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How a Self-Taught Coder Built a $3K MRR App from His Mom’s Basement
Most app success stories involve big teams and bigger budgets, but Jack Friks rewrote the script. From his mom’s basement, he taught himself to code, built CuriosityQuench, and hit $3,000 MRR in months. Let’s unpack how this solo founder turned a personal pain point into a thriving app.
🚀 The Startup Snapshot
Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
Founder | Jack Friks, self-taught programmer and solo founder |
Product | CuriosityQuench - A mobile app that reduces screen time with personalized action plans |
Stage | $3,000 MRR (March 2025, YouTube Interview), bootstrapped |
🔍 What He Did
Jack was tired of doomscrolling, so he built a solution. Using ChatGPT to learn coding, he developed CuriosityQuench in just four months. A TikTok post validated his idea when users clamored for the app. With a clever organic marketing strategy, he drove over 100,000 downloads, converting a fraction into paying users through a $30/year subscription model.
🧩 The Strategy Breakdown
Niche Lock-in:
Jack pinpointed a universal pain point—excessive screen time—and tested demand with a TikTok video that sparked 15 comments saying, “I need this.” This lean validation confirmed his niche before writing a single line of code.Distribution Play:
Organic marketing was king. Jack used TikTok, posting 6-second videos with a 2x2 image caption template and pinned comments linking to CuriosityQuench. This approach generated hundreds of millions of views and 60-70,000 signups.Conversion Strategy:
The app is free with a 7-day trial, followed by a $30/year subscription. With over 100,000 downloads, a 1.2% conversion rate to paid users yields the reported $3,000 MRR.
💡 Build Audit Takeaway
You don’t need a team or funding to build a successful app. Jack’s journey shows that solving a real problem, validating it early, and mastering organic marketing can drive significant traction. Start small, test fast, and show up where your audience already is.
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Note on MRR
The $3,000 MRR figure comes from a YouTube interview dated March 25, 2025. The video’s title mentions $10,000/month, which refers to the combined MRR of CuriosityQuench ($3,000) and PostBridge ($7,000). No verified sources support claims of $15,000 MRR for CuriosityQuench alone. Readers are encouraged to verify with Jack Friks directly via his X Profile.
🔗 Links & Credit