He's also sold multiple apps. Not once. Multiple times. To the same buyer Rounds.com
That tells you something.
We sat down with Hanif to talk about what actually worried him before his first deal, what payment looks like when you're operating from Pakistan, and why he kept coming back.
Q: Before your first exit - what was going through your head?
Hanif: Honestly? I was scared. The main fears were payment security and communication. You build something real, it has users, it earns money. Then you hand it to someone you've never met in person. You don't know if the money comes. You don't know if they ghost you after the deal.
That was my headspace. I'd heard stories. Developers who sold and then waited months. Or never got paid properly.
Q: So what happened?
Hanif: It was smooth. From the first conversation to the final transfer - transparent, no surprises. What I didn't expect was the support after the deal. They didn't just take the app and disappear. That mattered to me.
It's why I sold again. And again. When the process works, you come back.
Q: You're based in Pakistan. Payment logistics are a real problem here.
How did you handle that?
Hanif: This is a topic nobody talks about honestly. In Pakistan - and a lot of Tier 3 markets - platforms like Wise or Escrow are either blocked or extremely limited. Payoneer is restricted for many developers. So when a buyer says "we'll pay you via standard transfer," that can mean nothing to you.
My advice: don't work with any buyer who has one payment method and no flexibility. Period. If they're serious about working with global sellers, they figure it out. You shouldn't have to solve their logistics problem.
Q: You do ASO and UA for a living. Does that change how you think about selling?
Hanif: Yes, completely. I know what makes an app valuable. Keyword rankings, retention, monetization - I've optimized all of it. So when I go into a deal, I know what I have. I'm not guessing at a number. I know the app's ceiling and I know when it's the right time to exit.
That knowledge helps. You're not selling from fear. You're making a business decision.
Q: IObits is growing. What's next for you?
Hanif: We're hiring. The team is expanding. Some of the exits funded that growth directly. Selling an app isn't the end - it's a capital decision. You take the money, you build something bigger.
Hanif is part of the IObits team in Pakistan. They work in ASO and user acquisition and are actively hiring. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
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