How This Developer Studied TikTok Comments to Build $800K/Year Makeup App
TL;DR: Louis spent years building apps that got zero users - would build first, then try to market. For Glow Up (AI makeup try-on app), he and co-founder studied TikTok makeup videos and comment sections to find problems people talked about. Created content about getting makeup looks FIRST to validate market would engage. Content went viral so they knew idea would work. Built MVP super quickly with FlutterFlow. Hit 100K users in 3 days after launch. One video got 48M views, 2M likes, generated $12.5K sales and 60K downloads in one day. Growth hack: in-app referral (invite 3 friends for free look) drove users back to TikTok to share codes in comments, boosting engagement and algorithmic reach. Used anchor links (Download Now button on viral videos, not bio). At peak ran 7 TikTok accounts posting 8-12 times/day. Account warming strategy: new iPhone with US SIM card, VPN, watch niche content 15-30min/day for 3 days before posting. Now: $15K/month revenue, $800K total first year, 2M users, 70K paying, #1 lifestyle category, #4 free apps. Pricing: $9.99/week or $39.99/year. Tech: FlutterFlow, Firebase, Google Cloud Functions, Superwall payments. 90% profit margins ($1K/mo backend, $500/mo AI). Long onboarding with personalization questions, asks for 5-star review before showing results to boost App Store rankings.
Key Insights
- TikTok comments reveal real problems people discuss openly - mine these for product ideas
- Create and validate content BEFORE building product to prove market will engage
- In-app referral mechanics that drive users back to social comments create engagement loops
- Multi-account scaling (7 accounts posting 8-12x/day) amplifies reach beyond single account limits
- You don't need to love or know the niche to build successful product in it
Actionable Takeaways
- Study TikTok comments in big hashtag niches to find repeated problems
- Warm up TikTok accounts: watch niche videos 15-30min/day for 3 days before posting
- Create content first to validate engagement, build product only after proof
- Add anchor links to viral videos (500K+ views) for direct App Store downloads
- Design viral loops: in-app referrals that drive users back to social comments