This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: The state of major acquisition channels in 2025, how improved measurement is boosting confidence in ad spend, and why Reddit might be your next top-performing user acquisition channel. Top Takeaways: 📡 Signal recovery is improving ad efficiency iOS signal loss made UA harder, but advanced self-attributing networks (SRNs) on TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat are restoring key data ...
Mar 13, 2025•20 min•Ep 124•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: maximizing success with web subscriptions, how payment flexibility creates better user experiences, and why making cancellations difficult can do more harm than good. Top Takeaways: 💳Web subscriptions aren’t just a cost-saving play - they’re a growth opportunity Many apps start exploring web payments to avoid platform fees, but the real advantage is flexibility . The web al...
Mar 12, 2025•21 min•Ep 123•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: diversifying revenue beyond subscriptions, what Google Play’s data reveals about buyer behavior, and why lower price points can actually increase total revenue. 📈Expand beyond subscriptions to capture new buyers Many users in emerging markets prefer one-time purchases over subscriptions, especially in categories like social, dating, and entertainment. Introducing consumable...
Mar 11, 2025•16 min•Ep 121•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: why some apps see 30 times higher revenue on iOS versus Android, the challenges of running a business on multiple platforms, and why you should consider offering a free Android device to employees. 📱 Android expands global reach, but iOS drives early traction iOS dominates in U.S. and premium markets, making it the best platform for an initial launch. Android, however, is e...
Mar 10, 2025•15 min•Ep 120•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: why optimizing for user success drives more revenue than conversion hacks, how to maximize the impact of annual plans, and why relying too heavily on discounts is a trap. Top Takeaways 🏋️♂️Segment early to acquire the right users Long-term retention starts before users even download your app. Ladder segments potential users through quiz-based onboarding, tailoring messagin...
Mar 09, 2025•18 min•Ep 119•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: the power of cancellation surveys, how social proof can re-engage churned users, and why making it easier to cancel might actually boost retention. Top Takeaways: 📦Deliver personalized value through lifecycle marketing Reconnect with churned users by personalizing content and recommendations based on their past interactions. Use dynamic segmentation to tailor messages that ...
Mar 08, 2025•18 min•Ep 118•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: how onX Maps tailors freemium and trial strategies to different user needs, the role of user education in driving upgrades, and why experimenting with features and tiers is essential for subscription growth. Top Takeaways: 🔎Educate users about paid features Don’t assume users know they’re on the free tier or understand the value behind premium features. Clearly communicate ...
Mar 07, 2025•16 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: driving first-year renewals, how Strava connects users with retention-boosting features, and why creating value and keeping users engaged is the foundation for subscription success. Top Takeaways: 💡Focus on product usage, not just paid features To secure the first renewal, drive overall product engagement , not just paid feature usage. Users don’t think about features in is...
Mar 07, 2025•20 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: Keeping users engaged through habit-forming experiences, Duolingo’s approach to reactivating churned users, and why building daily habits is the foundation for long-term retention success. Top Takeaways: 🏎️ Act fast - most users don’t come back after a week The best time to re-engage a churned user is within the first three to four days . Duolingo found that users who stay ...
Mar 06, 2025•16 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast, I talk with Anton about building sustainable viral growth loops at scale, how to effectively gamify user incentives, and why emotional connections drive more value than economic ones. Top Takeaways: 🚀 Building sustainable virality through strategic growth loops Sweatcoin’s explosive growth didn’t happen by chance. Anton detailed how they engineered a viral engine through a combination of influencer-driven groundswell , controlled user-to-user invites, and strategic use of organi...
Mar 05, 2025•51 min•Ep 115•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: why the Big Mac Index falls short for app pricing, how Flo Health’s regional pricing strategy drives profitable user acquisition in emerging markets, and the importance of aligning pricing with long-term user retention for sustainable growth. Top Takeaways: 💭 Know your audience - not just the economy Don’t rely on basic indexes like the Big Mac Index. Instead, understand yo...
Mar 04, 2025•16 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps report. On the podcast: balancing freemium and premium experiences, how The Weather Company uses AI to predict subscriber behavior, and why focusing on user value rather than monetization is the key to subscription success. Top Takeaways 🎯Target high-value users with personalized experiences Identify your most valuable cohorts through deep segmentation and user research . Tailor paywalls and premi...
Mar 03, 2025•18 min•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast I talk with Ashley about what makes Google App Campaigns so effective for growth, proven optimization strategies, and why lower CPMs can sometimes be a warning sign rather than a win. Top Takeaways: 📈 Google App Campaigns: Big reach, but fewer levers to pull Google’s ad platform delivers massive scale - search, YouTube, the Play Store - but hands much of the control to machine learning. That tradeoff can work in your favor, but only if you guide the system with structured testing...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast I talk with Sherina about why performance marketing eventually hits a ceiling, how to think about measure brand marketing, and why sometimes ignoring A/B test results leads to better outcomes. Top Takeaways: 📈 Freemium can’t feel cheap Deezer once took a hardline approach to converting free users – limiting features to push them toward paid plans. The result? Users didn’t upgrade; they just left. The best freemium models strike a balance: give users real value, build habit and tr...
Feb 05, 2025•48 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast we talk with Bruno about putting customers ahead of metrics, why there’s still massive opportunity to build successful apps today, and how a server crash turned into an accidentally successful A/B test. Top Takeaways: 📈 The app ecosystem still holds massive opportunities Developers often assume the app market is saturated, but it continues to evolve with new possibilities. Technologies like AI, AR, and better hardware create untapped opportunities for developers who are willing t...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast we talk with Nathan about the strategic opportunity of web2app, how and when to use web2app, and why one app found success using webinars in their web2app funnel. Top Takeaways: 🔑 Web-to-app opens up opportunities for small apps Smaller apps can use web-to-app strategies to improve cash flow, gain better attribution data, and test acquisition campaigns with smaller budgets. It’s an effective way to experiment with paid growth without relying solely on app store mechanics. 🎯 Gain...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast we talk with Phil about how to effectively use benchmarks to aid decision making, the limitations of benchmarks, and why even the best companies aren’t top quartile in every single metric. Top Takeaways: 📏 Benchmarks are a starting point, not a roadmap Treat benchmarks as directional indicators to uncover growth opportunities and prioritize actions, but don’t chase them blindly. They work best as tools for identifying areas to explore rather than metrics to perfect. 🏆 Focus on s...
Dec 23, 2024•58 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: estimating the revenue potential of an app, crafting an exit strategy, and why LTV is such a terrible metric. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Finding the right market fit – Not all apps have billion-dollar potential, and chasing massive markets often means competing with big players. Instead, focus on markets where your app has room to stand out. By positioning yourself in a "Goldilocks zone"—big enough to scale but niche enough to avoid overcrowding—you’ll lay the groundwork for sustainable g...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: the power of user segmentation, executing bold strategic shifts, and why imaginary customer conversations are sometimes better than real ones. Key Takeaways: 💡 Simplification drives growth - Alex shares how transitioning from a freemium to a free trial model simplified V1 Sports' monetization strategy, aligning better with their users and discovering new revenue opportunities. 🤔 Rethink assumptions to uncover opportunities - Alex emphasizes the importance of questioning outdate...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: what’s currently working for apps on TikTok, how to create viral content, why you should try working with influencers who don’t have many followers. Key Takeaways: 🔍 Getting noticed: How TikTok’s algorithm amplifies reach - TikTok’s “For You Page” prioritizes engaging content over follower count, so apps can go viral without a big audience. 📈 E-commerce strategies that work for apps on TikTok - E-commerce brands have mastered quick, punchy content on TikTok, and app marketers c...
Nov 13, 2024•56 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: the risk of ad creative concentration, how to reach older, high-value demographics, and why the ultimate KPI is revenue. Key Takeaways: 🛠️ A unified roadmap eliminates silos - Operating with one shared roadmap ensures alignment across product, marketing, and engineering, promoting collaboration and agility. 💡 Monetization might require more than just subscriptions - Post-IDFA, blending subscriptions with ads and one-time purchases maximizes revenue and reaches non-subscribers. ...
Oct 30, 2024•54 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: effectively scaling support for an app, why the time to first response is so important, and why you should treat support more like a concierge experience. Key Takeaways: 💡 Personalized customer support is a competitive advantage - Eli emphasizes that providing fast, personal responses to customers sets brands apart from competitors. Even in a world of increasing automation, building a concierge-like experience can boost customer loyalty. 🤖 AI and human support can work in harmo...
Oct 16, 2024•49 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: the rebound of consumer subscription valuations and investor interest, how to generate Net Revenue Retention in consumer, and why you should pinpoint where your app sits on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Key Takeaways: 📈 The subscription app industry is rebounding in 2024 - After setbacks in 2022 and 2023, surviving companies are now leaner, more focused, and showing strong profitability and retention. This resurgence is reflected in both private transactions and public valuations...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: The benefits of building something you personally care about, how to balance user feedback with product intuition, and why process, frameworks, and outside advice are often worth ignoring. Key Takeaways: 🚀 You don’t need complex processes to build a successful product Building something meaningful doesn’t always require elaborate processes or formal business structures. With passion, a clear vision, and consistent execution, developers can create successful products without over...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: The impact of Apple Search Ads on organic search, how to save money on brand defense, and why ROAS shouldn’t be the only thing you optimize for. Key Takeaways: 📊 Optimizing brand keyword bids can protect traffic and reduce costs Running ads on brand keywords helps protect your traffic from competitors. By experimenting with lower bids, you can often maintain visibility while reducing costs, ensuring that you capture valuable traffic efficiently. 💸 Long-term ROAS is key for subs...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How to find success with web2app, the value (and challenges) of “owning the transaction”, and why avoiding app store fees isn’t a great reason to experiment with web2app, but might work out anyway. Key Takeaways: 💰 There’s much more to web2app than avoiding app store fees - In fact, looking at app store fees alone disregards the benefits of going via the app store, such as a substantially better conversion rate. Even if web acquisition is cheaper, those users are not worth the s...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: Implementing effective offline marketing campaigns for acquiring, engaging, and retaining paid subscribers in the app space. Key Takeaways: 📢 Look beyond digital channels for app growth . Consider offline advertising channels such as radio, linear TV, and podcasts to reach untapped demographics. These channels can help you target non-digital audiences, particularly older, higher-income users who can be more lucrative for subscription-based apps. 🔄 Use diverse methods to measure...
Aug 07, 2024•26 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How to make better decisions with data, the many pitfalls of collecting and interpreting data, and why the best executive dashboard is probably a hand-written weekly email. Key Takeaways: 📝Balance data collection with business goals. Collecting all possible data can drown teams in noise and lead to compliance risks. Focus on collecting semantically important data that aligns with business goals and use cases to avoid unnecessary complexity and costs. 💡Prevent exponential cost i...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How Mojo grew to over $1M in MRR, the most impactful pricing and paywall experiments, and why it’s important to choose complexity instead of just letting it happen. Key Takeaways: 💪Bravery to pivot leads to long-term success. Early popularity can be deceiving. Without strong retention, it's time to pivot. Build features users love to evolve from a gimmick to a sustainable business. 🧱Make your paywall more prominent . Show your paywall during onboarding. Then, iterate on messagi...
Jul 10, 2024•49 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: Quitting a job to build your own apps, returning to that job after failing to gain traction, and the inflection point that allowed our guest to finally quit for good. Key Takeaways: 💡If your first side project doesn’t take off, try again — Reviving a lackluster launch can be tempting, but it might indicate a lack of demand. Instead, start fresh with a new idea and watch for early signs of product-market fit. 💰Invest more in your product once you have “pull” and a channel — Achi...
Jun 26, 2024•51 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast 
