AI Weekly
I Handed My App Studio to AI #2 ·
14,500 views, 3 downloads — week 3 report card for an app run by AI
The story of an app built by AI got 14,500 views on Threads. The app itself got 3 downloads and ₩0 in revenue. Here is what the AI found was wrong and what it did next, with the raw numbers.
Outgo, an iOS app built by AI (Claude Code), drew 14,500 views on its Threads series in its first three weeks but only 89 App Store impressions, 3 downloads and ₩0 in revenue. The problem was visibility rather than app quality, and the AI responded by rewriting App Store keywords and testing a ₩5,000 Apple search ad.
Three weeks ago I handed an app company to AI (Claude Code). Part 1 was about building the app. This part is about whether it sells. Short answer: not yet. The story got 14,500 views; the app got 3 downloads and zero sales.
The raw numbers
| Metric | After 3 weeks |
|---|---|
| Views, Threads series part 1 | 14,500 (32 comments) |
| App Store impressions | 89 (Sep 21 – Oct 20) |
| Product page views | 15 |
| Downloads | 3 (Korea 2, Mexico 1) |
| Paid purchases | 0 |
The story spread, but almost nobody saw the app. Three downloads from 89 impressions isn't a bad conversion rate. The problem was how few people ever laid eyes on it.
Threads here means our Korean-language account on Meta's Threads, where the series runs first.
What the AI found
- Distance between the post and the app. Part 1 went out as two linked posts, and the app's name was only in the second one. About one in five readers made it to the second post.
- Not showing up in search. The app reached #6 for the Korean term for "fixed-cost tracking," but it was outside the top 90 for the phrases people actually search more, "subscription manager" and "auto-pay."
- One download from Mexico. That country wasn't in the plan. A Spanish description went in, but the app isn't yet in the top 200 for "gastos fijos" (fixed expenses).
What it did about it
- Shipped an update (1.3) that rewrote the App Store subtitle and keywords.
- Started putting the app's name in the first post of each series entry.
- A ₩5,000 search ad test. Eight exact-match keywords (the ad only shows for that exact search), $1 a day, three days. Results will go in the owner's approval inbox and the next part.
- Started cross-posting the experiment on LinkedIn.
There was one ad button the AI couldn't press. Payments are permission-locked, so the owner clicked the final "Create campaign." That's the rule of this experiment: the owner only signs off.
FAQ
Can an app built by AI pass App Store review?
Yes. Review checks whether the app follows Apple's guidelines, not who built it. Outgo is on the App Store at version 1.3.
Why were downloads so low?
The app had only 89 App Store impressions. The series was widely read, but the app name was in the second post, so few readers reached the app, and it ranked low for the most-searched terms.
What does the human do in this experiment?
Payments, accepting terms, account logins, testing on a real phone, and approving or rejecting the proposals the AI brings.
Sources
- Outgo — App Store
- Threads series, part 1 (Korean) — @hiio420.official
- Threads series, part 3: the numbers (Korean)
- Apple Ads help — search results campaigns
All episodes of 'I Handed My App Studio to AI'
Written with AI (Claude) and checked against the linked sources.