KOOTD Failure Analysis

After launching KOOTD, I ran Google Ads targeting India and other regions with a small budget. While I got decent impressions and about 30 installs, no one actually used the app. People were exiting before even seeing the first screen, let alone signing up.

I checked if the app was crashing, but there were no such issues. The problem was that people were abandoning the app before they could understand how to use it.

Initial Failure Analysis

The main issue was that the app's ease of use wasn't apparent to new users. Even though the app is actually very simple to use, new users couldn't figure it out on their own.

Next Steps

Onboarding Process Added

I added an onboarding process and app guide that shows new users how to use the app when they first install it.

Design Significantly Improved

The design was definitely trash at the time, and I still think it's not great now. I'm improving it by referencing other fashion apps. It's still rough, but it should give users less of an immediate urge to exit.

Style Check Available for Non-Logged-in Users

After much consideration, I made the style check feature available without login. This was partly for new features and partly to cover API costs with AdMob interstitial ads.

Lonely Developer's Reality

I'm quite shy, so I couldn't ask friends to help with user testing. These days, free promotion is impossible anywhere. I'm the only one who can carefully QA my app. It's lonely, but it's the path I chose.

KOOTD's Unique Targeting Strategy

Other fashion apps target only women, but I want to include people like me who are ignorant about fashion. I want to target people who prefer to hide rather than expose themselves, believing this will naturally attract others.

Instagram Ad Challenge

I'm planning to invest more money in Instagram ads with appealing taglines for fashion-unconfident people and create attractive visuals. I'm shifting from AI-generated female models to a more "plain" approach focusing on the clothes and the app screen itself, emphasizing that the clothes should be the main focus, not the models.

New Feature (Secret)

There's a new feature coming in this version that I'm keeping secret. The focus is on how easily even fashion-ignorant people can get evaluations and understand improvement points.

Conclusion

The failure was primarily due to poor user experience and unclear value proposition. Through continuous improvements in design, onboarding, and targeting strategy, I'm working to turn this around. The journey is lonely, but it's the path I've chosen to pursue.