Pre launch / MVP
Student developer partnership
Unable to afford an agency, Anya partnered with a student developer and put in all her savings to build the first MVP. She had already prepared notebook sketches and Photoshop/Illustrator wireframes, so development took only a few months once a developer was onboard.
→ MVP launched with core panic attack button, breathing tool, and lessons
Year 1 (2019)
Social media community engagement
Spent hours daily finding social media posts from people discussing anxiety and panic attacks, then wrote detailed, genuinely helpful comments drawing from Rooted's lesson content — explaining the 'why' behind symptoms — and occasionally linking back to Rooted. Never led with 'download my app.'
→ ~10,000 downloads in first year
Users 10k users
Year 1–2
Cold email to journalists
Identified journalists and writers who covered mental health topics (finding them via LinkedIn or email), then sent personalized cold pitch emails tying Rooted to their beat. Required high volume of outreach for low response rate, but yielded occasional major placements including Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, and Time magazine.
→ Featured in Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, and Time magazine
Year 2
App Store optimization
Focused on closing the loop between the app store product page promise, the in-app experience, and user review keywords. Ensured the product delivered exactly what the listing promised so users organically used the same keywords in reviews that appeared in search — creating a self-reinforcing ASO flywheel. Also released updates weekly to signal active development.
→ ~100,000 downloads reached by year 2
Users 100k users
Year 3
Word of mouth
By focusing relentlessly on product quality (maintaining a 4.8/5 App Store rating) and user outcomes (users reporting panic attack relief in under 2 minutes), Rooted generated organic word-of-mouth sharing. Anya tracked user reviews as her primary KPI rather than revenue, using them to continuously improve the product.
→ 1 million downloads reached in year 3
Users 1.0M users
Growth / Scaling (Year 3+)
B2b partnerships
Pursued strategic B2B partnerships with wellness organizations, therapy groups, and psychologist offices who began recommending and using Rooted with their clients. Signed B2B contracts to formalize these relationships.
→ Meaningful B2B revenue channel established; therapists and psychologists actively recommending the app
Ongoing / Maturity
User review feedback loop
Anya continued reading every user review personally even after hiring someone to write responses. She used reviews to drive product decisions — e.g., the games feature was added after years of user requests. Frequent weekly releases maintained App Store ranking signals and kept the product visibly active.
→ 4.8/5 rating sustained; 4 million+ total downloads; $1M+ total revenue
Users 4.0M users