From 0 to 1,000,000 in 8 months

Possible? Or am I crazy?

Could we possibly go from 0 to 1,000,000 users in a mere eight months?

So far, only a handful of people have purchased and downloaded Sgt Fitness since its release 2 weeks ago. Thank you. You know who you are. ("Thanks, Mom, Rob, my sisters and my cousins.")

But it will ramp up. I am trying to figure out strategies to get the word out. Writing and publishing the app was a piece of cake... now comes the hard work of continuously promoting it. I'd like to see everybody who buys Sgt Fitness "talk it up" and convince one other person each month moving forward to check it out. And by check it out, I mean, buy a copy, use it, and then convince one other person each month to check it out.

If we can somehow get that sort of a user base as the first 4,000 Sgt Fitness devotees, and we can get to that 4,000 level quickly, watch what happens:

Starting with 4,000 people, each convincing one other person to check it out each month, after 1 month, we'll have 8,000 people.

Then after 2 months: 16,000 people

After 3: 32,000

4: 64,000

5: 128,000

6: 256,000

7: 512,000

8: 1,024,000

Perfect. Eight months from 4,000 to over a million people once we get that rhythm established.

Now: how to establish such a rhythm?

Will you be one of my first 4,000 that helps launch us to the "million dollars to charity" level? I hope so.

If you are one of my early adopters: thank you. Help spread the word by leaving Sgt Fitness on all the time, and actually using it. When people see you doing pushups in the office, they're bound to ask "What's up?" When they do, tell them it's all Sgt Fitness's fault and they should do it, too.

Leave the sound turned on for your iPhone. With the sound on, people will hear your phone saying "Drop and give me 20!" and ask "What's up?" When they do, tell them...

Of course, to go from my first 16 users, to 4,000 may take just as long. It may take sixteen months rather than eight to hit the goal. I might not achieve the million dollar goal until 2012 at that rate... :-)

Starting with 16, which we will definitely have by the end of May, 2011, we can get to 4,000+ after 8 months by doubling each month:

1: 32

2: 64

3: 128

4: 256

5: 512

6: 1,000

7: 2,000

8: 4,000

Which, if it actually pans out that way, would put us at 4,000 users by end of January, 2012.

Or... we could get somebody famous to be our spokesperson, and accelerate the whole thing, by speaking to millions of people at once. Got any famous friends who'd be willing to have lunch with me?