The post has been translated automatically. Original language: Russian English
When we built Asletix, an online AI-powered trainer that creates personalized fitness programs and tracks progress, our team was proud of the technical achievement. We used modern architecture and development practices, and the result was a state-of-the-art mobile app for iOS and Android. From a developer’s perspective, it was a success.
But here’s the reality: a great product is not enough. In the App Store and Google Play, thousands of apps compete for users’ attention. Without a clear marketing strategy, even the best ideas can fail to reach people. We invested a lot of time and resources into development, but because we didn’t think enough about how to promote the app and highlight its unique strengths, Asletix didn’t achieve the success we had hoped for.
This experience taught me an important lesson: the era when a “good product sells itself” is over. Today, in any niche—whether fitness, education, or productivity—you will find dozens of alternatives. What makes the difference is strategy: how you position your app, who your audience is, how you reach them, and what distinctive value you provide.
The challenge is even greater with the rise of AI. Today, it’s possible to create an app prototype in just 2–4 weeks. Many entrepreneurs ask me about building apps like “Interior AI” or “Home AI,” and my answer is always the same: building is the easy part—the real question is your strategy to grow and promote it.
For anyone in the Astana hub community working on their own projects, I’d encourage you to start thinking about marketing and differentiation as early as possible. Building the product is only the first step—the real journey begins when you bring it to the world.
When we built Asletix, an online AI-powered trainer that creates personalized fitness programs and tracks progress, our team was proud of the technical achievement. We used modern architecture and development practices, and the result was a state-of-the-art mobile app for iOS and Android. From a developer’s perspective, it was a success.
But here’s the reality: a great product is not enough. In the App Store and Google Play, thousands of apps compete for users’ attention. Without a clear marketing strategy, even the best ideas can fail to reach people. We invested a lot of time and resources into development, but because we didn’t think enough about how to promote the app and highlight its unique strengths, Asletix didn’t achieve the success we had hoped for.
This experience taught me an important lesson: the era when a “good product sells itself” is over. Today, in any niche—whether fitness, education, or productivity—you will find dozens of alternatives. What makes the difference is strategy: how you position your app, who your audience is, how you reach them, and what distinctive value you provide.
The challenge is even greater with the rise of AI. Today, it’s possible to create an app prototype in just 2–4 weeks. Many entrepreneurs ask me about building apps like “Interior AI” or “Home AI,” and my answer is always the same: building is the easy part—the real question is your strategy to grow and promote it.
For anyone in the Astana hub community working on their own projects, I’d encourage you to start thinking about marketing and differentiation as early as possible. Building the product is only the first step—the real journey begins when you bring it to the world.
