26N26: Building 26 Apps in 2026

You only have to get rich once

-Charlie Munger

I stumbled upon a YouTube video from Starter Story where this guy Max shows his process for building consumer mobile apps. In just 8 months he's published 28 apps to Android/iOS stores; resulting in over $10k MRR.

This was an inspiring video to me - not because the MRR is some insane number, but because I know how much fun it would be. The strategy (TLDR version) he uses involves: finding good keywords in big enough markets, building apps that are similar to well performing apps in that market, and just moving on to the next app. No customer interviews (at least initially), no detailed market research; just basic research, code, publish, iterate. I've never seen a business playbook like this that utilized my strengths so well. If there's anything I've learned from my short career in Software Engineering, it's that: I can build fast. I don't know exactly why, but I've always had an ability (compared to my peers at least) to ship features and learn new systems at a faster rate than them. I hope that doesn't come off as too arrogant; I'm happy to talk about my shortcomings as well, this is just something I've noticed I'm uniquely better at.

This hits on something I've been searching for the last year; how can I create a business in such a way that utilizes my strengths, and minimizes my weaknesses. I'm great at shipping code, but hopping on a call with randoms for 8 hours per day would make me very sad (and I'm not just speculating, I've tried a mini version of this at ~1 hour per day and was quite sad). Another question, what actions could I take such that it's a no-brainer that the business will succeed? Maybe 26 apps isn't enough, but what about 100 apps? If I could build 100 apps, getting better each time, I have to think I'll build some decent revenue streams from that. This puts the power in my hands. I'm not beholden to business RNG. If I can keep cranking code and learning, then I'll win. That's what I'm after.

The Challenge

2026 is right around the corner at the time of writing this. As one does around this time, it's time for thinking about goals for the next year. I'm committed to giving this strategy a try for 2026. I chose a slightly more conservative number than Max, but 26 in 2026 sounds nice, and will allow me to build at a sustainable pace (hopefully). So that's the challenge, I'll target 1 app every 2 weeks, considering it done once it's in the Play and App stores.

There are tons of details to figure out within that. Some details that I'm currently struggling through are: should I create an LLC, should I do localization, when do I return to a previously built app (if it's printing money). But I suppose experience is the best teacher, as per usual.

I'm going to write about my progress every 2 weeks in a sort-of sprint review style; what's going well, poorly, what I'm learning, etc. If you find anything interesting, or just want to chat, I implore you to reach out via your favorite method (email, Twitter, etc).

See you next year,

Caden