Business idea · SaaS
Personalized Alarm App
Personalized Alarm App: With Apple’s new alarm kit feature, any app can now serve as an alarm app, allowing developers to create unique alarm experiences tailored to user preferences. It was pitched on My First Million in the episode "We found the top 1% of the internet this week (so you don't have to)" (aired June 20, 2025).
At a glance
| Podcast | My First Million |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Sam Parr and Shaan Puri |
| Episode | We found the top 1% of the internet this week (so you don't have to) |
| Aired | June 20, 2025 |
| Category | SaaS |
| Real companies on the episode | Ramp, Mercury, Les Schwab Tires, Apple, McKinsey & Company, OpenAI |
The problem it solves
Many people struggle to wake up in the morning and often find traditional alarm sounds ineffective or jarring. A personalized alarm app offers a more engaging and enjoyable way to start the day, potentially improving users' morning routines and overall mood.
How it makes money
The business could adopt a freemium model, offering basic alarm features for free while charging for premium features such as custom sounds, celebrity wake-up calls, or motivational messages.
Skills you need
Skills needed include app development, user experience design, and marketing to effectively promote the app and attract users.
The market, and why this works now
Apple's new alarm kit feature enables developers to create customized alarm experiences within their apps. A viable first-revenue move is to promote the app through relevant subreddits such as r/ios or r/Android, where users seek recommendations for useful apps. A key constraint is the dependency on Apple's platform, which may limit functionality or introduce changes that affect the app's performance and revenue potential.
Our analysis, written after the episode. Not a quote from the show.
Real companies discussed on this episode
- Ramp
A financial technology company that provides expense management and corporate card services to businesses.
- Mercury
A banking platform designed specifically for startups and small businesses.
- Les Schwab Tires
Les Schwab Tires is a tire retailer known for its exceptional customer service and employee incentives.
- Apple
Apple is a technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, software, and services.
- McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm that provides advisory services to businesses, governments, and institutions.
- OpenAI
OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research lab focused on developing and promoting friendly AI for the benefit of humanity.
Where this idea came from
Podcast: My First Million, hosted by Sam Parr and Shaan Puri
Episode: We found the top 1% of the internet this week (so you don't have to)
Aired:
Summarized from the episode transcript. The show does not say which speaker raised each idea, so we credit the show, not a person.