t about the money.
It was about:
- Solving a real, shared problem
- Shipping something instead of overthinking
- Seeing any stranger use something I built
That small signal hits different.
Final Thought
Tiny apps don’t need to be unicorns to be meaningful.
Sometimes:
- Helping a few people
- Making coffee money
- Learning how distribution actually works
is more valuable than chasing big ideas you never ship.
Happy to answer questions about building small apps or growing tiny projects like this.