Ombberto's first paying customers (500–600 of them) came entirely through a pre-launch lifetime deal (LTD) campaign built on top of an existing email list from his physical yoga card-deck brand, PlayosB. Over roughly five weeks he sent a sequenced series of emails: the first created intrigue without revealing the product, the second teased something new while keeping the audience guessing, and a third unveiled the app and linked to a YouTube walkthrough video showing all current features and the product roadmap. He was explicit that this was unfinished software, that no refunds would be given, and that people who wanted to "try before they buy" should wait for the subscription plan launching a few months later. The LTD itself was structured into three tiers ($109 / $199 / $349) and was capped in both time (5–7 days) and number of spots available, creating urgency. Crucially, the price was never revealed before launch day — during the warm-up period the audience evaluated the product only on features and vision, with no price anchor to distract them. He also ran parallel cold lead-generation ads to reach people outside his existing list, though the bulk of the $120K came from the warmed-up email audience on launch day (May 5, 2025), generating $17K by end of day one and crossing $120K over the full LTD window.
Floga
Mobile app for yoga teachers and practitioners to build and practice sequences
7 moves, in order
- Pre launch (weeks before launch)Existing email list
Sent a multi-email storytelling sequence over ~5 weeks to the existing PlayosB physical-product customer list. Early emails built intrigue without revealing the product; middle emails teased something new; a later email unveiled the app and linked to a full YouTube demo video showing current features and future roadmap.
Warmed up existing audience; built anticipation and commitment before any price was revealed - Pre launchYoutube demo video
Recorded and published a detailed YouTube walkthrough showing every feature in the app at its current state, honestly explaining what was built vs. what was planned, and setting expectations that the subscription model would come later.
Educated potential buyers on product value and roadmap; drove informed purchase decisions - Pre launchPaid ads cold audience
Ran lead-generation ads targeting people who had never heard of the brand to grow the email list and expand reach beyond existing PlayosB customers.
Supplemented warm list with cold leads; specific conversion numbers not stated - Launch day (May 5, 2025)Lifetime deal — email
Launched a time-limited (5–7 days) and quantity-limited lifetime deal at three price tiers ($109 / $199 / $349). Price was revealed for the first time on launch day. No refunds policy enforced. Sent launch emails to full warmed-up list.
$17,000 generated by end of launch day; $120,000 total over the LTD window; 500–600 early customers acquiredUsers 600 users - Post launch (LTD phase)Telegram community
Created a private Telegram group exclusively for LTD early adopters to collect structured feedback, bug reports, and feature requests directly from the most committed users.
Majority of new features built in subsequent months were driven by this group's feedback; high engagement and retention among paid cohort - Post LTD (subscription launch)Subscription model launch
After closing the LTD, opened monthly, quarterly (website-only), and yearly subscription plans to convert new users who had waited for a trial-based option.
~$9,000–$10,000 MRR; ~4,000 active users (paid + free)MRR $9.5k Users 4.0k users - OngoingContent blog
Published the full pre-launch email sequence as blog posts, providing transparency into the launch playbook and generating inbound interest and credibility.
Referenced by press/media (e.g., this Starter Story episode); drives organic discovery
Ombberto had an existing warm email list and paying customer base from PlayosB, a successful physical yoga card-deck brand that had generated $200K+ on Kickstarter. He also had years of experience as an advertiser and growth strategist, and direct hands-on experience running Kickstarter product launches — giving him a pre-built audience in exactly the right niche and a proven instinct for launch sequencing and cash-upfront monetization.
lifetime_deal_email_sequence
No channels were explicitly called out as failures. Founder implicitly warns against: pricing too low out of fear, showing price before launch day, offering refunds on LTDs, and running LTDs longer than 5–7 days (leads to procrastination rather than conversions).
My App Made $120K in 24 Hours
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