a working playbook, not a thinkpiece
Boring subscriptions are.
I shipped a $7 chess app.
Your agent can ship yours.
why you should listen
Not a guru. A tool I needed.
the market is rising
15k
new subscription apps
every month.
Was ~2,000/month in 2022. RevenueCat 2026.
four years
7×
more launches than 2022.
Global subscription apps are not shrinking. Supply exploded.
the top is ripping
+80%
top-quartile MRR.
Year over year.
Top 10% grew 306%. Median still grew.
the bottom is dying
−33%
MRR for the bottom quartile.
Subscriptions aren't dead. Generic recurring charges are.
the actual choice
one-time
Book, guide, download.
Done is done.
recurring
You keep improving it.
The job comes back.
practice chess, music, language, fitness
monitor rankings, inventory, prices, uptime
produce reports, estimates, schedules
remember clients, plants, maintenance
why openings
The opening changed every game.
You never get the reps.
No way to repeat the same line.
So I built one.
the live product
$0
daily opening
$7
per month
$49
per year
Same opening. On demand.
Let someone finish one real job.
Charge for more choice, depth, speed, history — not for removing sabotage.
little-business math
300
people × $7/month
$2.1k
MRR before fees
Not venture math. Enough to fund a serious little tool.
how it actually grew
Chess people I already talk to.
A few users. Real complaints.
That's the roadmap.
the entire machine
Same five boxes for a download or a living app. Checkout mode is the fork: payment or subscription.
CC0. Point your coding agent at the repo and say the next slide out loud.
screenshot this
Build a paid app for [my niche].
Charge once, or subscribe.
Privacy and terms starters are in the repo. They read like a person, not a law firm.
It is knowing which recurring job deserves a permanent little tool.
Talk to the niche. Ship the smallest complete loop. Charge once if it's a file. Charge again if you keep building.
now go
github.com/bensig/subscription-app-playbook