On the podcast, we talk with Bruno about the journey of building Genius Scan, the importance of focusing on customer experience over metrics, how staying nimble in a competitive app market creates opportunities and the surprising story of how a server crash revealed a more effective way to boost conversions. 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 A...
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. Its an effective way to experiment with paid growth without relying solely on app store mechanics. Gain full c...
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 arent 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 dont chase them blindly. They work best as tools for identifying areas to explore rather than metrics to perfect. Focus on strengths...
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 overcrowdingyoull lay the groundwork for sustainable growth. P...
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 outdated busi...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: whats currently working for apps on TikTok, how to create viral content, why you should try working with influencers who dont have many followers. Key Takeaways: Getting noticed: How TikToks algorithm amplifies reach - TikToks 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 can adopt sim...
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. TV and ...
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 harmony - E...
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 Maslows 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, si...
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 dont need complex processes to build a successful product Building something meaningful doesnt always require elaborate processes or formal business structures. With passion, a clear vision, and consistent execution, developers can create successful products without overcompl...
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 shouldnt 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 subscriptio...
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 isnt a great reason to experiment with web2app, but might work out anyway. Key Takeaways: Theres 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 same to ...
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 offli...
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 incre...
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 its 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 messaging, d...
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 doesnt 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 Achieving early...
Jun 26, 2024•51 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: Another Apple WWDC conference is in the books, and as usual, were excited to dig into everything Apple announced and what it means for iOS developers and RevenueCat users. This years announcements covered everything from small quality-of-life enhancements in App Store Connect to the deprecation of some of Apples oldest in-app payments code. Key Takeaways: StoreKit 1 is deprecated After 15 years, the old and creaking first version of StoreKit is being deprecated by Apple. Itll lik...
Jun 17, 2024•58 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: What to do when there are no jobs to be done, how to build innovative features, and why copying Duolingos engagement strategy probably wont work for your app. Key Takeaways: To win over a mass market, you need to discover your apps trigger . Apps serving niche audiences often have a well-defined job-to-be-done. Apps aiming for broad appeal, however, need to identify the triggers in a users daily life they will optimize for, in the absence of a specific user goal. A framework for ...
May 29, 2024•51 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How developers can launch and optimize their app listings on the Google Play Store. A conversation from Google I/O 2024 with Sarah Karam , director of Apps Partnerships at Google. Key Takeaways: There are now more ways to optimize revenue with Google Play Commerce , such as installment subscriptions and automatically adjusted local pricing. On Android, the leading apps diversify their monetization. Instead of offering just subscriptions, for example, they offer IAPs to cater for ...
May 20, 2024•52 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How the Microsoft 365 team optimizes their apps for the app stores and the top paywall optimization tips for enterprise apps and start-ups . Part 2 of our conversation with Ramit Arora. Key Takeaways: Use jobs-to-be-done to inform your app store optimization (ASO) keywords strategy . Optimize for keywords that align with what your potential audience is hoping to accomplish. To discover what these keywords are, use the same user research that informs your product roadmap. Use Appl...
May 15, 2024•21 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: Microsoft 365 app monetization and optimization, and how Microsoft is building successful appsrecorded live in Vegas at the Mobile Apps Unlocked (MAU) conference. Key Takeaways: The App Store advantage : Microsoft's data reinforces that the App Store, despite the fees attached, offers significant advantages. The seamless experience from things such as pre-attached payment methods results in a conversion rate from trial to paid that is five times higher than on other direct channe...
May 01, 2024•31 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast:The importance of passion for the product youre working on, how to differentiate in a crowded market, and why achieving the viable in Minimum Viable Product is harder than ever. Key Takeaways: Ad-based revenue models too often lead to a degraded user experience. For ad-supported products, the real customer is the advertiser, not the end user. This causes a conflict between doing whats going to create the best product and whats going to drive the most advertising revenue. The bar f...
Apr 17, 2024•46 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: The past, present, and future of Meta ads, tactics to scale subscription apps on Meta, and why you should probably exclude younger audiences in your targeting. Key Takeaways: Why Meta Ads? Its vast reach and precision targeting make Meta the best platform for discovery. Ads seamlessly integrate with organic content, providing a native experience for users and transparency for advertisers. Simplify for efficiency . Kick off with broad targeting within a consolidated account struct...
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: The many failures of his recent app launch, the surprising results of his first-ever A/B test, and the many reasons why you shouldnt plan a big app launch. Top Takeaways: Continuous evolution over big bangs : For subscription apps, frequent updates create enduring value, outpacing the impact of sparse, major launches. This steady stream of enhancements keeps your app relevant and signals relentless improvement to your audience. Opt for flexible launches : Avoid putting all your h...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: RevenueCats 2024 State of Subscription Apps report, the state of the app industry more broadly, and why a slight drop in renewals in 2023 isnt as bad as it may seem. Key insights: Optimize conversion rates : With a 1.7% average conversion rate from downloads to paying subscribers, there's a wide gap indicating room for improvement. North America shows higher conversions, spotlighting the need for regional price optimization. Persistence pays off : The top 5% of apps outearn the b...
Mar 11, 2024•43 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How to build a content marketing flywheel, the importance of content thats inherently valuable, and why you shouldnt give up on content marketing even if your early attempts only get a few views. Validate your app idea with minimal resources . Use a simple mock-up and some way to drive paid or organic traffic to gauge interest before development. Fares Ksebati tested demand for an app that didnt exist by collecting emails via a basic website. This lean approach confirmed interest...
Feb 21, 2024•54 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast On 25th January, Apple published its guidance on how it would comply with the EUs Digital Markets Act (DMA). The response, in keeping with Apples response to other demands for reforms, effectively disincentivizes most apps from taking advantage of the changes. The changes are complex and confusing, and the answer to whether apps should make changes isnt completely black-and-white. To help developers navigate these changes, we pulled together an emergency episode featuring RevenueCats CEO Jacob E...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: The strategic pitfalls in modeling Total Addressable Market, how freemium should work, and why Surflines current success was actually 38 years in the making. Key Takeaways: SAM not TAM The total addressable market (TAM) provides an overview of the market's potential size, but it's too general for strategic purposes. The serviceable addressable market (SAM) more accurately reflects the market portion you can realistically capture. $ Understanding Price Sensitivity Price sensitivit...
Jan 24, 2024•43 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: Scaling to $5M in ARR on paid ads, positive and negative results from 121 A/B tests, and why they still havent built an Android app. The Power of a Single Metric : Concentrating on just one key metric can be remarkably effective. In the early stages, it's common to take on too much. By zeroing in on a solitary metric, it becomes simpler to iterate and conduct large-scale testing. Subscriptions as a Market Fit Gauge : The subscription model acts as a litmus test for your app's val...
Jan 10, 2024•47 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast: How to pitch your app to the press, the importance of focusing on differentiation, and why customizing your pitch to an individual writer is so much more effective. Top Takeaways: PR for user acquisition (UA) is best suited for acquiring very specific users . If youre looking for big numbers then there are better channels to use. But PR allows you to pinpoint your UA to reach smaller, higher-intent audiences, such as early adopters or power users, who help you fulfill a particula...
Dec 27, 2023•56 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast 
