How Two Brothers Built an $85K App by Making Content First

Jack and Nick Sweeney didn't write a single line of code before they knew their app would work. Instead, they spent months making content about breathwork and nervous system regulation, watching what went viral, and only then building the product. Their app Coherence, a breathwork tool for relaxation, focus, and sleep, launched eight months ago and has since generated roughly $85,000 in revenue from 15,000 downloads, averaging about $11,000 per month with a peak month of $22,000.

The Content-First Validation Loop

The brothers' core insight was that most founders build first and market second, often wasting months on products nobody wants. Jack and Nick reversed this entirely. "We didn't really start with the app," Jack said. "We started with content and we were making content about things that genuinely excited us." Jack wrote threads on spiritual and esoteric topics while Nick focused on breathwork. They weren't trying to sell anything—they were testing what resonated.