You know it better than us - acquiring users is no longer the finish line. It’s barely the starting line.

In 2025, growth happens in the layers after the click — where segmentation, onboarding, product activation and value messaging determine whether a user becomes a one-and-done trial or a compounding revenue cohort.

In this special episode, we’re syndicating the App Promotion Summit NYC 2025 panel The Modern UA Funnel — from Acquisition to Unstoppable Retention. It’s a real-world look at how UA has changed — not just in channels, but in how teams measure success, attribute value, and design creative that bridges acquisition, activation and loyalty.

From ATT- pressure to creative fatigue to first-party signal strategy — this is where modern growth teams are now placing their bets.

Moderated by Nicole Weiss, Founder of Brass Finch, the panel of experts included:

As app marketers navigate rising costs and tightening privacy rules, one truth is becoming clear — relying solely on Meta, Google, and TikTok is no longer sustainable.

Beyond those walled gardens lies a vast, often overlooked landscape — the open internet — where opportunities for user acquisition remain untapped.

In this App Talks special of the Business of Apps Podcast, David Murphy sits down with Omri Argaman, Co-Founder and CMO of Zoomd, to unpack how brands can scale efficiently outside the major ad platforms. Omri shares lessons from running thousands of campaigns across more than 600 integrated channels — from SDK and OEM partnerships to mobile operators and in-game ads.

You’ll hear why advertisers need to rethink where their users are, how to combat fraud while operating in open markets, and what strategies help brands grow globally without overspending on the usual platforms.

If your growth plan still starts and ends with Meta or Google — this episode will change how you think about your acquisition mix.

Let’s dive in: here’s Omri Argaman, Co-Founder and CMO at Zoomd.

“A lot of advertisers avoid the open internet because they don’t have the knowledge or the right partner — but that doesn’t mean their customers aren’t there.”

“Success outside the walled gardens takes patience. You need to test, measure, and adapt across regions — not just spend and hope for results.”

“Don’t be afraid to step beyond Meta and Google. Start small, work on performance models, and you’ll find a whole new ocean of users to acquire.”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

What happens when AI meets lifecycle marketing? In this special episode, we’re bringing you a panel discussion from App Promotion Summit NYC 2025, featuring leaders from WHOOP, theCut, and Grohaus.

They unpack how AI is transforming app engagement — from personalization at scale to the rise of 100,000-message permutations. You’ll hear where AI makes a real impact, where it still stumbles, and what it takes to maintain brand voice when your intern is… ChatGPT.

🎧 Tune in for tactical insights, candid lessons, and fresh perspectives from the frontlines of app growth in the age of AI.

The panel of experts included:

Building a sustainable game business has never been more complex—or more full of opportunity. As platforms evolve and user acquisition costs rise, developers are rethinking how they monetize and engage their players directly.

In this episode, Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, breaks down the rise of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) transactions and how Xsolla’s Web Shop is helping game studios reclaim ownership over their player relationships.

We explore how going D2C opens new revenue streams, what infrastructure developers need to support it, and why the Web Shop is becoming more than just a payment layer—it’s turning into a strategic channel for growth, loyalty, and long-term success.

“When you go direct-to-consumer, you get the full power of e-commerce, the full power of the web for discovery, and the full power of building community. It creates a better, healthier business environment for your games.”

“It’s not just putting your in-game store on the web. It’s about doing much more with it—rotating sales, personalized offers, regional pricing, loyalty programs, and having full control over your player data.”

“Going off-platform sounds great, but now you’re responsible for taxes, VAT, compliance, and customer support. That’s why you need a partner who can be your merchant of record—handling it all while you focus on making great games.”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

September rolls on—Apple’s big reveal is behind us, and the tech world is still catching its breath. With the unveiling of the iPhone Air, Apple has once again raised the bar in mobile innovation.

But while hardware dominates headlines, we’re zooming in on a quieter, yet equally game-changing shift: the migration of payments from app stores to the web.

This week’s episode of The Business of Apps Podcast features another App Talk special—conducted by David Murphy with Andrey Shakhtin, Founder & CEO of FunnelFox. The topic? The future of web-to-app funnels for app growth.

Andrey brings a wealth of insight from helping leading apps optimize their revenue stacks. He explains why the move to web payments isn’t just about saving fees—it introduces new friction points in refunds, compliance, and orchestration that many teams overlook. You’ll also hear how performance, UX, and product-led strategies are becoming central to making the transition stick.

If your team is exploring app-to-web monetization—or already deep in the trenches—this episode is your playbook for avoiding costly missteps.

“Web-to-app funnels unlock attribution, reduce payment commissions, and give developers the flexibility to design user journeys that simply aren’t possible inside the app stores.”

“The main mistake I see is teams trying to build everything in-house. It slows down experimentation, drains resources, and pulls focus away from the product itself.”

“The future of app growth will belong to the teams that experiment fast, diversify acquisition channels, and master web-based monetization.”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

September is in full swing - Apple is about to host its highly anticipated event - fingers crossed the new iPhone will be awesome! “Back to School” theme is everywhere you look; one of the things that kids need to learn about is obviously finance. OK, not for kids but for app brands and developers, we want to share yet another App Talk interviewconducted by Peggy Anne Salz with Andrew Davies, Chief Innovation Officer at Paddle.

Yes - you will hear about innovation in the app pricing and payment; Andrew is a brilliant speaker and really knows the space. He explains how Paddle simplifies back-office complexity, enables web-to-app monetization, shares best practices in pricing and retention, highlights data-driven strategies to reduce churn, and outlines a future shaped by AI, no-code tools, and democratized monetization.

“We often say second time founders choose Paddle because first time round you don’t really know what the problems are that are going to come tomorrow. But second time around you think, okay, I’ll put something in place at the beginning that means I’m not building up debt for the future.”

“If you are changing your price every quarter, you’ll outperform someone who isn’t by about 103% on ARPU. It’s not that every pricing change is good—it’s that you’re building a muscle for testing.”

“This is not just about making business work or removing complexity. You’re actually democratizing it for everyone who’s going to be a maker—to make and to sell. Because what’s the fun of making if you can’t monetize it?”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

Yet another summer is wizzed by with a jet speed. With a few days left, we want to signify this moment by sharing with you yet another App Talk interview from App Promotion Summit London 2025, this time with Rui Mateus, CTO of Mobrand.

At the interview, Rui brilliantly laid out the state of programmatic advertising for mobile apps. He touched on the need for control and transparency in programmatic, the performance-based model, scaling and rebranding, ad fraud challenges, the role of AI in programmatic, and more.

“I consider that Mobrand is not necessarily a marketing company. It’s a tech company. We have a very big technological background, and when you have the technology, you have the control — and then you can give that to the companies you’re working with.”

“Our biggest challenge with programmatic at the moment is the amount of invalid traffic that exists on the bidstream. You think you are bidding on real users and you are not. There is a lot of bots making the whole flow as if they were users”

“Our objective is to be an alternative for app developers and to provide real value. We want to cut a little bit of the complexity of this market and build a platform where everything is as seamless as possible.”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

We’re certain you’re experiencing this feeling as well - it’s as if we’re finally living in the world that was promised to us by science fiction movies. To be fair, AI has evolved into Artificial Intelligence that is indeed intelligent. While it lacks consciousness, the distinction between the two would be a topic for a separate conversation on another podcast.

Today, I’ve invited Steve to assist app brands in understanding this complex landscape of Generative AI. Our goal is to empower you to make informed decisions about which AI tools to utilize, avoid common pitfalls, comprehend the skill sets your team requires, and more.

“You don’t really care about the performance metrics of all the different models out there. What matters is whether it can do the job you need it to do well and effectively.”

“The biggest mistake is not understanding the job to be done. If you just bring tools into your system without a clear goal, you end up as the proverbial hammer wandering around looking for a nail.”

“Expertise is actually less important in this world. What separates those who succeed with AI from those who don’t is perseverance — the willingness to go one more round”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

When it comes to growing app revenue, there’s no shortage of advice — but separating the shiny “growth hacks” from the strategies that actually move the needle is another story. In today’s crowded subscription app market, you can’t just set a price, launch, and hope for the best. You need to understand your users, their behaviors, and the subtle levers that can turn one-time downloads into long-term customers.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jens to draw on his experience both inside a subscription app team and now supporting others, Jens shares practical, tested ways to increase revenue — from smarter pricing strategies to better handling of cancellations and reactivations.

If you’re building, marketing, or monetizing an app, this conversation is packed with insights you can start applying right away, whether your goal is to capture more value from your most loyal users, adapt pricing for different markets, or simply stop leaving revenue on the table.

“The core offering should always come first. Value needs to be created before it is extracted—monetization works best when you’ve already built something that engages and retains users.”

“Start experimenting with new customers first. They come in without preconceived notions, making it easier to test pricing, tiers, or new models without alienating your existing user base.”

“Premature optimization is the biggest distraction. If your business model doesn’t work with the basics, you’re unlikely to fix it just by tweaking monetization tactics.”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

OK, how many times do you hear on your team’s meetings “You need to be more creative!” Well, I have this question: “How can I be more creative with my app’s ad creatives?”

Yes, today we’re featuring another App Talk interview that covers how creative drives app growth. It was taken by our Peggy Anne Salz with Megan Evans, Creative Director at ConsultMyApp during App Promotion Summit London 2025.

In this interview, Megan talked about treating app creative as a specialized, data-driven discipline — not just design — means testing systematically, embracing what works (even if it’s off-brand), integrating across the user journey, and using AI to scale strategy, not just production.

“Sometimes it’s the one you don’t want that wins, which is difficult for brands to understand.”

“Don’t change too much at once — otherwise you’re never going to understand exactly what’s moving the needle.”

“Instead of spending time on things that can be automated through AI, we’re now focusing on the parts that need the human brain.”

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012