Indie mobile app · A focused mobile app with freemium or paid unlocks — store fees and ASO are ongoing taxes.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Read How to start → The craft → Earnings reality, then use compare rails.
Earnings and platform rules change; use dated bands, not live quotes.
It names everyday desks for Digital products before English norms look universal.
No — editorial 0–100 browsing aids inside this atlas only.
Use related cards and best-of / quiz rails after the first three chapters.
The craft and Earnings reality carry mechanisms; skim How to start first.
These sketches are archetypes synthesised from common public operator patterns — not endorsements of named private individuals.
Steal the constraints (hour caps, fee tracking, employer-policy checks), not the lifestyle photography. A turnaround here means the day job stayed intact while side cash became reliable.
Kept the day job in Berlin — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Morgan Patel kept performance reviews intact in Berlin while running Indie mobile app via template repeats. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in Singapore — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Quinn Brooks kept performance reviews intact in Singapore while running Indie mobile app via changelog cadence. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in London — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Avery Santos kept performance reviews intact in London while running Indie mobile app via refund rules. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in Seoul — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Alex Rivera kept performance reviews intact in Seoul while running Indie mobile app via channel mix. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in São Paulo — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Jordan Lee kept performance reviews intact in São Paulo while running Indie mobile app via template repeats. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in Tokyo — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Sam Okonkwo kept performance reviews intact in Tokyo while running Indie mobile app via changelog cadence. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in Austin — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Riley Chen kept performance reviews intact in Austin while running Indie mobile app via refund rules. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
Kept the day job in Toronto — turned Indie mobile app into steady side cash
Casey Novak kept performance reviews intact in Toronto while running Indie mobile app via channel mix. Hours were capped, net profit was logged after fees, and anything that collided with employer policy was declined.
If a story requires ignoring employer policy, it is a cautionary tale, not a template. Life turnarounds on this atlas keep the W-2 (or local equivalent) while the side stream stabilises.
Packaged Notion systems sold to niches — support load and clone fatigue are the quiet costs.
Time to cash 38 📘Self-paced or cohort teaching products — marketing and updates outlast the recording week.
Time to cash 28 ⚙️A narrow paid tool solving one painful workflow — support and churn, not launch day, decide survival.
Time to cash 18 🖼️Sell presets, brushes or UI kits on marketplaces — volume and bundling beat one perfect file.
Time to cash 40 🔗Content that earns commissions on recommended tools — disclosure rules and cookie windows are non-optional.
Time to cash 32