Rootd - How to bootstrap #1 health and fitness app with Ania Wysocka

Jul 6, 2022

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Rootd is "anxiety and panic attack relief right in your pocket.” It leads the #1 rated app on both iOS and Google Play and boasts over a 1.7 million user base. The award-winning application has paved a unique path to success based on an unusual approach - bootstrapping.

While raising venture funding is a celebrated practice in the startup industry today, the brand has been insisting on 100% financial and technical independence. Today, the app is trusted by users in 150+ countries and continues to grow its revenues.

In this episode of Subscription League podcast, Olivier and Jeff sit down with Ania Wysocka, Founder of Rootd to talk about the story behind the app’s creation and how its strategies around onboarding, paywall, and user engagement had a catalytic impact on the app’s growth.

Please listen, subscribe, share, and leave a glowing review!

For noteworthy quotes and key takeaways from the episode, read the article - How to bootstrap #1 health and fitness app with Ania Wysocka (Rootd)

Episode Topics at a Glance

The story behind Rootd’s creation
Bootstrapping
Ania’s personal experience with anxiety
User reviews
Onboarding and early-stage paywall display
Story submission
Next steps for Rootd

More about Ania Wysocka

Ania is the founder of Rooted - the #1 rated mobile app for anxiety & panic attack relief. Ania designed and created Rootd’s complete content and has led the business to over 1.7 million users in over 150 countries. Her unique combination of graphic design, marketing, and subject matter expertise provides Rootd with its unmistakable personality.

Previously Ania served as Program Director at Alacrity Canada, where she created and led a Digital Marketing Bootcamp to run province-wide in partnership with the BC government, helping over 6,000 individuals and small businesses, particularly those impacted by COVID-19.

Entrepreneurial by nature, with a strong sense for effective design and cross-cultural communication, Ania has been selected for a Developer Spotlight by Apple, as a “30 Under 30” winner by BC Business, a "Canadian Woman in Tech you Should Know" by the Daily Hive, and one of “20 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch” by Founders Fund.

Ania Wysocka’s Links

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome to the Subscription League

[00:22] Ania Wysocka & Rootd background

[01:39] The early days & origin of Rootd

[03:26] Is Rootd in Flutter now?

[03:37] What pushed you to go the self-funded route?

[05:34] Benefits of Ania using Rootd

[07:20] Ania’s communication with users and tone vs a larger company

[08:13] The importance of positive reviews

10:45 Other methods to monetize Rootd

[11:53] What are the variations you tried around your paywall?

[13:10] Is the Panic Button free?

[14:09] Did the paywall have an impact on the reviews?

[15:38] What are some takeaways from the experiments on the paywall?

[16:45] Rootd stories published by Apple and its impact

[21:03] Advice for bootstrappers

[23:00] The future of Rootd

[24:42] Where to learn more about Rootd

[25:20] Thank you for listening

Transcript

Episode production by Mobdesign: https://podcasts.mobdesignapps.fr