In this episode of May I Have Your Retention Please, I sit down with Eric Singh — a Stanford-trained engineer turned full-blown growth hacker who's built multiple #1 consumer apps using tactics most founders have never even heard of. From faceless content to product-led growth, Eric breaks down exactly how to make an app go viral — and why most people completely mess it up.

Eric’s first app hit 1,500 users on day one. Since then, he’s:

– Built and scaled Habitat, the #1 social habit tracker on the App Store

– Created a TikTok for travel called Reverie, then pivoted to Rezz to solve a real problem: mapping saved spots from Instagram and TikTok

– Unlocked 8 million views in seven weeks with a viral video strategy involving Anthony Bourdain quotes

– Figured out how to run 800+ social posts per month across 12 accounts using custom automations

– And most importantly, learned why views don’t always equal users — and what to do about it

We dig into:

– How product-led growth actually works (and why most apps don't do it right)

– The difference between invite lock vs. invite block

– Why you shouldn't let users into your app without friends

– The truth about ASO and whether it's still worth optimizing for

– How faceless content works, what makes it convert, and how to build a system that scales

– The Anthony Bourdain hack that pushed one of his apps to thousands of users

– Why most TikTok videos fail and how to A/B test your way out of zero-view jail

– Why you need to optimize for conversion, not just virality

– How Eric builds automations that generate content at scale

– The real mindset of someone who understands consumer distribution at the deepest level

We also talk about:

– How many phones he runs simultaneously

– What founders get wrong about Reels

– What metrics actually matter when you're testing creative

– Why growth isn’t about guessing

— it’s about iteration, volume, and precision

Quickfire at the end:

– Where Eric met his co-founder

– Would he sell for $10M?– Favorite apps right now

– What he checks first thing in the morning

– Why he believes distribution > product

If you’re a founder building anything in consumer, mobile, or social — or just trying to make your TikToks actually drive installs — this one’s for you.

Listen now and subscribe for more no-fluff convos with the best consumer builders of 2025.