Before Cal AI really took off, we tried building an astrology app.

On paper it made sense. 

Huge audience, people obsessed with the topic, and organic content everywhere. 

We figured we'd run the same influencer playbook that was starting to work for us and cash in

SPOILER: It was dead within a month…

Not because of the product or our marketing, but because of one simple test we didn’t run…

To run a successful influencer marketing program, you need more creators than there are companies trying to hire them. 

If there's a healthy supply, you've got options, leverage, and room to test. If there isn't, you're fighting over scraps.

So only after we started building, we went looking for astrology creators.

Aaaand quickly found out there were only about 300 of them in the whole niche. 

(Red flag #1)

And nearly every solid option was already locked up with a competitor that got there first.

(Red flag #2)

We'd reach out, and the answer was some version of "I'm already working with an app in this space."

We were out of luck, which ended up being a blessing in disguise.

Now compare that to Cal AI…

When we reached out to fitness and health creators, the supply of competent influencers was deep enough that we could pick our favorite ones, test, and keep moving.

That's the lesson I wish someone had told us before the astrology app idea.

Before you fall in love with a niche, check the creator count then find out how many are already taken.

If the supply is thin and a competitor got there first, it doesn't matter how good your product is or how much you're willing to spend.

We killed that app fast and looking back, it was the right call. 

The mistake was building it before doing our due diligence.

- Jake