Top Takeaways:
⛳ Find people already doing it the hard way
If a community is solving a problem with spreadsheets, Google Maps, or shared workarounds, you don't need to convince them they have a problem — you just need to make the solution easier.
🚫 Don't rebuild your entire app for one person's feedback
Overweighting the first piece of feedback you get, especially when it requires a massive pivot like adding a new platform, is one of the most common traps for first-time developers.
📉 Intellectually knowing and emotionally knowing are different things
You can predict a seasonal downturn or a slow period, but the anxiety of watching revenue drop to zero still hits differently when you're living through it.
🎬 Market before you build
The difference between a hobby that nobody finds and a business that grows from day one can be as simple as sharing screenshots and talking about what you're making while you're still making it.
💸 Your LTV has to work before you spend a dollar on ads
Paid acquisition only becomes a money printer when your conversion and retention numbers are already strong from organic users — otherwise you're just paying to lose money faster.
🎥 The scrappy creative wins
A raw, unpolished screen recording made by the founder can outperform expensive influencer content because it speaks directly to the audience in their own language.
🏋️ Grit without product-market fit is just suffering
Resilience is a necessary skill, but grinding on something nobody wants for years doesn't make you a better entrepreneur — it just delays the moment you find the thing that actually works.
About Eric Duffet:
🚀 Indie Developer and creator of Shot Pattern, a specialized golf GPS and course management app designed to help golfers lower their scores by visualizing their personal "shot cone" directly over satellite maps of the golf course
👋 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-duffett/
🌐 Learn more about Shot Pattern - https://shotpattern.app/
Follow us on X:
Charlie Chapman - https://twitter.com/_chuckyc
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Launched - https://twitter.com/LaunchedFM
More content from the RevenueCat family:
👉 Sub Club – Our sister show that features interviews with the experts behind the biggest apps in the App Store: https://www.youtube.com/@SubClubPodcast
👉 StartApp School – Practical courses on monetization, growth, acquisition, and everything else that turns an app into a business. Completely free: https://www.startapp.school/
👉 RevenueCat blog: Meta Ads in 2025: Expert tips from Marcus Burke: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/meta-ads-in-2025-tips-for-apps/
👉 Four months after launching my app, someone offered to buy it: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/why-i-didnt-sell-my-app-shot-pattern-story/
👉 Finding Product-Market Fit: A Guide for Subscription Apps: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/product-market-fit-subscription-apps/
👉 Slopes: From Indie Side-Hustle to $1M in ARR and an Apple Design Award: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/slopes-from-indie-side-hustle-to-1m-in-arr-and-an-apple-design-award/
Episode Highlights:
[00:00] Introduction to Shot Pattern: “Moneyball for golf”
[02:14] Eric’s background: teaching, finance, and early app development
[03:40] Golf experience and coaching background
[05:58] First app: meditation for athletes and lessons learned
[10:47] Rookie mistakes: Android pivot and early marketing missteps
[13:08] Design insights from working with UI/UX students
[17:00] Understanding product-market fit through a simple school app
[20:07] Starting Shot Pattern as a personal side project
[21:46] Early app features: measuring arcs and dispersion on Apple Maps
[25:17] Early marketing and organic growth via Twitter
[29:35] Investing in golf course data to enhance the app
[33:04] Prototype simulations and early community feedback
[35:10] Declining $75K acquisition offer to continue independently
[38:14] Facing seasonal slowdowns and sustaining motivation
[42:04] Running Meta ads and achieving high LTV
[46:50] Effective ad creative targeting the right golfers
[49:58] Balancing development, business, and family
[56:32] Hiring a contractor for marketing and operational support
[01:00:23] Future plans: delivering more value through analytics and AI reports
[01:02:31] Competition and validation in the golf app space