Hitting 2M downloads without funding, employees, or learning to code — Ania Wysocka, Rootd

Ania Wysocka, the founder of the panic attack and anxiety relief app Rootd, successfully grew her app to over two million downloads without any external funding or coding skills, as she detailed in an episode of the Sub Club podcast. Despite initially being offered $40,000, Ania realized this wouldn't suffice and instead focused on piecemeal contracting and organic growth strategies. She emphasized that more money isn't always the solution, sharing how an ill-fitting ASO strategy based on high-traffic keywords backfired. Instead, Ania found success with highly relevant, low-search-volume keywords and harnessing the power of organic promotion through local journalists and strategic press releases. Her persistence eventually led to Rootd being featured by Apple’s Editor’s Choice after multiple submissions, which significantly boosted app visibility and downloads. Ania's story illustrates the importance of storytelling, persistence, and strategic organic growth in achieving significant app success without a budget for advertising.