<p><b>Startup description</b></p><p>My app is an iOS financial simulation game. It’s a deep, strategy-driven experience centered around trading, markets, and gem valuation, blending finance, storytelling, and design into a uniquely immersive mobile experience.</p><p>I started it to explore how complex financial systems could be gamified without losing realism or depth. Everything from the economy engine to the UI was built completely from scratch, with no templates or low-code tools.</p><p><b>Key Highlights:</b></p><ul> <li>637K+ impressions, 123K page views, 16.3K downloads (100% organic)</li> <li>4.8★ average rating globally (300+ global reviews, 100+ written)</li> <li>Zero paid user acquisition (only a small Apple Search Ads test, less than $100)</li> <li>Highly defensible design – unique mechanics, strong depth, and polished UX that can’t be easily replicated</li> <li>Built 100% in Swift &amp; SwiftUI, no external frameworks or templates.</li> </ul> <p>Launched in February 2025, the game began gaining traction organically through App Store Browse traffic in Q3. I’m selling because I’ll be starting a new job soon and won’t have the time to dedicate to scaling it further.</p><p><b>Team</b></p><p>Solo-dev built over a 2 1/2 year span.</p><p><b>Tech Stack</b></p><p>Built with Swift, SwiftUI, Node.js, PostgreSQL, ElevenLabs</p><p><b>Marketing and growth</b></p><p>Growth has been 100% organic, driven primarily by sustained App Store Browse traffic and word of mouth. No paid UA or influencer marketing has been used. The app maintains steady visibility through Apple’s organic discovery algorithms and a few Reddit posts that reached the iOS gaming and indie dev communities.</p><p><b>Revenue and profit</b></p><p>Over the last 365 days, the app generated $8.77K in gross sales and $7.36K in proceeds (after Apple's commission). The app currently has 70 active paid subscriptions at $4.99 ( sub just launched last month).</p><p>Recurring expenses are minimal:</p><ul> <li>Landing page hosting: $15/month</li> <li>Railway backend: $30/month</li> </ul> <p>Total monthly overhead is ~$45, putting margins above 90%.</p><p><b>Return on investment</b></p><p>The app is already profitable with strong organic revenue and minimal overhead. Depending on the final sale price, the buyer can expect a relatively short payback period given current monthly performance. Any future updates or light marketing could accelerate ROI even further.</p><p><b>Startup assets<b></b></b></p><ul> <li>Discord with 400+ members</li> <li>Subreddit with 250+ members</li> <li>Website + domain</li> </ul> <p><b>Risks</b></p><p>The main risk is that growth has been entirely organic, so future revenue depends on continued App Store visibility and user discovery. Without regular updates or marketing, downloads could plateau over time. However, this also means the app has proven sustainable without paid acquisition. Buyers can boost performance through light ASO, new content, or community engagement to accelerate growth.</p><p><b>Summary</b></p><p>My app offers a rare combination of defensibility, design polish, and traction. It’s already validated product–market fit without PA. The buyer is getting a turnkey, profitable foundation with strong ratings, loyal users, and clear room to scale through marketing or new content drops.</p><p>✅ $8,770 in ARR</p><p>✅ 70 customers</p><p>✅ Business model: IAP and SaaS</p><p>✅ Built with PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Swift</p>