The Little Kegel App that Could

From 2016 to 2018, I dominated Google search results for men's sexual health topics through strong SEO expertise rather than credentials. My blog posts on topics like "last longer in bed" consistently ranked in the top three results, receiving millions of annual visitors.

Genesis

I wrote my first article on the topic while drunk and was unprepared for its viral success on Reddit. The piece climbed to the top of r/sex and r/everymanshouldknow subreddits, sparking rapid blog growth from 2,000 to 20,000+ daily visitors within months.

I noticed readers clicked through to an existing kegel exercise app costing $1.99, and calculated the monetization potential. I theorized that even 10% conversion of my high-intent traffic could generate substantial daily revenue, prompting me to explore building my own version.

Building

In 2016, lacking coding skills in Swift or React Native, I leveraged my newsletter to connect with app developer Alex Gross, who quoted $4,500 for development. Despite significant personal savings constraints, I viewed the opportunity as asymmetrically favorable—the investment could pay for itself within a year if projections proved accurate.

Launching & Growing

Stamena launched softly in 2016. Rather than aggressive marketing, I simply replaced existing blog links with my app link and published a single post. The first month generated nearly $1,000; month two yielded $3,500, officially recouping development costs.

The app's staying power came from App Store SEO. With over 2,000 reviews averaging 4.7 stars, Stamena maintained visibility. Critically, keeping it as a one-time $1.99 purchase—rather than adopting the subscription model competitors favored—likely preserved its competitive advantage.

Selling

By 2018, I wanted to find the app a new home, feeling it misaligned with my evolved professional focus. After dozen unsuccessful acquisition conversations over seven years, a buyer named Zach contacted me via Twitter in 2023. Though I didn't initially respond, Zach persisted. In September 2025, we completed the deal within days.

Over nine years, Stamena generated $380,000 in revenue, peaking at $5,000-$10,000 monthly before declining to $600-$800 recently.