Your Own App Won't Make You Rich

Philipp Lackner 10/4/2023

By Philipp Lackner
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If you're considering making money as an app developer, creating your own app might seem like a straightforward path. However, it is actually one of the hardest ways to achieve financial success. Here are three key reasons why simply having an app in the app store won't make you rich.

1. Most People Forget About Marketing

One of the biggest challenges app developers face is marketing their app effectively. Simply publishing your app is not enough. Consider these questions:

Do you have a large social media following to promote your app?
Are you able to spend thousands of dollars on advertising?

Without a strong marketing strategy or budget, how will people find your app? This is a crucial step that many developers overlook.

2. Your Own App Does Not Mean Passive Income

Many developers assume that once their app is published, it will generate income passively. This is a misconception. In reality, you still have to:

Handle customer support
Add new features regularly
Maintain the app to fix bugs and ensure compatibility

Managing these ongoing tasks means your app requires continuous effort and time, which limits the idea of it being a passive income source.

3. User Retention Matters More Than Downloads

While download numbers might seem like the ultimate success metric, what really counts is user retention - how long users continue to use your app. This is a complex topic on its own, but it is often ignored by developers.

Focusing on retention means ensuring your app provides ongoing value to users, encouraging them to keep coming back rather than just downloading it once.

Final Thoughts

My personal recommendation is to publish an app if you enjoy the process, but don’t expect to quickly make a living from it. Building a successful app business requires much more than just coding and publishing.

Do you have an app on Google Play? How has your experience been with marketing, support, and user retention? Share your thoughts!

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