Solo dev. I built GearsTrack, a build tracker for car enthusiasts (parts, costs, build logs, shareable build pages), on web, iOS and Android. I leaned hard on paid Meta and Google ads. Sign-ups were cheap, but paid conversions were brutal: 11 subscribers total at $3/mo or $30/yr. The algorithm never got enough conversions to leave the learning phase. I'm switching to community distribution now: car forums, build threads, and letting shared build pages do the marketing. For anyone who's been here: what actually moved the needle for your niche consumer app after ads didn't work? gearstrack.com   submitted by   /u/I_Love_KillLaKill [link]   [comments]