Business of Apps Podcast

You know it better than us — the era of experimenting with AI is over. The question isn't whether to use it anymore. It's whether it's actually moving the numbers. In 2026, the winners aren't the teams running clever pilots. They're the ones who've wired AI into the core of their growth engine — into how they find users, activate them, and figure out what those users really want. In this special episode, we're syndicating the Business of Apps London 2026 panel AI in Action: Real-World Use Cases. It's a no-hype look at what's working right now — told through live examples from three people scaling it in practice: Steve Young of App Masters Anton Volovyk of Reface Nathan Hudson of Perceptycs. The panel’s topics include: The AI tools actually driving results right now (Claude, n8n) — and where they fit Case study: how Bite Pal's AI creatives were built and scaled Deep dive: producing a 100% AI-generated video ad, start to finish When AI is not the right answer — and the biggest mistakes teams make AI vs. UGC and the changing role of marketing teams in the AI era

App Store optimization is often treated as a checklist item — update keywords, run a few tests, maybe layer on some paid traffic. But when those pieces operate in isolation, teams miss the real opportunity: using paid and organic together as a single, feedback-driven system. In this episode, we’re sharing an App Talks interview with David Quinn, VP of Strategy and Partnerships at Gummicube. David reframes ASO not as a standalone discipline, but as a full-funnel acquisition and conversion engine — one where keyword strategy, creative testing, and paid campaigns continuously inform one another. Today’s topics include: Why ASO only works when keyword strategy, creative testing, and paid campaigns are treated as one system How paid campaigns can actively support organic rankings instead of cannibalizing them Using Apple Search Ads taps and share of voice to influence App Store search performance Structuring Apple Ads campaigns and ad groups for clearer insights and better optimization The role of custom product pages in improving conversion and lowering paid acquisition costs Links and Resources: David Quinn on LinkedIn Gummicube website Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from David Quinn “ASO isn’t any one of these things in a vacuum — it’s the combination of keyword updates, A/B testing, and paid campaigns, and the learnings you get from all of them together.” “If you launch paid campaigns before setting up your metadata, you’re missing a huge opportunity for the algorithm to understand what you should rank for.” “Paid search placements can help organic performance because taps are signals — if users choose your app more often, the store learns to rank it higher.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

For years, mobile marketers have been navigating a storm of signal loss, rising UA costs, siloed data, and an explosion of tools that promise growth but rarely deliver clarity.Now, with 2026 on the horizon — and budgets tightening even further — one question keeps resurfacing: How do you drive confident, profitable app growth in the year ahead? In this App Talk special of the Business of Apps Podcast, David Murphy speaks with Eoin Hallahan, Chief Revenue Officer at SplitMetrics, about what the mobile growth landscape is really demanding of teams as they prepare for 2026. Eoin lays out the new realities UA and ASO managers are facing: deeper signal loss, more channel fragmentation, and rising internal pressure to deliver results without expanding headcount. You’ll hear how SplitMetrics is reshaping app growth with a unified approach to Apple Ads, App Store Optimization, and AI — including SplitMetrics Iris, an AI agent trained specifically on mobile marketing data. Eoin explains how Iris gives UA teams a strategic edge by turning competitor activity, keyword trends, and performance blind spots into instant, actionable guidance. If you’re reevaluating your growth playbook for 2026 — or looking for a smarter, faster way to connect the dots across UA, ASO, and analytics — this conversation is essential listening. Let’s dive in: here’s Eoin Hallahan, CRO at SplitMetrics. Today’s topics include: Why app growth is getting harder heading into 2026, from signal loss to budget pressure and fragmented data. How UA and ASO workflows need to evolve, and why aligning paid and organic strategies is now essential. What SplitMetrics Iris does, and how an AI agent built specifically for mobile marketing changes decision-making. How AI speeds up competitive research, keyword strategy, and campaign optimization — with examples from Flow and NordVPN. Where app growth is heading next, including automation, real-time intelligence, and a new operating model for mobile growth. Links and Resources: Eoin Hallahan on LinkedIn SplitMetrics website SplitMetrics Iris Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Eoin Hallahan “Mobile app marketing is hard, and SplitMetrics exists to make it easy for our customers and to drive growth.” “Conditions today are more volatile and unpredictable than ever, with trends shifting all the time — marketers need a new way of working to keep up.” “Iris isn’t just automation; it’s a new operating system for mobile growth — it flips the model from dashboards and guesswork to instant, actionable clarity.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

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: Vincent Eterlet, Senior Director of Marketing at Fubo 🎗️ Jonathan Reich 🎗️, CEO of ZEDGE The panel’s topics include: the shift from measuring ROAS to measuring incremental value across the user lifecycle full-funnel UA as one system — not acquisition vs retention teams how creative testing now needs first-party signals, not broad meta heuristics turning trial users into long-term revenue cohorts through moments that matter durable growth during ATT era — building compounding retention loops instead of chasing cheap installs

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: David Brown-Landron, Founder & CEO of Grohaus Samantha Smith, Sr. Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Engagement & Retention at WHOOP Darrian Cate, Head of Growth at theCut

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.Let’s dive in: here’s Andrey Shakhtin, CEO at FunnelFox Today’s topics include: More app developers are shifting payments from in-app to web to gain control and increase revenue, but the shift comes with serious operational complexity. Web-to-app transitions often neglect the payment flow, leading to revenue leakage and conversion drop-offs due to poor infrastructure or oversight. Optimizing the payment stack is now critical, and requires orchestration tools and performance visibility similar to what’s used in user funnels. Many apps make the mistake of treating payments as an afterthought, ignoring failure handling, tax compliance, and retry logic. The future lies in hybrid web–app monetization models, giving developers more flexibility and users more choice. Speed, clarity, and trust in the payment flow are essential, especially as users become less tolerant of friction or confusion at checkout. Links and Resources: Andrey Shakhtin on LinkedIn FunnelFox website Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Andrey Shakhtin “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.” Host 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. Today’s topics include: Control and transparency in programmatic: why marketers now demand visibility into KPIs, performance, and audience targeting rather than just raw results. Performance-based model: Mobrand’s approach of charging advertisers only when quality users take meaningful in-app actions. Technology as core DNA: Mobrand building its own bidder, using open RTB, and positioning itself as a tech company in the ad tech ecosystem. Scaling and rebranding: maintaining momentum, keeping a lean but skilled team, and presenting Mobrand as a premium partner for app developers. Ad fraud challenges: the scale of invalid traffic, detecting fraud through behavioural analysis, and the constant “arms race” with fraudsters. Role of AI in programmatic: lowering entry barriers, enabling better audience modelling, and driving higher quality performance for advertisers. Expansion of programmatic channels: growth in connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home, and cross-channel strategies. Client focus: subscription apps, gambling, and finance apps with long conversion funnels where performance and quality users are critical. Future vision: becoming a one-stop shop for app developers, simplifying promotion, and delivering seamless growth without unnecessary complexity. Links and Resources: Rui Mateus on LinkedIn Mobrand website Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Rui Mateus “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.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012