Built an iPhone app, invested a lot of time and money… users love it. Now how do I get it discovered?

[u/SpacialVivi]

Hey everyone!

I recently launched my first iPhone app, MyQuotaBag.
It started with a simple idea… a conversation with friends about luxury watches, handbags and how complicated the whole buying journey can be.

One thing led to another… notes, spreadsheets, ideas… and eventually a real iPhone app.
I’ve invested a lot of time, energy and money into building it, testing it, improving the experience and making sure it’s something people actually enjoy using.

And here’s the good news… we have real users, the feedback has been incredibly positive and people genuinely enjoy the app. 😊
That’s the part I’m really happy about.
But here’s what I underestimated…
How difficult it is to get a good product in front of the right people.

MyQuotaBag is a private collection journal for luxury handbag enthusiasts. It helps collectors organize their purchases, collections, boutique visits, wishlists and better understand their own collecting journey.
It’s a very specific niche… and a community where privacy and trust are extremely important.
Many collector groups don’t allow promotion, which I totally understand and respect.
So even when you have something people enjoy using… how do you let others know it exists without becoming that annoying guy promoting his app everywhere? 😂

I’ve started experimenting with educational content, SEO, social media ….

Some things seem promising… others not so much.
I’m definitely learning!

So here’s where I’d love your help…
For those of you who launched an app or built a business around a niche audience…
1. What helped you get your first 100 real users?
2. What actually worked to go from 100 to 1,000?
3. And for those who made it to 10,000… what changed?

Was it one marketing channel? Word of mouth? Content? Partnerships? Paid ads? Or just showing up consistently for months?

And what was your biggest waste of time or money?
I’m genuinely curious… and I think a lot of other indie founders could benefit from hearing your experiences too.

Any advice, ideas or brainstorming is more than welcome!
Happy to share my own experience as well… including what worked, what didn’t and what I’ve learned along the way.

If you’re curious about the project, here’s the website:
https://myquotabag.com

Thanks everyone! Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 😊

[u/Bln_tr]

Chrono24 for Hermes baga? I would check it out but I am not a fan of downloading apps. Web app would be nice

[u/lawrence_builds]

Have you looked at App Store search ads on just a couple of exact keywords? Even a small budget tells you pretty fast which search terms actually convert, and then you can work those into your title and subtitle.

[u/Anderz]

Collecting designer bags to the point of having to inventory it is niche enough. Just collecting Hermes bags though is next level niche. I'd broaden the concept to all designer bags. And if that's already the case, why does the website feel so specific?

And the name is very uninspiring. Quota is about as utilitarian a word you could use for something so boutique and exclusive.

[u/HATDOGUSERNi]

id focus on SEO and partnerships with luxury handbag creators. helpful content solves collectors problems can build trust without feeling like an ad.

[u/Competitive_Tune_590]

tough spot, especially in a niche where promo is frowned on. since you've already got a site or landing page, a founder traffic exchange might get some eyes on it without feeling spammy. one option is launchpact, where you host a small ad card on your site to earn credits and spend them on other founders' sites. worth a look, ymmv.

[u/Muted_Razzmatazz9485]

Having users who genuinely enjoy it is a strong start. For a trust-heavy niche, I’d try a few collector creators who already share useful content, and only mention the app where promotion is welcome.