What other super simple, quick-to-build websites/apps are there that generate a non-trivial amount of revenue? (At least a few thousand a month.)
I want to study/think about them.
I've had half a dozen people clone my software product. They are apparently under the impression I'm in the software business. I'm actually in the educational publishing business, and I'm really good at distribution via SEO for it. That is the missile, the software is just the warhead. Without the missile, you can only blow yourself up.
I'll do you one better -- study both
It's primarily your example that speaks to the distribution mechanism aspect, but if the product weren't any good, you'd likely end up as a case study for your competitors as they beat you into the ground (just as you posted the screenshot the other day of the horrible bingo app that motivated you).
You can't JUST do one half of it, unless you get very lucky, or have some kind of viral appeal, or are Craig Newmark, or whatever. The key to being best in class AND being perceived as best in class at the same time is to nail every aspect of product, which includes distribution in most cases.
In this same vain, Twitter is, effectively, a super simple idea that seems to have at least taken to legs in adoption, though I have absolutely zero idea what they're doing for revenue.
But actually, their originality and novelty is what gets them popular in the first place. I think if I tried to copy AwesomeReminders today, I'd probably fail the way most people expected the original AwesomeReminders to fail. Being first matters?
I suspect that most self help gurus could sell a similar service to their user bases at a higher rate. Would I pay $100/mo for Tony Robbins to call me for 1 minute once a week with an inspirational message? Probably not, but I'd bet my left arm that 100 or more of his devotees would, and it'd be a $10k/mo revenue stream for 2 hours per week.
I believe there is no such thing as super simple, deploy and forget money making product. The amount of time, effort, energy are the key things that make the money counts.
http://www.calendarsquick.com/printables/index.html
no clue how much money it makes, but I was thinking can such a simple service make money?
But then, I was actively against the idea when Zack announced it, so what do I know?
Or maybe people from other countries might buy it.
There seems to be some lore about doing good SEO over possibly syndicated content and google ads your way to profit. have heard different people say this in one form or the other, and have seen some sites based on this model ...
can only guess what the investment/returns involved would be