Sometimes the best ideas come from solving your own problems. For Shervin Koushan, frustration with checking his Garmin app download statistics led to building AnyTracker, a price and data tracking app that now generates $800 in monthly recurring revenue with 200,000 downloads and 10,000 active users.
Based in Trondheim, Norway, Shervin represents the modern solo founder journey: starting with a personal itch, iterating based on user feedback, and building a sustainable business one feature at a time.
His story shows how persistence, user focus, and a bit of YouTube luck can transform a side project into a thriving SaaS business.
The Origin Story: When Developer Tools Fail Developers
We Are Founders: What sparked the idea for AnyTracker?
Shervin: I had originally made a couple of apps for my smartwatch and put them on Garmin's App Store. The annoying thing was that I had to log in to check my stats, and even then, I was presented with some random chart, just showing number of downloads each week.
I decided to do something about it, and eventually found a way to track the number of downloads. I now had the download number as a widget on my homescreen, and I got a proper chart!
This personal frustration became the genesis of something much bigger. What started as a simple solution to track his own app statistics evolved into a realization: if he could scrape data from Garmin's platform, why not any website?
This was the start of AnyTracker, Shervin explains. I realized that I could generalize the app to work on any website, and launched it a few months later in the summer of 2021.
We Are Founders: How did user feedback shape the direction of AnyTracker?
The initial launch of AnyTracker was deliberately broad, users could track any text or number on any website. But Shervin quickly discovered that the market had specific priorities.
Shervin: The immediate feedback was clear: Users were mainly interested in price tracking. This insight proved crucial in shaping the product's direction. Rather than fighting against user preferences, Shervin embraced them.
Over the years, I have refined the app to cater to these needs, and the text tracking option has also proven useful for getting notified when products are back in stock or concert tickets become available.
Today, AnyTracker serves as a comprehensive tracking solution that helps users:
- Save money by monitoring price drops across any website
- Get notified when out-of-stock items become available
- Track concert tickets and event availability
- Monitor currencies, stocks, and cryptocurrency prices
- Follow social media follower counts
Unlike other price tracking tools that only work with major retailers, AnyTracker functions on any website. This gives users unprecedented flexibility in what they can monitor.
The Power of Partnership and Design
We Are Founders: Tell us about bringing Ryan Tan on board. What prompted that decision?
Shervin: Last year Ryan joined me and helped me redesign the app from scratch. It is now both functional and beautiful!
This partnership highlights an important lesson for solo founders: knowing when to bring in complementary skills. The redesign wasn't just about aesthetics – it was about creating a user experience that could scale with the growing user base and diverse use cases.
We Are Founders: Marketing can be challenging for solo founders. How did you approach growing AnyTracker's user base?
Shervin: I am grateful for the features, given that any social media marketing I have tried myself hasn't been very successful.
While Shervin admits his own marketing efforts haven't been particularly successful, he's benefited significantly from authentic third-party coverage. His breakthrough came from an unexpected source: tech YouTuber HowToMen.
A couple of months after the app was initially launched, HowToMen (a prominent tech YouTuber) featured it on his YouTube channel. This led to a huge boost in downloads.
The relationship proved valuable long-term. Earlier this year, HowToMen featured AnyTracker again, this time showcasing the redesigned app. These organic endorsements demonstrate the power of building something genuinely useful – when creators discover tools that solve real problems, they're eager to share them with their audiences.
The Numbers: Building Sustainable Growth
Four years after launch, AnyTracker's metrics tell the story of steady, sustainable growth:
- 200,000 total downloads across iOS and Android
- 10,000 active users engaged with the platform
- $800 monthly recurring revenue
We Are Founders: What's your approach to product development and updates?
Shervin: I still maintain the app (natively on Android and iOS) and keep adding features every week!
From the beginning, Shervin committed to native mobile development, building separate iOS and Android versions rather than taking shortcuts with cross-platform solutions. This decision, while requiring more initial investment, has paid dividends in user experience and performance.
Shervin updates the app every week, showing he's focused on improving it and keeping users engaged.
Lessons from the Trenches
Shervin's journey offers several key insights for aspiring founders:
- Start with your own problems: AnyTracker began because Shervin was frustrated with existing tools. Personal pain points often indicate broader market opportunities.
- Listen to your users: The pivot toward price tracking came directly from user feedback. Fighting against user preferences rarely works.
- Embrace authentic growth: Sometimes the best marketing comes from creators discovering and sharing your product organically.
- Know when to partner: Bringing Ryan on board for the redesign showed strategic thinking about complementary skills.
- Consistency compounds: Weekly updates over four years have built both product quality and user loyalty.
Shervin continues to develop AnyTracker with the same methodical approach that got him here.
The app serves users globally while maintaining its core promise: helping people save money and stay informed about the things that matter to them.
If you're just starting out, Shervin’s story is a good reminder that you can build something solid from a simple idea. Stick with it, listen to users, and keep improving bit by bit.
AnyTracker proves that sometimes the best solutions come not from grand visions, but from solving everyday problems one feature at a time.
Connect with Shervin and AnyTracker:
- Website: anytracker.org
- iOS: Download on App Store
- Android: Download on Google Play
- Instagram: @anytracker.app
- X: @anytracker
- LinkedIn: Shervin Koushan
