Martin Moravek

Minimalist Phone

Software-Ingenieur baut $20K MRR App, um seine eigene Smartphone-Sucht zu bekämpfen

$20K MRR

Current revenue · as of March 2026

Starter Story

1 year

$10K MRR

Bezahlte Werbung

Growth Channel

Solo-Gründer

Founder

Martin Moravek

Solo-Gründer•Technical•Germany

Commitment

Side Project

Experience

First-time

Product

Minimalist Phone

Android-App, die Personen hilft, ihre Bildschirmzeit zu reduzieren und den Fokus wiederzugewinnen, indem sie das Smartphone-Erlebnis vereinfacht.

Type

Mobile App

Industry

Gesundheit & Wellness

Model

Freemium

Marketing Strategy

How Martin acquired customers

Growth Channel

Bezahlte Werbung

Also Used

SEO / ContentMundpropaganda

Tech Stack

Tools used to build Minimalist Phone

Android StudioKotlinGoogle PlayGoogle Ads

The Full Story

TL;DR

Nach fast einem Jahrzehnt in Automobil- und Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie baute Martin Moravek Minimalist Phone, um sein eigenes Bildschirmsucht-Problem zu lösen.

Martin Moravek ist ein Software-Ingenieur, der fast ein Jahrzehnt in der Automobil- und Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie verbrachte. Aber er befand sich in dem Dopamin-getriebenen Netz der sozialen Medien und Smartphone-Sucht.

Das Problem

In einem Zeitalter, in dem die durchschnittliche Person ihr Smartphone alle 12 Minuten überprüft, ist der Kampf gegen Bildschirmsucht real. Martin erlebte dies aus erster Hand und entschied sich, eine Lösung zu bauen.

Die Lösung bauen

Im Dezember 2020 startete Martin Minimalist Phone auf Google Play. Seine anfängliche Investition war minimal: nur $100 für die Google Play-Lizenz und $3.000 für eine Homepage.

Das Wachstum

Die App verspricht, die Bildschirmzeit zu reduzieren und Nutzern zu helfen, den Fokus wiederzugewinnen, indem sie das Smartphone-Erlebnis vereinfacht. Es resonierte mit Millionen von Menschen, die das gleiche Problem hatten.

Wichtige Zahlen

Start: Dezember 2020
$20K MRR bis Oktober 2022
2M+ Downloads auf Google Play
500.000+ aktive Nutzer

Der Ansatz

Martin nutzte Google Ads strategisch, um Nutzer zu akquirieren, kombiniert mit organischem Wachstum durch Mund-zu-Mund-Propaganda, da zufriedene Nutzer die App Freunden mit ähnlichen Smartphone-Sucht-Problemen empfahlen.

Key Takeaways

Lösen Sie Ihr eigenes Problem – Martin baute das, was er selbst brauchte

Niedrige Startup-Kosten sind möglich – nur $3.100 zum Start

Nebenprojekt-Erfolg – gebaut während Vollzeitarbeit in einer anderen Karriere

Google Play kann für das richtige Produkt ein großartiger Vertriebskanal sein

Originally published onAccessWire Press Release

Founder proof brief

A one-page proof brief turns Martin's Minimalist Phone playbook into your next test.

See what it covers before you sign up: the pattern worth copying, the channel to test, and the risk to avoid when you adapt this story.

Pattern

$10K MRR

Channel

Bezahlte Werbung

Output

Action checklist

What a proof brief covers

A one-page brief that turns Martin's pattern into a testable plan
Channel bet: start from Bezahlte Werbung
A risk check before copying the Minimalist Phone playbook

See what a proof brief covers

See what it covers first. Create an account only if you choose to unlock.

Inspired by Martin's journey? Generate a business idea in the Gesundheit & Wellness space using AI and real founder data.

Milestone Journey

Martin achieved 3 milestones on the path to $10K MRR

Erster Kunde

14 days

December 2020

53% faster

vs. Median 1 month

+6 months to next milestone

$1K MRR

$1,000

6 months

June 2021

Avg: 6 months

+1 year to next milestone

$10K MRR

$20,000

1 year

October 2022

Avg: 1 year

1 year

Total journey time

Milestones achieved

Against every documented journey

Martin Moravek reached $10K MRR in 22 months, faster than 36% of the 295 documented $10K journeys (median 12 months). The amber bar is this journey.

See the full distribution

Martin's Path to $10K MRRPremium

The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone

How Martin actually did it

6/7 funnel stages sourced

Reconstructed from Martin's own published sources. Quoted claims are the founder's words, verified verbatim; anything marked as our analysis is exactly that.

Where the idea came from

Personal pain10y domain experience

Moravek built the app for himself. A slow freelance patch during the 2020 COVID downturn left him with unplanned free time, which he noticed was going into long, unremembered stretches on Instagram. Drawing on his UI/psychology background, he traced the pull back to home-screen icons that triggered mindless app-opening, and built an icon-free interface to fix his own behavior.

Per Munich Startup — "Spend less time on your phone with Minimalist Phone"

Validation

Built first, validated after

MvpValidated

No separate pre-build validation phase is described. Moravek went straight from noticing the icon-driven pattern to shipping a working icon-free home screen for himself, then kept iterating.

Moravek says the first MVP, an icon-free interface without today's other features, was ready within four weeks of starting.

Per Munich Startup — "Spend less time on your phone with Minimalist Phone"

First test users

Personal networkFree testersLinkedIn

Weeks after the Google Play launch, Moravek pitched the app directly to his own LinkedIn network, asking people to download it and offering the full paid version free to anyone who sent him a DM.

“Also write me a DM and I will give you full version for free.”

Martin Moravek personal LinkedIn post — August 2020 launch push to his network

Acquisition channels, and whether they worked

Other · Kickstarter (iOS launch)ScalingToo early to tell

Ahead of the iOS build, Moravek posted from his own LinkedIn account pointing people to a Kickstarter waitlist for early access.

“Join us on Kickstarter to be notified once the campaign is live and secure an early access to minimalist phone on iOS.”

Martin Moravek personal LinkedIn post — iOS Kickstarter announcement

Product HuntScalingToo early to tell

Moravek personally drove last-hours votes for the iOS launch on Product Hunt from his own LinkedIn account.

“Support minimalist phone iOS on Product Hunt today.”

Martin Moravek personal LinkedIn post — iOS Product Hunt push

What didn't work

OpsCost: time

Incorporating the company in Germany is the one decision Moravek names as a straight loss. He describes the German founding process as slow and frustrating, and tells other founders to think twice before doing it there.

Per Munich Startup — "Spend less time on your phone with Minimalist Phone"

The paperwork ate time that, in his own framing, would have produced more value in product development.

Per Munich Startup — "Spend less time on your phone with Minimalist Phone"

How it changed as they grew

Today: 6 people (Six-person team as of the October 2024 interview, still solo-founded and self-funded.)

Bootstrapped

What broke as they grew

As of the October 2024 interview, Moravek names the shift from solo operator to a real team as the current top constraint, on top of slow German incorporation bureaucracy earlier in the company's life.

Per Munich Startup — "Spend less time on your phone with Minimalist Phone"

Sources (3 in the founder's own words)

Munich Startup — "Spend less time on your phone with Minimalist Phone" · third party · 2024-10
Authority Magazine (Medium) — Sleep interview series · third party · 2021-05
AccessWire press release — 2M downloads milestone · third party · 2023-09
Martin Moravek personal LinkedIn post — iOS Kickstarter announcement · founder-authored · 2025-08
Martin Moravek personal LinkedIn post — iOS Product Hunt push · founder-authored · 2026-01
Martin Moravek personal LinkedIn post — August 2020 launch push to his network · founder-authored · 2020-08

Unlock Martin's Full Journey

See the complete breakdown: launch strategy, validation methods, startup costs, expert analysis, replication playbook, and more actionable insights.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does Minimalist Phone make?

Minimalist Phone reports $20K MRR as of March 2026. Minimalist Phone $20K monthly revenue average confirmed March 2026. Source: Starter Story.

What is Minimalist Phone?

Android-App, die Personen hilft, ihre Bildschirmzeit zu reduzieren und den Fokus wiederzugewinnen, indem sie das Smartphone-Erlebnis vereinfacht. It operates in Gesundheit & Wellness.

How long did it take Minimalist Phone to reach $10k mrr?

Martin Moravek took 1 year to reach $10k mrr with Minimalist Phone.

Was Martin Moravek a solo founder?

Yes. Martin Moravek built Minimalist Phone as a solo founder.

What marketing channel did Minimalist Phone use to grow?

Minimalist Phone grew primarily through Bezahlte Werbung.

What industry is Minimalist Phone in?

Minimalist Phone operates in Gesundheit & Wellness.

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The Full Story

TL;DR

Nach fast einem Jahrzehnt in Automobil- und Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie baute Martin Moravek Minimalist Phone, um sein eigenes Bildschirmsucht-Problem zu lösen.