“Build 12 startups in 12 months.”

It sounds badass. Like a rite of passage for real builders.

You see it everywhere:

  • People launching a new app every 30 days
  • Threads going viral with product #3 getting a few hundred upvotes
  • Maybe even a little MRR here and there

And for a moment, it looks like the way to win.

Like this is how you build the next indie SaaS success story.

But I’ve watched this play out over and over.

And here’s my take:

It doesn’t work.

Not for most people.

Not if you want more than a few likes.

Not if you actually want to build something that lasts.

App Graveyard

1. 🎯 You’re Practicing Output, Not Impact

Let’s be honest—building 12 apps in 12 months is a performance.

It’s content. It’s validation-chasing. It’s “look how fast I can ship.”

But the brutal truth?

🚫 Nobody cares about fast shipping.

✅ People care about useful products.

You end up optimizing for:

  • Catchy domains
  • Clever one-liners
  • MVPs that “technically work”

What you don’t have time for is:

  • Depth
  • Feedback
  • Product-market fit

You’re speedrunning the hard part.

But the hard part is what makes something stick.

2. 🔥 Burnout Is Inevitable

Shipping every 30 days isn’t just hard—it’s exhausting.

Each app is a new:

  • Idea
  • Brand
  • Frontend/backend setup
  • Landing page
  • Launch plan
  • Support inbox
  • Tech debt factory

You’re doing all the surface work over and over again.

There’s no compounding. No flywheel. No long-term return on your time.

By month 4 or 5, most people:

  • Feel burned out
  • Abandon the challenge
  • Or quietly fade into the background

3. 🧪 Shipping ≠ Solving

One of the most common lies we tell ourselves:

“If I just launch, the market will tell me if it’s good.”

No, it won’t.

The market doesn’t care about MVPs with 7 users and a bug in onboarding.

The market only gives useful feedback after you’ve put in some time, polish, and support.

Real validation happens after launch:

  • When users stick around
  • When people ask for features
  • When someone complains about a bug

You won’t see that in a 30-day sprint.

4. 🕳 You Skip the Boring but Important Stuff

Because you're always starting over, you never:

  • Polish onboarding
  • Handle edge cases
  • Build actual customer support
  • Create feedback loops
  • Talk to users

And those things? That’s where good products are born.

Anyone can launch something that looks good in screenshots.

But building something people trust?

That takes time—and repetition you don't get in a 12-in-12 challenge.

5. 🎲 Survivorship Bias Is Real

You’ll hear stories like:

“I did 12 startups in 12 months and app #7 took off!”

Sure. That happens.

But those stories go viral because they’re rare.

What you don’t see:

  • The 93 people who did it and quit after 6 months
  • The 40 people who hit $10 MRR total
  • The dozens who burned out and stopped building altogether

You're rolling the dice 12 times and hoping you hit the jackpot.

But most great products were relentlessly iterated into existence, not thrown at the wall once a month.

🧩 So What Should You Do Instead?

Forget 12 apps. Pick one idea—and go all in.

Here’s a better (and saner) playbook if you're serious about building something that sticks:

✅ 1. Pick an idea—and commit to it

Not the “I’ll try it for a week” kind of commit.

Stick to it long enough to get feedback, change direction, and evolve.

📣 2. Set up a feedback board on day one

Not a form. A real board. One that shows people:

  • You're listening
  • You're thinking in public
  • You're building something worth shaping

I've built UserJot exactly for this.
It's a simple customer feedback platform to make it easier to listen to your users.
And I'm using the same exact playbook to build it.

📢 3. Market early—even if it’s small

Tweet. Blog. DM people. Don’t hide behind code.

The earlier you talk to users, the faster you’ll find out what’s broken or missing.

🔁 4. Listen, learn, and iterate

Every bit of feedback is a chance to:

  • Fix something
  • Clarify your messaging
  • Add the right feature

You don’t need volume. You need signal. And that signal comes when you create space for it.

📈 5. Keep going until the signs start showing

You’ll know.

  • People will come back
  • They’ll ask for updates
  • They’ll share it with someone else

That’s when momentum starts.

That’s when it becomes real.

💬 Final Thoughts

12-in-12 isn’t evil. If you’re early in your journey, it can be a great way to:

  • Get better at shipping
  • Learn how to code faster
  • Discover your own patterns

But if you’re done playing and ready to build something real?

  • Drop the 12.
  • Pick one.
  • And go deep.

And in case you're interested, take a look at UserJot and let me know what you think.

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