How a Fast Food Worker Learned to Code and Built Two $10K/Month Apps
Vineet
Hey – here’s a story you might like.
A couple of years ago, Jack Ficks was flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Three years on the grill, a few abandoned side hustles (t-shirts, self-published books, YouTube), and a short stint at college before dropping out.
No computer science degree. No Silicon Valley connections. No investors.
Just a decision: “I’m going to figure this out.”
He set up camp in his mom’s basement, opened his laptop, and started teaching himself to code.
One year later, he was making $10,000 a month from two apps he built entirely himself.
Two Apps, One Basement
Curiosity Quench – The “anti-doomscroll” app
Born out of Jack’s own frustration with wasting hours on his phone.
Built in 4 months while still learning React Native + Expo.
Replaces endless scrolling with hobby suggestions.
$30/year subscription with a 7-day free trial.
Over 100,000 downloads and $3,000/month MRR.
Growth entirely organic—fueled by short, snappy TikTok videos.
PostBridge – The “social media time-saver”
Built to solve Jack’s personal headache: manually posting to multiple platforms.
Took 4.5 months using Next.js + Supabase.
Starts at $9/month, with higher tiers and a 7-day free trial.
$7,000/month MRR within 5 months of launch.
Includes built-in tools like a content template creator.
Finding the Ideas
Jack’s rule for idea generation is brutally simple:
“If I’d personally pay for it, that’s a good sign.”
Curiosity Quench: Solved his own problem of compulsive scrolling.
PostBridge: Eliminated the repetitive posting grind.
Both products were born from real pain points—not abstract “good ideas.”
Validation in 60 Seconds
Jack didn’t run surveys or spend weeks in “research mode.” For Curiosity Quench, he posted a single 60-second TikTok explaining the idea.
15+ people commented “I need this.” That was enough.
He doubled down—posting more videos, watching the reaction, and iterating quickly.
Building at Speed
Jack didn’t wait to “master” coding before starting. He built from day one—chaotically at first—using ChatGPT to debug errors and boilerplates like Chipfast to skip setup work.
His process:
Start coding immediately.
Iterate landing pages weekly.
Use PostHog for analytics and A/B testing.
Keep costs minimal (~$400/month for APIs and hosting).
Tech stack stayed lean:
| Mobile | React Native + Expo |
| Web | Next.js |
| Backend | Supabase |
| Tools | Apple Notes, Trello, physical timer for deep work |
Organic Marketing Masterclass
Jack’s entire growth strategy is organic short-form video. No ad spend.
Daily routine:
Spend 15 minutes on TikTok/Instagram identifying viral formats.
Save them as templates.
Use CapCut to make quick, 6-second videos.
Post every day, adjusting based on feedback.
Key tactics:
Make deliberate “mistakes” to boost comments.
Avoid ad-like content—focus on education, entertainment, or emotion.
Reuse the same viral template hundreds of times with small tweaks.
Results:
300+ videos → millions of views → 60–70k signups → thousands of paying users.
Converting Free Users to Paying Customers
Onboarding clearly frames the problem (doomscrolling) and the solution (new hobbies).
Paywall encourages trial of premium tier.
7-day free trial, no free plan.
Optional 40% yearly discount.
Prices set based on what he would pay—keeps churn low and margins high.
Retention Without Tricks
Jack’s retention philosophy is simple:
“If they need it daily, they’ll keep it.”
Both apps solve recurring, painful problems—stickiness happens naturally.
A Day in Jack’s Life
Wakes early, gets 8 hours of sleep.
Reads in the morning.
2–4 hours of focused work, break, another session.
Uses a physical timer to track deep work (inspired by Pat Walls).
Stops working after dinner to avoid burnout.
Lessons He’d Tell His Younger Self
Keep going—even when it feels like nothing’s working.
Build solutions for real problems you’ve felt.
Don’t expect overnight success—plan for 3–4 years.
Volume beats perfection—try many things.
Build in public—authentic progress resonates more than generic advice.
Nobody cares enough to judge you—stop worrying.
The Numbers
Revenue: $10K/month across both apps.
Costs: $400–$600/month.
Profit margin: 95%+.
Team: Just Jack.
Jack’s journey is proof that you don’t need perfect credentials, a big team, or investor money to build a profitable product.
You need to:
Solve your own painful problems.
Validate quickly and cheaply.
Keep building in public.
Show up every day.
From flipping burgers to running two highly profitable SaaS products—Jack’s “basement-to-$10K/month” story is one worth bookmarking.
Subscribe to my newsletter
Read articles from Vineet directly inside your inbox. Subscribe to the newsletter, and don't miss out.
Written by