WaterMinder

How Kriss Smolka Grew a Water Tracking App to Global Success

Founded By

Kriss Smolka

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2013

Customer

B2C

Founded By
Kriss Smolka: Founders
1

Profitable
Yes: Year Started
2013

Customer
B2C

Who is Kriss Smolka?

Kriss Smolka, the founder of WaterMinder, was born in Poland and raised between the U.S. and Poland. He holds a bachelor's degree from Poland and now resides in Chicago, leading a global team for his app development business.

What problem does WaterMinder solve?

WaterMinder helps people avoid dehydration by providing a simple and effective way to track their daily water intake, addressing a common yet often overlooked health issue.

Water Minder App

How did Kriss come up with the idea for WaterMinder?

Kriss Smolka came up with the idea for WaterMinder through personal experience when his wife began experiencing frequent headaches after the birth of their second child. Concerned, Kriss did some online research and found that dehydration might be a cause. When he asked her about her daily water intake, she realized it was quite low, consisting mostly of coffee and tea.

Recognizing a gap, Kriss looked into existing water-tracking apps but found them too complex for regular users. This led him to design a simpler solution himself. Using his design skills, he created an initial mockup of what would become WaterMinder, aimed at making hydration tracking easy and accessible for everyone.

He validated this concept within his family, particularly his wife, whose feedback helped refine the app's functionality and usability before its first release. This early stage of iterative development and testing with real users taught Kriss the importance of a user-friendly interface for effective daily use.

How did Kriss Smolka build the initial version of WaterMinder?

The development of WaterMinder began with Kriss Smolka designing the initial concept in 2013 using Photoshop. The challenge was to create an intuitive and user-friendly app that could reliably track users' water intake with ease. The first prototype included features such as a home screen showing a visual representation of hydration levels, a history of water intake, and customizable reminders. It took approximately seven days for the app to go through the App Store review process before it was available for download on July 19, 2013. Throughout the early development phase, Kriss experienced the difficulty of simplifying the app's interface to ensure it was accessible even for those who were not tech-savvy, drawing from his wife's feedback about existing water-tracking apps being overly complicated.

What was the growth strategy for WaterMinder and how did they scale?

Media Outreach and Free Promotions

WaterMinder initially gained traction by reaching out to various media outlets, bloggers, and YouTube channels that reviewed apps. This proactive approach helped the app get its first few hundred downloads, but a significant turning point was when they participated in a "Free App For A Day" promotion through a French website. By temporarily switching the app price to free, they gained extensive exposure and were featured on several health blogs and YouTube channels. This promotion significantly boosted their visibility and increased the app's downloads.

Why it worked: Offering the app for free during a promotional period helped WaterMinder gain attention from larger audiences who might have been hesitant to pay for an untested app. The free promotion created a buzz that led to more downloads and increased recognition across various media platforms.

App Store Features and PR

WaterMinder's consistent updates and feature integrations, such as compatibility with Apple Watch and HealthKit, led to multiple features on the App Store over the years. Apple's recognition of the app by featuring it on several occasions provided substantial credibility and visibility, keeping the app in front of potential users regularly.

WaterMinder on App store

Why it worked: Being featured on the App Store is a highly effective way to reach a global audience quickly. Apple's approval serves as an endorsement that boosts user trust, leading to more downloads and sustained interest in the app. This approach helped maintain steady growth and user acquisition throughout its history.

Partnerships and Language Expansion

To broaden its user base, WaterMinder expanded the app's language support to include several international languages in its early development stages. They added features that catered to a global audience, such as international measurement units and location-specific reminders. Collaborations with health and wellness brands also enhanced their credibility and reach within niche markets.

Why it worked: Expanding language options made the app accessible to non-English speaking users, opening up new markets and increasing the app's global appeal. Collaborating with wellness brands helped them tap into already engaged audiences interested in health, ensuring a more targeted and effective reach.

What's the pricing strategy for WaterMinder?

WaterMinder is priced at $4.99 on the App Store as a one-time purchase, with occasional free promotions to boost visibility and downloads.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building WaterMinder?

Simplify User Experience: WaterMinder succeeded by simplifying its user interface, which made the app accessible and easy for users, paving the way for widespread adoption.
Leverage Feedback: The team focused on continuous improvements based on user feedback, allowing them to refine the app’s features and maintain relevance over time.
Strategic Promotions: A free app promotion helped WaterMinder gain significant media traction and increase its user base exponentially, demonstrating the power of strategic marketing.
Remote Work Dynamics: Managing a global team required adapting to remote work, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and coordination across different time zones.
Embrace the Journey: The initial success and subsequent challenges taught resilience, highlighting the importance of enjoying the entrepreneurial journey despite its ups and downs.

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