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App Ideas That People Are Already Searching For (Steal This “Tentacle Strategy”)

App Ideas That People Are Already Searching For (Steal This “Tentacle Strategy”)

Stop guessing what app to build. Start finding ideas that already have proven demand.

Every day, thousands of new apps launch.

With AI coding tools like Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Bolt, and Lovable, building an app has never been easier.

But here’s the problem…

Building is no longer the competitive advantage.

Finding the right idea is.

In this guide, we’ll break down the exact strategy Steve P. Young uses to discover profitable app ideas before writing a single line of code.

It’s called The Tentacle Strategy.

🎥 Wanna watch the whole content? Check out the full video here:

Why Most App Ideas Fail

Most founders start with an idea.

“I wish there was an app for…”

Then they spend months building it.

Only to discover…

Nobody wants it. Only they did.

Today’s app market is more competitive than ever.

According to RevenueCat’s 2026 subscription report:

  • Apps launched before 2020 still generate nearly 70% of subscription revenue
  • Apps launched during the AI boom account for only a tiny percentage of total revenue
  • Thousands of new apps launch every week

revenuecat-state-of-subscription

That means guessing is incredibly expensive.

Instead of inventing demand…

Find demand that’s already proven.

What Is the Tentacle Strategy?

Imagine a successful app as an octopus.

tentacle-strategy

The body is the main product.

The tentacles are all the smaller features or use cases that help it reach a larger audience.

Take Calm.

It started with meditation.

As it grew, it expanded into:

  • Sleep Stories
  • Soundscapes
  • Focus Music
  • White Noise
  • Green Noise
  • Relaxation Sounds

Each feature targets a different search intent.

The problem?

A company like Calm can’t dominate every niche keyword inside the App Store.

That’s where indie developers can win.

Instead of competing against Calm for Meditation, build a focused app around one specific tentacle like:

  • Sleep Stories
  • Green Noise
  • Focus Sounds
  • Sleep Timer

You’re solving one problem better than anyone else.

Step 1: Pick a Category That Makes Money

Before looking for ideas…

Choose a category where users actually spend money.

RevenueCat’s data consistently shows high Revenue Per Install (RPI) in categories like:

  • Health & Fitness
  • Education
  • Business

Higher RPI means:

  • Better monetization
  • Easier profitability
  • More room for paid advertising later

This doesn’t guarantee success, but it significantly increases your odds.

revenuecat-revenue-per-install

Step 2: Find Successful Apps

Now open AppMagic.

Sort apps by:

  • Top Grossing
  • iPhone
  • High Revenue Categories

You’re looking for apps generating hundreds of thousands of dollars every month.

My benchmark:

  • Around $300K+ monthly revenue
  • Roughly 100K monthly downloads
  • Revenue-to-download ratio of at least 3:1

Why?

These companies have already validated the market, and having a 3:1 revenue-to-download ratio means you can scale with paid ads

Step 3: Validate the Numbers

Never trust one source.

Cross-reference with tools like Sensor Tower.

If both platforms estimate similar download and revenue numbers, you’ve likely found a strong opportunity.

Successful apps leave clues.

Step 4: Find Hidden Keywords

Now comes the fun part.

Instead of copying the app…

Study what the app ranks for.

Using ASO tools like:

Input a popular app such as Calm, then look for keywords with:

  • Search score around 30 or higher
  • Low competition
  • High buying intent

Examples include:

  • Brown Noise
  • Green Noise
  • Anxiety Relief
  • Mood Tracker

Don’t stop at one keyword.

Build a list of 6–10 opportunities.

Step 5: Verify Competition Inside the App Store

ASO tools aren’t perfect.

Always search the keyword yourself.

Ask:

  • Who ranks in the Top 10?
  • How many ratings do they have?
  • Does the keyword appear in their title?

If the leading apps have relatively few ratings and weak optimization…

You may have an opportunity.

I prefer niches where the top-ranking apps have only hundreds, not thousands or even hundreds of thousands, of ratings.

Step 6: Build the Simplest Version Possible

Once you’ve validated demand…

Build the minimum viable product.

Don’t over-engineer the product.

Don’t spend six months perfecting features.

Don’t spend weeks thinking about pricing – copy the same pricing as your biggest competitors; they have probably done all the A/B testing for you. 

The goal is simple:

Rank for the keyword first.

After downloads start coming in, improve:

  • Onboarding
  • Paywalls
  • Pricing
  • Features
  • User experience

Traffic first.

Optimization second.

Real Results Using This Strategy

This isn’t theoretical.

We at App Masters have used the Tentacle Strategy to launch multiple successful apps.

app-ideas-validated

Examples include:

  • An app generating over $550,000 annually
  • Smaller niche apps producing 2,000–3,000 every month through organic App Store traffic
  • Client apps reaching $12K–15K MRR before spending heavily on advertising

The common thread?

None of these apps started with random ideas.

They started with keyword research.

Why ASO Still Wins

Many developers rush into Meta Ads or influencer marketing.

Those channels matter.

But ASO remains one of the highest-converting acquisition channels because users already have intent.

When someone searches:

  • Brown Noise
  • Sleep Stories
  • Focus Music

They’re already looking for a solution.

If your app appears near the top of the search results, you’re capturing users at the perfect moment.

The Five-Step Formula

Here’s the complete framework:

1. Pick a category with high Revenue Per Install

Focus on markets where users already spend money.

2. Find successful apps

Use AppMagic and Sensor Tower to validate demand.

3. Research keywords

Identify overlooked “tentacles” using ASO tools by inputting the popular app.

4. Validate competition

Double-check keywords directly inside the App Store.

5. Build fast

Launch quickly, rank organically, then optimize monetization.

Final Thoughts

The biggest mindset shift is this:

Don’t ask, “What app should I build?”

Ask:

“What feature can I pull from a successful app and turn into a focused product?”

That’s the Tentacle Strategy.

It’s not about reinventing the wheel.

It’s about finding underserved demand inside proven markets.

In today’s AI-driven app economy, where anyone can build software in days, distribution and market selection matter more than ever.

Choose the right niche.

Target the right keyword.

Build the simplest solution.

Then let App Store search do the heavy lifting.

Need Help Growing Your App?

At App Masters, we help app founders grow through:

  • App Store Optimization (ASO)
  • Apple Search Ads
  • Meta Ads
  • Subscription optimization
  • App growth strategy

If you want hands-on help scaling your app, book a strategy call with us.