Erly: a push-up alarm app at over $50K a month four months after launch, built in 19 days with Claude Code
An iPhone alarm that only turns off after you do push-ups, built to help people wake up early and keep the habit.
Over $50,000 per month, about four months after launchper month, App Store Connect dashboard shown in a Starter Story interview, July 2026, as claimed
- Verification
- Screenshot Founder shared a dashboard screenshot (Stripe, RevenueCat, App Store). Not independently verified.
- App type
- Productivity & lifestyle
- Currency
- US dollars (USD)
- Built with
- Claude Code
- Got customers via
- Influencers, TikTok, Instagram, UGC videos
- Prior audience
- Not stated in the source
- Source
- Jake Glacer (founder), Starter Story on Starter Story, Jul 5, 2026
“Building doesn't really matter so much. What really matters is marketing. And so I prioritized that over everything.”
Editor's note: Jake, 24, is a former CPA at a Big Four firm who taught himself to code over about four years. He says it took about 19 days from his first commit to the App Store, and the alarm feature itself shipped about 19 days later. He calls Claude Code 'the absolute best tool for actually building the app' and runs Firebase, Superwall, OpenAI, Mixpanel and creator-payment tools around it. The 28-day sales figure on screen ($61.2K) is App Store sales before Apple's cut. The app on the App Store is sold by Glacier Labs LLC (released Sep 3, 2025). We found no TrustMRR listing for Erly.
How they got customers
Creators on TikTok and Instagram making day-in-the-life style videos with the app. He pays them on view-guarantee deals that work out to about $2 to $3 per thousand views, tracks every creator's results, and puts marketing ahead of building.
Steps to try
Pick a problem almost everyone has (getting out of bed) and a dead simple mechanic: the alarm stops only after push-ups.
From the sourceShip the MVP fast; Erly went live in about 19 days, before the alarm feature even existed.
From the sourceBuild with Claude Code and keep the stack to off-the-shelf services: Firebase, Superwall, Mixpanel.
From the sourceRecruit TikTok and Instagram creators for day-in-the-life videos and pay on view guarantees, around $2 to $3 per thousand views.
From the sourceTrack every creator's views and installs and keep paying only the ones that work.
From the sourceRemember App Store sales are before Apple's commission and refunds; plan costs on proceeds, not sales.
Our suggestion
"From the source" steps summarize the linked post. "Our suggestion" steps are general practice from us, not claims by the founder.
Source
We summarize and link. Figures are reproduced as stated and are unaudited unless marked Verified. Founder? Request a correction or removal.
Quick answers
How much does Erly make?
Erly reports Over $50,000 per month, about four months after launch (per month, App Store Connect dashboard shown in a Starter Story interview, July 2026, as claimed). Source: Jake Glacer (founder), Starter Story, Jul 5, 2026. Proof level: Screenshot. Founder shared a dashboard screenshot (Stripe, RevenueCat, App Store). Not independently verified.
What was Erly built with?
The source says it was built with Claude Code.
How did Erly get customers?
Main growth channels: Influencers, TikTok, Instagram and UGC videos. Creators on TikTok and Instagram making day-in-the-life style videos with the app. He pays them on view-guarantee deals that work out to about $2 to $3 per thousand views, tracks every creator's results, and puts marketing ahead of building.