Built a mental math app but I am confused on what users are looking for
What's up everyone. Spent a lot of time on this subreddit and would love to talk a little bit about the app I built, but as I spent a lot of time on this subreddit I realized there was a lot of individuals posting the Zetamac clone they created but not a lot of discourse around what individuals are actually looking for. I was curious if users her could help clarify this for me.
When my business partner and I started the process of developing a 'mental math' app about 10 months ago, I felt like we did a healthy amount of market research. We downloaded an endless supply of apps in the niche (apps looking to rapidly test math/arithmatic skills, not teach it). We found apps with >100K uses that seemed so simple it was baffling. We also found sleek, professional, and polished apps with only 1000 downloads... and we found everything in between.
Our conclusion was there was, in fact, a massive market (globally speaking) for individuals looking for rapid-fire mental math apps/quizzes/challenges but there was wide variability of what a 'mental math' app really was. Now that our app is launched and live, we are struggling to find some degree of organic growth.
As individuals who have started similar businesses, this slow growth phase has not scared us, but it has forced us to come 'back to the drawing board' so to speak, and make small healthy iterations on our product to, first and foremost, make a valuable product that individuals (of all ages) find enjoyable and valuable, that is age-agnostic, has a healthy but (mildly) addictive loop, and leads to organic growth and return-use day after day.
So, to the community here with, what appears to be, a really serious passion for these forms of applications. What are you looking for when you navigate to a website (i.e. Zetamac), or download an app (i.e. Brillant, Duo Math, Mental Math Cards, etc.). What do you like? What turns you off at first download? What is valuable? How much of a challenge do you want? what keeps you coming back? I am so over the overly encouraging AI-generated slop that is generated when asking for help and feedback. I want warm-blooded individuals to offer guidance. Is that already too much to ask for in 2026?! Haha thanks.
I appreciate you. Cheers!