Logan Mendelsohn built a messaging app where your texts do not arrive instantly. Instead, a bird carries them. The further away the recipient, the longer the delivery takes, just like the old way. Users can also collect different bird types along the way.
Roost launched on April 27 and hit 40K downloads last month. It currently sits at #66 in Social Networking in the U.S. and is in the Top 100 across around 50+ countries.
The first signal came before the app even launched. In July 2025, Logan posted a green screen video with the app running behind him, opening with “I made a texting app where you send messages with pigeons.” That video hit 1.2M views and 12.5K bookmarks.
At the time, the app was not live yet, and he was still reading comments and adjusting the product based on the feedback coming in. The video helped shape what the app became.
The format has stayed consistent since. Logan in the foreground, app demo in the background, founder explaining his own product in plain language. No UGC network, no creators, no ad spend. Just the founder and the concept.
The most recent breakout came on June 13 on their Instagram page @roost.app, where a new video hit 1M views with the opener: “okay, my hobby project kinda blew up.”
He explains how the idea came together, and the authenticity of someone genuinely surprised by their own traction is the whole hook.
Two viral videos, two platforms, one founder, one format. The concept is unusual enough that it sells itself, and Logan is unusual enough that people keep watching him explain it.