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This is Steven Cravotta (channel steven.builds) — see the hub page for his full system and 14 other videos.

TL;DR

Mobile founder Steven (Cravotta) scaled Puff Count—a quit vaping mobile application—from zero to $44,000 MRR before exiting to a European mobile app studio. Steven’s three-step playbook uses systematic TikTok market research to copy organic viral video formats, publishes high volumes of organic content, and feeds Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) with user data to scale the profitable winners via paid TikTok and Meta ads.

The Founder’s Story

Steven is an indie developer who believes app success is entirely driven by marketing and distribution rather than coding. Experiencing a personal addiction to vaping in college and seeing the massive, controversial interest in vaping on TikTok, he recognized a highly painful, viral problem worth solving.

Steven built Puff Count to help users track and systematically reduce their nicotine consumption. He successfully scaled the app to $44,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) before selling it to a major European app studio. After his exit, Steven built Posted—a B2B platform designed to match brands with UGC creators seamlessly.

The Building Process

Steven built Puff Count using AI-assisted coding tools. The app focuses on tracking daily vaping counts, presenting progress metrics, and providing dopamine-regulation resources to combat withdrawal. Rather than perfecting every line of code, he launched a basic MVP and focused 100% of his energy on refining the marketing funnel.

The Launch & Marketing Strategy

Steven operates a Three-Phase Marketing Framework that approaches application growth from a marketing-first standpoint:

Phase 1: Systematic Market Research

  1. Go to TikTok, type niche keywords (e.g. “quit vaping”), and filter by “most liked videos of all time.”
  2. Analyze the top viral performers to identify the exact creative hooks, storyboards, and calls to action (CTAs).
  3. Document every viral video in a spreadsheet.
    • Example: Steven discovered that videos of creators dunking their vapes into glasses of water went highly viral. He systematically replicated this specific concept for Puff Count, which immediately generated 33,000 views on his profile.

Phase 2: High Organic Volume

  • Post consistently every single day. Volume negates luck.
  • Capture user attention in the first 3 seconds using a sound and visual hook (e.g., shaking a glass jar filled with empty vapes).
  • Present a clear problem/narrative (e.g., paying people to ditch their unhealthy vapes).
  • End with a subtle, 2-second visual/verbal call to action. Keeping the CTA very brief forces viewers to rewatch the video, boosting algorithmic watch time.
  • Pin high-converting video styles (public interviews, product walkthroughs, problem-solution narratives) to the top of the profile to turn the channel profile into a self-converting landing page.
  • Avoid low-intent virality: An entertaining video with no pain points or CTA got 11.6 million views but drove zero installs. In contrast, highly targeted pinned videos drove massive sales.

Phase 3: Scale Winners with Paid Ads

  • Integrate a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) like Adjust or Appsflyer to feed installation and trial event data back to Facebook and TikTok.
  • Do not optimize for bottom-funnel purchases immediately without data. Optimize step-by-step down the funnel: Views → Clicks → Installs → Trials → Subscriptions.
  • Upload organic viral winners directly to the ad dashboards. Because the creatives are already validated, ad costs are incredibly low (CPC of 3¢ to 35¢).
  • Paid TikTok ads allow a native download button on the video, skyrocketing the view-to-install conversion rate.

Exact Tech Stack

  • UGC Matching Platform: Posted (used to match with creators by setting briefs, allowing creators to pitch videos for free, and buying only approved content)
  • MMP Data Trackers: Adjust, Appsflyer
  • Paywall Testing: Superwall
  • Subscription Engines: RevenueCat
  • Ad Distribution: TikTok Ads, Meta (Facebook) Ads
  • Asset Planning: Google Sheets (for creative spreadsheet mapping)

Key Stats & Metrics

  • Puff Count Exit: Sold for millions after reaching $44,000 MRR.
  • Organic Growth: 120,000 organic TikTok followers, 50 million organic views.
  • Total Paid Spend: $82,000 spent on TikTok and Facebook ads.
  • Cost Metrics: CAC of $20 - $24, LTV of $55 - $70.
  • Golden Ratio: 1:3 CAC to LTV ratio (“a money printing machine”).
  • Cost Per Click (CPC): 3¢ to 35¢ on proven ad creatives.

Key Tactics & Insights

  • Marketing-First Rule: A developer could build the best app in the world, but if it is not marketable, it will make zero dollars. Always validate marketability first.
  • Volume Over Perfection: Do not be a perfectionist with short-form content. High volume of posting is the only way to escape the algorithmic “200-view jail” and find the winning creative format.
  • Cross-Post Everything: Repost every video across TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Twitter/X. Twitter is a highly under-utilized app distribution platform.
  • MMP Integration is Mandatory: Paid ad engines are dumb without data. You must pass in-app events (trials, subs) back to the ad networks so their AI can locate high-value buyers.
  • Creator Sourcing via Posted: Leverage platforms like Posted to write brief creative deals. Creators submit custom content for free, and you only pay to purchase the final video rights and ad codes (e.g. licensing 2.7M follower creator videos for $110).
  • The Native Ad Advantage: Organic videos are great, but paid ads allow native App Store installation buttons on-screen, cutting down the friction of users manually searching the App Store.

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