Starter Story
May 31, 2026
Building a $30K/Month App: Step-by-Step Process
TL;DR
Benji built Snag, a free-item discovery app, from zero to $30,000/month revenue in 4 months using a systematic 4-5 hour development process combined with UGC creator partnerships and paid Meta ads.
Key Takeaways
- 1Use a reverse-engineered approach: start with marketing value proposition, wireframe in Figma, then code in 4-5 hours using Claude Code and Cursor
- 2Find scalable ideas by monitoring YouTube, Twitter, and Sensor Tower for underserved opportunities or apps you can improve by 10%
- 3Scale distribution through UGC creator campaigns (aim for 10% conversion rate of creators), test creatives on Meta ads starting at $50/day with ROAS >1 threshold
- 4Build apps that solve clear problems (earn money or save money) with strong value propositions that drive high conversion rates and low churn
- 5Iterate continuously on product metrics (LTV, CAC, onboarding) rather than chasing shiny objects; focus on surrounding yourself with ambitious builders
Notable Quotes
“The entire process usually takes around four to five hours to actually get a good app built out.”
— Benji
“Ideas don't really worth much if you cannot provide the product to the end user in a better way.”
— Benji
“Create your own luck and meet the right people. I'm able to learn so much in the past few months because I met a guy called Blake Anderson.”
— Benji
“Building is easy now. The greatest skill I think right now is the ability to create content and know how to get views and engagement in this sort of algorithmic Tik Tok world that we live in.”
— Benji
Chapters
1. Benji's Background & App Success
Benji shares his journey from a traditional path (4.0 GPA, Congress work, media company exit) to building 45 apps in one year. He built Snag, which hit $30K/month in 4 months with 100K+ authenticated users and 3.3K App Store ratings.
2. The 4-5 Hour App-Building System
Benji's streamlined process: reverse-engineer the value proposition and marketing angle first, wireframe in Figma, design, then code using Claude Code in Cursor. The entire process takes 4-5 hours without backend work.
3. Tools & Tech Stack
Benji uses Cursor (IDE), Claude Code (AI coding), Figma (design), Superbase (backend), Superwall (paywall AB testing), Mix Panel (analytics), Loops (email marketing), and GoDaddy (domain hosting).
4. Idea Generation & Research
Ideas come from YouTube, Twitter, and Sensor Tower. The goal is to find underserved niches or improve existing apps by 10%. Benji emphasizes that ideas are cheap; execution and better UX/marketing matter more.
5. Distribution: UGC Creator Campaigns
Recruit 100 creators, interview them for virality potential, and select ~10 (10% conversion). Offer monthly retainer plus CPM. Test videos—those hitting 50K+ views are strong Meta ad candidates. Example: 240K-view video generated $1-2K directly.
6. Scaling with Paid Meta Ads
Test creatives at $50/day, then scale gradually ($100, $200, $300) if ROAS >1 or CTR is high. Benji spent $3K total on one ad before ROAS turned negative. More creatives = more lottery tickets. Watch for ad fatigue and diminishing returns.
7. Four-Step Playbook for Starting in 2026
1) Find a scalable idea with clear value (earn/save money). 2) Build quickly using AI and no-code tools. 3) Distribute via DIY content or hired creators. 4) Iterate on product metrics (LTV, CAC, onboarding) to maximize value delivery.
8. Advice & Closing Thoughts
Create your own luck by iterating, learning from mistakes, and surrounding yourself with ambitious people. Building is no longer the bottleneck—marketing and content creation skills are now the highest-leverage abilities.
Key People & Entities
- Benji
- Founder of 10X Studio; built Snag app that reached $30K/month in 4 months; has built 45+ apps in past year
- Pat Walls
- Host of Starter Story podcast; interviews founders and entrepreneurs
- Blake Anderson
- Successful builder and mentor whom Benji credits with accelerating his learning and growth
- Snag
- Mobile app that helps users find free items near them; hit $30K/month revenue in under 4 months
- Claude Code
- AI coding tool used by Benji to rapidly build app functionality
- Cursor
- IDE (Integrated Development Environment) used by Benji for coding
Glossary
- MRR
- Monthly Recurring Revenue; predictable revenue generated each month from subscriptions
- ROAS
- Return on Ad Spend; the ratio of revenue earned to ad dollars spent (e.g., ROAS >1 means profitable)
- CAC
- Customer Acquisition Cost; the average amount spent to acquire one paying customer
- LTV
- Lifetime Value; the total revenue expected from a customer over their relationship with the app
- UGC
- User-Generated Content; organic videos created by creators/influencers promoting the app
- CTR
- Click-Through Rate; the percentage of ad impressions that result in a click
- Paywall
- The screen/interface that prompts users to pay for premium features or subscriptions
- API wrapper
- A simple app that interfaces with an existing API to provide value without building unique backend logic