Starter Story

Pat Walls
  • 4.3 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

Want to know how real people build real businesses? That's what we do at Starter Story. Every episode, we sit down with founders who've actually done it. They share the real numbers, the real mistakes, and the strategies that actually moved the needle. We've talked to thousands of entrepreneurs – app builders, bootstrapped SaaS founders, agency owners, and everything in between. If someone is building something interesting, we want to know how. New episodes weekly. Hit subscribe.

  1. 16h ago

    He built 100 apps and made $0. Can he fix it in 30 days?

    Meet Gaurabh. He built almost 100 apps in 60 days. But... he had a problem. Despite shipping all these projects, he has made exactly ZERO dollars. What happened? What was going on? Why hadn't he made any money? In this first episode of the Starter Story challenge, we challenge him to finally monetize his app. Can he actually do it? *Side project ideas you can build with your 9-5:* https://clickhubspot.com/jzxl Apply for the challenge → https://forms.gle/eFqR1QdT4N5tBWyo9 Follow Gaurabh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurabhmathure/ Check out his projects: - https://attn.design/ - https://vuemagnet.com/ - https://mastersofattention.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel:  @StarterStoryBuild  🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 $1K in 30 days 00:00:42 Welcome to the challenge 00:01:05 100 apps... zero revenue 00:01:34 What's the problem? 00:02:21 The Challenge 00:03:05 Do you accept the challenge? 00:03:23 It begins! 00:03:50 100 side project ideas 00:04:48 Update 00:05:02 The first 30 days 00:06:11 Making $100 00:06:53 The next 30 days 00:08:08 Numbers behind the content 00:08:58 Talking to customers 00:09:42 Revenue and results 00:10:35 Congrats on the challenge!! 00:11:09 Lessons learned and advice 00:12:57 What's next? 00:13:29 Join the challenge 00:13:36 Wrap up This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

  2. 2d ago

    How I Work: $22K/Month Solopreneur

    Rob builds apps, travels the world, and is an inspiration to all indie builders in the game. Over the past few years, he has been documenting his journey of building a $20K/month SaaS on X, sharing what it really looks like to be an indie developer in this day and age. *Free $1M Solopreneur MVP Guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/66mr Follow Rob: https://twitter.com/robj3d3 Check out his projects: http://robhallam.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Rob 00:00:58 Morning routine 00:01:38 Building while traveling 00:03:00 Start your solopreneur journey 00:03:28 Afternoon routine 00:04:19 Prioritizing work 00:05:53 Biggest lessons learned 00:07:40 Advice to builders

  3. 6d ago

    I Spent 24 Hours With iOS Millionaires

    I traveled to New York to spend 24 hours with the guys who built and sold Cal AI for millions. The video answers one main question: now that AI lets anyone build an app, is it still possible to build a successful one in 2026? Along the way, we talked about what it was like to build a company with your friends, and what they're doing now that they've sold. *Free iOS Bootcamp:* https://clickhubspot.com/bqt8 Follow Blake: https://x.com/blakeandersonw Follow Zach: https://x.com/zach_yadegari Cal AI: https://calai.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel:  @StarterStoryBuild  🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 iOS Millionaires 00:01:20 What’s your story? 00:02:24 Numbers behind Cal AI 00:02:48 Meet the other co-founders 00:03:36 What was it like to work together? 00:03:59 Did you know it’d be successful? 00:04:48 Becoming co-founders 00:05:38 Managing conflict and trust 00:06:58 Build your own iOS app 00:07:39 Opportunity in apps in 2026 00:08:32 Does copying apps still work? 00:09:15 Advice for building apps 00:10:00 NYC office tour 00:10:25 What did it feel like to sell Cal AI? 00:10:58 The game of entrepreneurship 00:11:42 What are you working on now? 00:12:46 Final thoughts from Pat This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

  4. Aug 9

    I Copied A Huge App. Now I Make $80K/Month

    Tomer took one of the most successful apps in the world and built it for his local market. Today, just 12 months after launching, he's already doing over $80K/month. This video breaks down his playbook for reverse-engineering a proven app idea and building your own. *iOS App Ideas:* http://go.starterstory.com/lp-test-3-ios-app-ideas-description Follow Tomer: https://twitter.com/tomercn Check Cal Buddy: https://calbuddy.co.il/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 You don’t need an original idea 00:01:04 What’s your story? 00:01:38 What’s the app? 00:02:15 Founder background 00:03:03 Build process 00:04:01 Finding the app idea 00:04:43 More app ideas! 00:05:32 App differentiation 00:06:40 Growth and marketing 00:08:00 Influencer strategy 00:09:05 Partnership breakdown 00:09:54 Tech stack 00:10:24 Final advice 00:11:05 Pat and Gus reflections: you don’t need a new idea! This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

  5. Aug 2

    How I Work: $40K/Month Solopreneur

    Over the past few years, Jack Friks has completely changed his life through bootstrapping and building apps on the internet. In this video, we do a deep into how he works: how he spends his time, finds ideas, and his approach to work that viewers can take and use in their daily life. *Get our free $1M Solopreneur MVP guide:* https://clickhubspot.com/dg4j Follow Jack: https://twitter.com/jackfriks Check out his projects: https://www.jackfriks.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Meet Jack Friks 00:00:32 Morning routine 00:01:19 Doing his best work 00:01:47 Working in sprints 00:02:44 Work routine 00:03:33 Stress, anxiety, and work 00:04:39 Finding ideas 00:05:29 Lessons learned 00:06:57 Evening routine 00:08:34 Number 1 piece of advice for builders 00:08:51 Keep going!

  6. Jul 26

    $18K/Month From This Ridiculously Simple App Idea

    Ryan is a former product designer who quit his job to finally build his own app. With the help of AI coding tools, the first app he ever built hit $18K/month. But here's the crazy part... this type of app has been built hundreds of times. Why was his successful? In this video, we will dive into the simple app he built, how he got his first users, and his advice on how to pick winning app ideas. *Free: iOS Bootcamp:* http://go.starterstory.com/lp-test-2-ios-bootcamp-description Follow Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanqyao/ Check out Cat on Chair: https://catonchair.app/en/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 I love niche apps 00:00:50 What’s your story? 00:01:19 App breakdown and data 00:02:46 Ryan’s background 00:03:20 Simple apps win 00:03:54 Design and AI 00:04:10 Build timeline 00:05:35 Target customers 00:06:16 Tech stack 00:06:48 Finding the app idea 00:08:15 Why does this app work? 00:09:47 Building a hand-crafted app 00:10:19 How to build cool, unique apps 00:11:11 Cat on Chair Demo 00:12:33 Final advice 00:13:20 Pat and Gus reflections: building unique apps This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

  7. Jul 19

    This Stupidly Simple App Makes $100K/Month

    Michael built one of the most unbelievable app ideas I've ever seen. And today he makes over $100K per month. But the real story is the IDEA. What's the secret? How does it make money? So in this video, we break down how Michael found this unbelievable app idea and the framework any builder can use to find their own crazy app ideas too. *Free: 100+ App Ideas in Health, Wealth & Self-Improvement:* https://clickhubspot.com/vq21 Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/michaelque22 Check out Go Tall: https://www.gotall.app/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 I can't believe this exists... 00:00:58 What's your story? 00:01:31 App breakdown 00:02:41 Michael's background 00:03:32 Health and Self-Improvement Apps 00:04:36 Finding the unbelievable idea 00:06:27 Advice for finding ideas 00:08:40 Growth and marketing 00:10:20 Tech stack 00:10:52 Go Tall demo 00:12:59 Advice: let go of your ego 00:14:35 Pat and Gus reflections: what an unbelievable idea! 00:17:01 Build YOUR app idea This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

  8. Jul 15

    Should I Quit My Job At Meta For My $30K/Month SaaS?

    I traveled to Los Angeles to meet a guy who built a $30K/month golf app while he had a full-time job at a big tech company. But now he's facing a big decision: should he stay at his full-time job and keep building on the side? Or is it finally time to go all-in on his business? In this video, you will learn the incredible story behind how he built this successful business and by the end... you'll find out whether he stayed or quit! *190+ Micro-SaaS Ideas Making Millions:* https://clickhubspot.com/58ys Follow Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-robinson-543b2678/ Check out Live Tourney: https://www.livetourney.com/ 🔔 Follow the Second Channel: @StarterStoryBuild 🏁 We're hiring: starterstory.com/jobs Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Stay or quit? 00:00:43 Arrival! 00:01:02 Meet Matt 00:01:25 Business breakdown 00:01:43 Career life 00:02:13 Improve Pat’s swing! 00:02:47 Idea and build 00:03:32 How the app works 00:04:12 Is this a dumb decision? 00:04:40 Go build something! 00:05:44 What’s the plan? 00:06:55 The inflection point 00:07:40 Back against the wall 00:08:28 How to build with a full-time job 00:09:42 What it feels to build a successful app 00:10:30 Takeaways and reflections 00:11:31 The final decision! 00:12:08 Leaving the job 00:12:43 A family decision 00:13:18 What’s next? 00:14:42 Wrap up This video is an educational case study of this founder’s experience. It is not financial advice and does not guarantee any income or results. Every business is different and your results may vary.

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4.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Want to know how real people build real businesses? That's what we do at Starter Story. Every episode, we sit down with founders who've actually done it. They share the real numbers, the real mistakes, and the strategies that actually moved the needle. We've talked to thousands of entrepreneurs – app builders, bootstrapped SaaS founders, agency owners, and everything in between. If someone is building something interesting, we want to know how. New episodes weekly. Hit subscribe.

Information

  • Creator
    Pat Walls
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    77
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Starter Story
  • Show Website
    Starter Story

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