Interviews with the experts behind the biggest apps in the App Store. Hosts David Barnard and Jacob Eiting dive deep to unlock insights, strategies, and stories that you can use to carve out your slice of the 'trillion-dollar App Store opportunity'.
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On the podcast: why authentic founder-led content outperforms, tapping into HSA payments to unlock a whole new audience, and the growth lever no dashboard can measure. Top Takeaways: 🗣️ Authentic founder-led content consistently outperforms manufactured UGC Real expertise and genuine personality compound over time in a way no UGC agency can replicate — and it shows up in your conversion metrics. 🏥 HSA payments can open your app to a whole new paying audience Accepting pre-tax HSA dollars at ch...
On the podcast: about making growth everyone’s job, protecting the free experience even when it hurts conversion, and why an inconclusive experiment is the only kind he hates. Top Takeaways: 🎯 An inconclusive experiment is the only true failure A losing test teaches you what doesn't work, but an inconclusive one wastes time and yields zero learnings. 💰 Protecting the free tier can be your biggest competitive moat Stripping value from free users to force conversions often sacrifices long-term n...
On the podcast: why retention is the only real moat, how dropping paid conversion from 20% to 9% increased revenue, and why he sees the rise in competition as a net positive for Opal. Top Takeaways: 🔄 Retention is the only real moat While revenue and acquisition grab headlines, the ability to keep users coming back is the ultimate proof of value and the only sustainable foundation for a consumer app. 📉 Dropping paid conversion can multiply revenue Giving away more of the core product for free ...
On the podcast: how AI can turn your onboarding from a chore into magic, hyper-personalized experiences that drive both retention and revenue, and why your value-to-noise ratio matters more than how many features you ship. Top Takeaways: ⏱️ AI can make the first 60 seconds of onboarding feel like magic When a new user experiences a personalized, interactive setup rather than a generic questionnaire, they are significantly more likely to convert to a trial on day zero. 🪞 Hyper-personalization is...
On the podcast: the product-driven growth loop behind the #1 VPN app in the world, why they intentionally leave money on the table, and how the prettiest design often loses in their A/B tests. Top Takeaways: 📐 Your top-of-funnel is a product decision, not a marketing one The apps that dominate app store search aren't winning because of ad spend; they're winning because frictionless, high-quality free experiences generate the ratings volume and engagement signals that compound into organic domin...
On the podcast: hitting $1M ARR in four months with no paid ads, why trial extensions beat discounts for saving cancellations, and why you should be hiring content creators, not influencers. Top Takeaways: 📈 Momentum is oxygen — get to revenue fast Reaching your first dollars quickly, even with a minimal product, creates a flywheel of confidence and capital that compounds over time. 🎯 Frame your product as a solution, not a toy Content that positions your app as the answer to a real problem co...
On the podcast: how ElevenLabs turns every new feature launch into a growth engine, how they're deploying over a hundred million dollars in paid ads, and why directing AI agents is quickly becoming a core skill for marketers and solo founders. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🚀T...
On the podcast: why app economy disruption won't happen as fast as everyone seems to think, how AI is just as useful for defending against copycats as creating them, and why the real barrier to app success is still distribution, not code. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 📲 Distr...
On the podcast: product-driven retention as the foundation for lifecycle marketing, working backwards from results to nail activation, and why talking to individual users can lead you astray. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Product-driven retention is the foundation for lifec...
On the podcast: what the explosion in new apps means for the market, how the top 10% of apps grew 306% while the median barely beat inflation, and why hard paywalls convert 5X better than freemium. This conversation is focused on RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Head to https://www.revenuecat.com/state-of-subscription-apps to download the report. Top Takeaways: 📊 The app economy is a sorting machine The top 10% of apps grew 306% while the median grew just 5.3%, and that gap is on...
On the podcast: breaking free from the paid acquisition treadmill, how to repurpose offline events into millions of online impressions, and why a celebrity partnership can go viral but still completely flop. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Measure brand campaigns by search up...
On the podcast: why web onboarding should sell the problem instead of the solution, how discounted paid trials are beating free trials, and why creative that flopped for app ads might crush it for web funnels. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Web funnels should sell the proble...
On the podcast: how Tinder's ML-powered paywalls drove millions in new revenue, the art of selling features à la carte without killing subscription revenue, and why Tinder Select flopped despite users saying they'd pay for it. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🤖Users need fewer o...
On the podcast: testing prices from $5 all the way to $120 per year, why rising CACs forced a pricing rethink, and how raising the price allows them to discount more aggressively. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 💰 Retest prices you've already ruled out Market conditions shift c...
On the podcast: how Duolingo prioritizes clarity over persuasion on their paywalls, why they offer users multiple free trials instead of just one, and how adding friction to their trial reminder flow actually boosted conversions. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Prioritize cla...
On the podcast: the experiments behind Mojo's 60% lift in ARPU, why a winning paywall in Japan completely failed in the US, and why not relying on day one for most of your revenue is actually a strength. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🌍Show free users a paywall every week afte...
On the podcast: about the cost of not tracking your experiments and decisions, how refunds and chargebacks quietly erase your paywall wins, and why stacking A/B test wins should compound your growth, but almost never does. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 💸 Map your revenue hist...
On the podcast: the tailwinds driving a boom in non-game app revenue, how vibe coding and AI workflows are fueling growth in categories that have nothing to do with AI, and why people predicting the "death of apps" have never been more wrong. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators. Top Takeaways: 🚀 T...
On the podcast, I talk with Michael and Mark about the boom in hardware-enabled subscriptions, why nothing worked until they stopped optimizing and started building a better product, and how they doubled their price to $79 even though the data said they could charge more. Top Takeaways: 📱 Hardware-enabled subscriptions need daily usage to work Devices that sit unused make subscription value harder to justify, but products that become the heartbeat of daily routines (like a family calendar) natu...
On the podcast we talk with Tanmay and Jack about how earned media can drive paid performance, building features that make for good tweets, and why stripping out your onboarding quiz might beat optimizing it. Top Takeaways: 📊Pricing should match how users think — not how AI works One of the biggest wins came from simplifying pricing. For ElevenReader, selling listening time instead of tokens or credits dramatically improved clarity and conversion. Abstracting away AI complexity for consumers is...
On the podcast, I talk with Cem about the premium trap many apps fall into, why free trials work even for freemium products, and how ‘try for $0.00’ actually outperforms ‘try for free’. Top Takeaways: 💡 Protect the free moat — always Short-term revenue tricks like paywalling free features make metrics spike — then stall. Sustainable freemium growth depends on preserving free value. It’s not just ethical; it’s strategic. Pulling back too much invites competitors to offer what you took away, weak...
On the podcast, I talk with Jeff about Tinder's $50 million paywall win. Why now is such a great time to build apps, and how hard paywalls can mislead you about product-market fit. Top Takeaways: 💡 Focus on Product-Market Fit First Before jumping into monetization, ensure your product truly resonates with users. Building a product that solves a real problem and captures genuine interest is the foundation for sustainable growth. Once you achieve product-market fit, monetization becomes a natural...
On the podcast, I talk with Alper about the competitive advantage of ignoring (some) best practices, the risk of drawing false conclusions when researching competitor ads, and why poor metrics are just facts until proven problematic. Top Takeaways: 📊 Challenge Best Practices Test what works for your app and market, even if it goes against common advice. Adapt best practices to your data and current stage. 💡 Facts vs. Problems Low trial conversions aren’t always a problem—sometimes they’re just...
Greg Cohn discusses Burner's origin, including the critical pivot from Wrangle and the decision-making behind raising VC funding for consumer apps. He highlights the importance of solving authentic problems, focusing on user retention, and the successful transition from a credit-based model to subscriptions. The conversation also explores ethical growth strategies, expanding product offerings, and the ongoing challenge of efficient feature development and market acquisition.
Ravi Mehta, former Chief Product Officer at Tinder, delves into tiered pricing and consumables, explaining how Tinder successfully mapped user willingness to pay. He discusses the crucial role of free users in monetization and shares insights on optimizing onboarding for different product types, from Tinder's rapid flow to Sesame Care's extensive process. The episode also explores the NCTs goal-setting framework and the importance of a clear company mission for sustained product growth and market fit.
This episode features Eric Crowley of GP Bullhound, who challenges the idea of 'subscription fatigue,' arguing consumers will pay for real value. He explores Strava's strategic acquisition of Runna as a TAM expansion model and delves into how AI acts as both a headwind for discovery and a tailwind for building better, more defensible products. The discussion also covers the loosening of app store restrictions and the emergence of app conglomerates, exemplified by Bending Spoons' ruthless operational efficiency in acquiring and optimizing apps.
Michael Ribero, SVP of Global Consumer Revenue at Condé Nast, discusses how to navigate the evolving media landscape by leveraging brand, fostering community, and experimenting with monetization. He shares strategies for balancing free versus paid content, the power of bundling and post-purchase upsells, and the effective use of micro-products to attract diverse users. The conversation highlights the importance of testing, adapting, and continuously adding value to drive sustainable growth and LTV.
On the podcast I talk with Josh about red flags that tank app valuations, why subscription-only apps are leaving money on the table, and how bootstrapped founders are cashing out for millions in months, not years. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Build to sell, but build smart Flipping an app in under a year is still possible, but the skill that matters most now is marketing. With AI lowering the barrier to development, distribution has become the real differentiator. Founders who master organic channels, comm...
On the podcast we talk with Mathias about running Subway Surfers' marketing machine on salaries, not ad spend, leaving money on the table to protect player experience, and why more apps should try rewarded ads, season passes, and other tactics from gaming. Top Takeaways: 🎨 Viral flywheels can out-perform massive paid campaigns Relying on salaries instead of ad budgets, a lean team can ship constant creative that rides cultural waves. Most experiments flop quietly, but the occasional viral hit f...
This episode features Ora Levit, VP of Product Management at LinkedIn, who shares insights into their value-driven growth philosophy. She explains how LinkedIn focuses on continuously adding features that genuinely help members achieve their professional goals, leading to sustainable acquisition and retention. The discussion also covers balancing free and paid offerings, the complexities of running over a thousand A/B tests annually, and leveraging AI for personalized user experiences and win-back strategies for "boomerang" users. Ora emphasizes optimizing for long-term revenue and using partnerships to enhance premium value.
