The problem we wanted to solve
NBA 2K's MyCareer mode has a spending problem. Players either grind for hundreds of hours or buy Virtual Currency with real money to upgrade their character. The game pushes you toward your wallet at every turn.
We thought: what if there was an app where your character improves based on how well you actually play?
What we built
Draft Companion lives at 2KDraft.com. Players create a character that mirrors their NBA 2K build, enter real gameplay stats after each session, and earn XP based on performance. No microtransactions. No pay-to-win. You get better by playing better.
The app has three career pathways: High School, College, and NBA. Each one has branching narratives with 115+ AI-powered events. Endorsement deals, media interviews, rivalries, lifestyle decisions. Your choices affect your career trajectory.
We also built community features: leaderboards, Discord integration, and a player DNA system that lets users compare builds. Plus a brand management layer where players manage endorsements and public image.
Pricing is simple. Free tier with limited features. Pro at $19.99/year for the full experience.
Year one numbers
$9,000+ in total revenue. All from Pro subscriptions at $19.99/year.
$700-$1,000 per month in organic revenue. No paid ads. No influencer deals. No marketing budget.
1,200+ active users. Acquired through word of mouth, Reddit threads, Discord communities, and YouTube gameplay videos posted by users.
$0 in marketing spend. Zero. Every dollar of revenue came from organic discovery.
Why it worked
The product solved a specific frustration. NBA 2K players hate the VC grind. Forums and subreddits are full of complaints. We built exactly what those players asked for.
Pricing matched the audience. $19.99/year is less than what most players spend on VC in a month. The value proposition was obvious.
Community did the marketing. Players shared their Draft Companion careers on Discord and YouTube. Each share introduced the app to more players. We didn't need ads because users were advertising for us.
We iterated based on feedback. The Discord community told us what features to build next. We shipped updates fast. Players who felt heard became advocates.
What we learned
You don't need a marketing budget to validate a product. You need a product that solves a real problem for a specific group of people. If the product is good enough, the audience finds you.
That said, we're not leaving growth to chance anymore. The GTM plan for the next 6 months targets 2-3x monthly revenue through content-driven acquisition on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Brandon is coming on as Social Media and Community Manager to execute that strategy.
Why this matters for our agency clients
Draft Companion isn't a client project. We built it ourselves. We priced it, launched it, and grew it with our own money and time.
When we tell a client "this strategy will generate leads" or "this pricing model works," we're speaking from experience. We've done it with our own revenue on the line. Most agencies can't say that.
If you're thinking about building an app or a digital product, book a call. We'll tell you what we'd do differently and what we'd do exactly the same way.