How Untitled’s $4.99 Screenwriting App Landed a $43,500 Exit—Secrets of iOS Success

Inside Untitled: From Indie App Idea to a $43,500 Acquisition

Building and scaling an app for creatives is tough. Competition is fierce in the App Store, writers are demanding, and buying a productivity tool is a big ask for most users. But Untitled, a sleek iOS screenwriting app, managed to cut through the noise. Designed by Dave Fontenot—Vimeo’s former UI/UX lead—the app’s laser focus paid off: over 1,100 active users, 6,300+ paid downloads, $1,610 in monthly income, top 10 chart rankings, and finally, a $43,500 sale on Flippa. Here’s a close look at how Untitled found its audience, scaled smart, and cashed out.

The Spark: Spotting an Overlooked Market

Scriptwriting is littered with clunky or overpriced tools. Most iOS options are either too basic, riddled with ads, or unintuitive for daily drafting. Dave saw screenwriters struggling to do quick drafts or edits from mobile while commuting or working in cafes. He noticed complaints online about limitations in popular script apps. Spotting a gap at the intersection of design and function, he sketched what would become Untitled: a no-fuss, touch-optimized app that handled script formatting automatically and didn’t require tutorials.

From Design Roots: Simple UX, Hidden Power

With a background in building large-scale video interfaces, Dave prioritized making Untitled as “invisible” as possible. Scripts needed to flow. Every tap mattered. Features like instant scene heading capitalization, real-time formatting, quick scene reordering, and PDF previews were baked in. Autosave worked flawlessly. Font choices were fussed over (a custom version of Graphik was selected). The app sports a clean, dark interface—even the note-taking sidecar is streamlined. Writers could focus on ideas, not menus.

Monetizing Smarter: Paid-App Pricing over Subscriptions

Untitled launched as a paid app, not a subscription. With a $4.99 price, it made each sale count. No question of recurring revenue, but the risk of user churn vanishes. At this price, it attracted both hobbyists and professionals unwilling to commit to expensive desktop subscriptions. The app started seeing steady downloads after Dave demoed it in screenwriting communities and reached out one-on-one to migration-weary users. By focusing on App Store reviews (over 106 and strong), Untitled built trust quickly.

App Store Tactics: The 6,300+ Paid Downloads Story

Untitled steadily climbed the charts through word-of-mouth and a handful of lucky features by Apple. It reached #6 among top paid productivity apps. Dave paid special attention to user reviews—quickly fixing bugs and personally responding to emails. Even though marketing was mostly bootstrapped, growth was helped by consistent app updates, savvy positioning ("Write your script, anywhere"), and a little bit of App Store SEO. Reviews mentioned the app’s speed, its reliability during long writing sessions, and the lack of distractions.

Features Writers Actually Use

• Automatic capitalization for scene headings and character names
• Simple, one-tap scene reordering system
• Separation of scripts, notes, outlines, and drafts
• Autosave on every keystroke
• PDF export and preview with formatting intact
• iPhone and iPad support with cloud compatibility

None of the features felt superfluous. Each addition came from direct user requests, and almost every update solved a pain point for screenwriters.

Revenue, Community, and a Clean Exit

Despite being a solo side project, Untitled regularly earned over $1,600 per month—almost pure profit after platform fees. With a growing fanbase and a reliable listing in the App Store’s productivity section, the app’s value proposition caught the attention of buyers. Dave listed it on Flippa, drawing strong interest (25 watchers) before closing at $43,500. The sale price, above the commonly accepted 24X-36X monthly revenue rule-of-thumb, showed faith in the product’s staying power.

Lessons from Untitled: What Actually Worked

• Niche focus: By only serving screenwriters, positioning and messaging stayed sharp.
• Bootstrapped MVP, fast launch: No time wasted building features people didn’t want.
• Direct user contact: Feedback loops stayed tight—users loved direct replies.
• Avoid subscription fatigue: Paid upfront, buyers “own” the product, leading to better reviews.
• Actively managed updates: Fast bug fixes kept the user base loyal.
• Ready for sale: Clean code, documented processes, and decent branding justified a higher acquisition price.

Takeaways: Indie App Building in 2024

• Pick a real pain point inside your domain of expertise
• Keep features tight—let user requests drive your roadmap
• Listen (and reply) to early users yourself, even if it’s a bit draining
• Don’t be afraid of paid pricing models if your tool actually saves time
• Have a clean, well-documented business if you’re considering an exit

Untitled’s journey from concept to profitable exit proves that one person—and a good idea, well executed—can disrupt established markets and build something of real value. The formula? Get obsessed with your user, focus the product, and iterate fast. There’s no substitute for launching, listening, and improving. The buyers, and the revenue, will follow.