doomscrolling content TAMs & guess who clicked!?

Sorry, but you won’t make it on TikTok with yet another AI Note-Taking app.

I’m still speaking to at least two founders every week building AI note-taking apps.

To make big bucks, either be first to monopolize a content niche on a platform with a new model or app, or second—maybe third—but definitely don’t be fourth.

Luckily, there are many content niches across different platforms. That’s why many apps on this list are already making $50K+ MRR.

On TikTok, especially in StudyTok, two main players dominate: Coconote and Turbolearn.

Both built a ton of accounts, optimized their videos, and aggressively spammed their way into StudyTok’s AI note-taking monopoly.

We’re over a year into AI note-taking. If you want to compete now, don’t replicate the same playbook with a subpar app (or be ready to pay those high CPMs). 

Instead, you have more interesting options:

• Niche down to the smallest possible common denominator.
• Target a different location: Germany, France, or Spain—all have users willing to spend money on apps.
• Find a verticalized content niche and start distributing your app there.

Identify a significant TAM of doomscrollers and craft a unique experience just for them.

We recently featured an app inspired by a viral TikTok page.

They hit just short of 1M views in under 30 days by validating content-market fit through an independent mainstream page (that they didn’t own).

That’s smart. Build an app specifically for a validated audience with frequent virality.

Or build a feature. ONE viral feature can serve as your entry point to the rest of your product—think something as simple as a lock-screen widget.

I recently spoke to two founders making $150K MRR with their app. They discovered their idea and viral content format simply by scrolling through comments in a specific TikTok niche for a week straight.

The comment section is a goldmine of insights.

Who clicked? Who damn clicked…

I’ve (Guillaume) spent years deep in growth engineering, obsessing over attribution.

Then I discovered short-form video marketing, and I had to let go.

It was tough at first. But then clarity hit me:

It’s about feeling the power once, then trusting the process forward.

The first time we did TikTok marketing for our social app a few months ago, we quickly drove more daily users than Reddit, our primary channel until then.

Then one video blew up. 200K views generated 3K new accounts. Within two weeks, that single video reached 900K views, bringing in over 7K installs + sign-ups.

It cost us $20.

That’s when I truly surrendered to my new destiny. TikTok became my top-of-funnel religion.

Still, there are a few hacks to help you track (some of) the impact. 

But first, let’s visualize a typical user journey:

1. Jean doomscrolls.

2. Jean encounters your stop-scroll, clickbait cliffhanger hook.

3. Jean watches your problem-solution format.

4. Jean sees the app you feature in the video.

5. Jean immediately heads to the app store or browser and searches for your app.

Jean’s session, along with most traffic from short-form video, ends up categorized as Direct or Organic Brand Search—and there’s nothing you can do about it.

That’s exactly why we call it organic growth.

Now, here are some practical hacks:

1. Custom Domain:

For web apps, create a dedicated domain exclusively for TikTok/Reels. If you direct traffic to [yourdomain].ai instead of [yourdomain].com and ensure only this channel uses that domain, voilà—you’ve captured most of the “direct” clicks. Organic search might still default to your primary domain ranking higher, though.

2. Link in Bio:

Only captures a minor percentage of traffic but can serve as an indicator of growth and engagement trends.

3. Referral Codes:

These often feel promotional rather than authentically organic, slightly lowering conversion rates. Plus, only a fraction of viewers will actually use them.

4. Ad CPM vs. Organic CPM:

Calculating CPM through paid ads or regular influencer marketing provides a useful benchmark. It helps you estimate the number of organic views you’d need to match or surpass your paid CPM.

5. Traffic Source Differential:

If your app or site is established with clear traffic splits (direct, search, paid, social), measure your compounding growth in direct and organic searches. Analyzing these shifts will help pinpoint the impact of your TikTok or short-form video efforts.

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We did it again.

See ya on Monday for more strategies & resources ????

The Growth Engineers team.