All notes
74 atomic notes, each answering one question, grouped by topic.
- Choosing an app category by revenue per install (RPI)Which app categories earn the most per install (health & fitness, education, business per RevenueCat), the RPI and revenue-to-download ratios Steve P. Young looks for, and how to estimate competitors' revenue.
- Designing the first version for conversion — UI/UX as the differentiatorWhy an app's v1 design must be built around conversion and revenue from the start, and why polished UI/UX is the main differentiator now that AI makes building easy.
- Finding app ideas from search demand — the Tentacle StrategySteve P. Young's step-by-step method to pick an app idea by finding an under-served keyword "tentacle" of a big, high-earning app (e.g. brown noise from Endel/Calm), validated before building.
- Reserving a marketing budget and choosing the first channelWhy new apps fail without an earmarked marketing budget, and Steve P. Young's default first channels (ASO + Apple Ads), with the warning that viral social views often don't convert to downloads.
- Scoping the first version — solve one problemWhy first-time founders should ship an app that solves one problem (not a multi-tool), and how Steve P. Young pairs a one-feature build with one keyword and a hard paywall to test demand.
- What building an app costs in 2026 — AI coding, hosting, startup creditsAn agency's 2026 numbers — v1 in ~2 months instead of ~6 with AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex), dedicated hosting at $100–150/month vs $600–800 cloud, and startup credits from Azure, Stripe, Cloudflare.
- What to work on at each stage — from launch to paid adsSteve P. Young's stage gates for a new app — rank
- Better Sleep onboarding and paywall teardownScreen-by-screen breakdown of Better Sleep (~$600–800k/month) — sound on during onboarding, quiz, social-proof plan screen, BetterHelp cross-promo, discount ladder and forced email.
- Discount offer right after a trial starts (trial-to-discount)Flow shows a "free gift" 30%-off paid plan immediately after a user starts a free trial; worth testing when trial-to-paid is below the 30–40% norm — decide with simple math.
- Hard paywall only for paid traffic (gating by "How did you hear about us?")Use the onboarding attribution question (or an attribution integration) to remove the paywall X only for users from paid social, keeping a soft paywall for organic users.
- Hard vs soft paywallsWhen to force users to pay or leave (hard paywall) versus letting them close it (soft), with a case where adding the X halved revenue.
- How long should the free trial be?Default to 7-day trials on yearly and 3-day on weekly; 14 days occasionally wins, and longer trials look best when offered as an exit offer rather than the default.
- How many plans to show and how to display pricesShow 2–3 plans so the main one has an anchor (removing a monthly decoy tanked sales), and break prices down per period — a per-month/per-week display lifted conversion 38%.
- Paid intro offers ($1.99 first month that renews yearly)Next to the free-trial plan, offer a cheap paid first period (e.g. $1.99 for month one, then $59.99/year) — a tripwire that lifted conversion 19% → 25% and proceeds +21% in one test.
- Pay-what-you-want discount sliderInstead of a fixed discount, let users slide between the default offer and the max discount; it converts better and drove ~10% of one app's sales, though users drift to the lowest price.
- Paywall before sign-up (account creation after purchase)Moving a forced sign-up screen after the paywall raised paywall views from 40% to 94%, trial starts +190% and sales +52% in a fitness app.
- Paywall content — sell the outcome and add context (long paywalls)Paywalls convert better when they show outcomes (before/after, storage saved) and add scrollable context below the fold — one test went from $200 to $1,000 at 15 downloads/day.
- Paywall CTA and microcopy that convertsTested button and microcopy wins — "Continue" over "Subscribe" (+30%), "Start free trial" on Android, "Unlock…" for lifetime, "No payment now" (+30%), the word "free" (+11%).
- Paywall visuals — video, photos and social proofVideo beats photos beats graphics on paywalls (one app went 2.5% → 4.7% → 6.8%), social proof helps, and a money-back guarantee line was winning in a RevenueCat experiment.
- RevenueCat charts and features worth usingThe RevenueCat views Steve checks — revenue by country/transaction type/product, relative trial conversion, realised LTV per customer, Apple Ads attribution — plus Experiments, Paywalls and web Funnels.
- Reverse trials — converting users who closed the paywallGive users who dismiss the paywall a free week of Pro, push them to enable Pro features, then warn that Pro is ending and offer a discount — Momingo's free-user conversion went 0.4% → 4.5%.
- Showing two paywalls in onboarding (and the 8-paywall-views rule)A no-trial paywall early plus a trial paywall later in onboarding lifted start rate from ~3% to 7.7% and monthly sales ~3x; paywall views keep paying off until roughly 8 views.
- Subscription funnel benchmarks (trial start, trial-to-paid, install-to-paid, LTV per install)Target numbers for subscription apps — 5–10% install-to-trial (10%+ with a hard paywall), 30–40% trial-to-paid, ~2–3% install-to-paid, and ≥$3 realised LTV per install before scaling Meta.
- The three-screen pre-paywall sequence (explain the free trial)A 2–3 screen sequence before the paywall ("try free", "we'll remind you before it ends", trial timeline) that raised trial starts 56% in one app; Blinkist, Rest of Me, Cal AI variants.
- Weekly vs monthly vs yearly plans — and which plan gets the trialMonthly plans usually underperform; test weekly vs yearly per category, and put the free trial on the plan with the highest LTV — moving it from yearly to a 3-day weekly tripled sales in one app.
- What to show when users close the paywall (exit offers)Exit-offer ladder for dismissed paywalls — longer (14-day) trial, discount, discount + trial, free credits followed by a review prompt, and finally a forced email capture.
- Why the paywall belongs in onboardingMost subscription buyers convert on day zero, so the paywall should sit inside the first-run onboarding and be seen by ~100% of new users.
- Boosting new keywords with a download burst after an ASO updateSteve P. Young's optional tactic of running a 2-day free lifetime offer promoted on Indie App Santa or Reddit right after a metadata change, to spike download velocity for new keywords.
- Checking keyword difficulty by reading the actual search resultsHow to verify an ASO tool's difficulty score by searching the App Store yourself — count ratings of top results and check whether they carry the keyword in their title.
- Custom product pages — matching the App Store page to each adHow Steve P. Young uses Apple custom product pages (CPPs) — one per audience/ad angle for Meta ads and per ad group in Apple Ads — and why it's a phase-2 optimisation.
- Finding international ASO opportunities and localizing listingsWhy Steve P. Young expects localization to matter more in 2026, how to compare a keyword's search volume across countries (ASOMobile Worldwide Check), and how to localize screenshots quickly.
- How much to rely on ASO, and how it fits with Apple Ads and MetaSteve P. Young's view (2026) that ASO is a slice of the acquisition pie, not the whole — when it can carry an app, why to pair it with Apple Ads first, and how it validates a funnel before Meta.
- How to pick ASO keywords (search score, difficulty, relevance)Steve P. Young's thresholds for choosing ASO keywords — 6–10 relevant terms around search score 30 with low difficulty, no competitor brand terms — plus what search popularity scores actually mean.
- Mining competitors' keywords and listing history (ASOMobile workflow)Step-by-step competitor keyword research in ASOMobile — App Keywords, New Indexation, App Report comparison, Keyword Suggest and Update Timeline — with the Cal AI / Calorie AI example.
- Producing screenshots and running Product Page Optimization testsStep-by-step from screenshot creation (AppScreens templates, AI captions, device frames) to uploading and launching an Apple Product Page Optimization test, with the App Store Connect gotchas.
- Screenshot A/B tests — themes to test and published resultsWhat to A/B test on App Store screenshots (order, design, seasonality, orientation, callouts, video) and results from cited cases — +30%, +13.8%, +45%/+61% in two phases, Angry Birds seasonal loss.
- The low-volume keyword quantity strategy (search score 5)When score-30 keywords are out of reach, rank
- Using extra localizations to add keywords on the US App StoreThe US App Store indexes several localizations (incl. Spanish Mexico), so English keywords placed in those localizations' title/subtitle also rank in the US.
- What App Store screenshots should say (first three, keyword, USP, faces)Screenshot copy rules from a +30% download test — lead with the searched keyword, then unique selling points and social proof; focus on the first three screenshots; show a human face.
- Where to put keywords in App Store and Google Play metadataWhich metadata fields carry ranking weight on iOS and Google Play, why target keywords belong in title and subtitle, and the one-title-change case that turned a dead app into an exit.
- Which factors actually move App Store rankings (2026)Steve P. Young's 2026 ranking of ASO factors — metadata and download volume first, ratings next; conversion, sales, retention secondary; updates, installs and backlinks least.
- Apple Ads account structure — the two starter campaignsThe two-campaign Apple Ads setup (Max Conversion discovery + single-keyword exact campaigns) App Masters runs at $7K–$85K/month, and how they work together.
- Apple Ads single keyword ad groups (SKAG)Why and how to run Apple Ads SKAG campaigns — one exact-match keyword per ad group, search match off, bid near target CPA, 5–10 keywords.
- Break-even CPI, revenue per install and LTV per installWhich unit-economics number to bid against in app ads (revenue vs LTV per install), Steve's thresholds ($3 CPI for Apple Ads, $3 LTV/install for Meta) and how to use them.
- Go viral yourself before hiring UGC creatorsWhy founders should find repeatable viral formats themselves before paying UGC creators, how Nicole Cheung researches a niche before posting, and the limits of organic views as a download channel.
- How much Meta budget does an app need? (the 50-events math)Worked math for what a Meta ads budget buys an app — $1,000 at $2 CPI → 500 installs → 35 trials → ~10 subscribers (~$95 CAC) — and why trial optimization needs 50 events/week.
- How to find, vet and pay UGC creators for an appNicole Cheung's UGC creator program economics — $10–30 base per post (min 500 views) plus decreasing-CPM view bonuses — and where to recruit creators (SideShift, Discord inbound, micro-influencer outreach).
- How to set up an Apple Ads Max Conversion campaignStep-by-step settings for the Apple Ads Max Conversion (target CPA) discovery campaign — CPA goal, daily budget, extra ad group, audience, CPP.
- Is my app ready for Meta ads? Funnel benchmarks and the 7-point checklistSteve P. Young's 7 checks before spending on Meta ads for an app — funnel conversion targets (5–10% install→trial, 30%+ trial→paid, ~2% install→paid), proof strangers pay, LTV, tracking, research, concepts, budget.
- Measuring Apple Ads revenue without an MMPLightweight ways to attribute Apple Ads revenue — custom product pages per ad group, RevenueCat attribution, SKAG, or simple weekly spend-vs-revenue — and their blind spots.
- New TikTok/Instagram accounts for UGC and the 3-day warm-upWhy UGC creators should post from brand-new niche accounts rather than their own, and Nicole Cheung's 3-day warm-up (follow and repost niche micro accounts, not macro celebrities).
- Onboarding and managing UGC creators (the creator course)How Nicole Cheung trains UGC creators with a recorded, app-specific 30–60+ minute course — app setup, account creation and warm-up, content bank, account management — and keeps them supported.
- Paid social creative testing for apps — levers, hook/hold rate, 3-day testsThe levers of paid social (Meta/TikTok/YouTube) for apps, hook-rate and hold-rate targets, and Ivy's 3-day creative test (4 creatives per themed ad set, $50/ad set) run on highest-converting weekdays.
- Researching competitors' app ads (Meta Ads Library, SocialPeta)How to find long-running (i.e. profitable) competitor app ads in Meta Ads Library and SocialPeta, what to log for each, and how to read competitors' channel mix and creative patterns.
- Structure and concepts for paid app video adsThe hook → app demo → offer → App Store end-card structure for paid app ads, why to test distinct concepts per ICP before variations, and how to match ads to custom product pages.
- Validating Meta SDK app events against App Store ConnectWhich app events to send to Meta (install, paywall view, checkout, trial, subscribe) and how to sanity-check them against App Store Connect before launching campaigns.
- Why start paid acquisition with Apple AdsWhy App Masters starts most iOS apps on Apple Ads (plus ASO) before Meta or TikTok, and when that advice does not apply.
- Writing UGC content banks and scripts that hold watch timeWhat goes in a UGC content bank (idea, founder-filmed example, script with emotions, shots, captions, hashtags) and how to direct creators like a screenwriter to maximize watch time; paid vs organic differences.
- Coursiv's web2app funnel teardownWalkthrough of Coursiv's (AI-learning app, ~$250k/month, web-only UA) ad-to-paywall flow — ad, people-photo hook, one-question screens, AI profile, goal and time commitment, timer paywall with personalised coupon and tripwire pricing.
- Getting web buyers into the app (deferred deep links)The post-payment handoff in a web2app funnel — confirm the email, then a deferred deep link that opens the app with the subscription already active, no password copying — and the in-app upsell on first launch.
- Headway's web2app funnel teardownScreen-by-screen breakdown of Headway's (book-summary app) ~50-screen web quiz, paywall, upsells and winback emails, with the purpose of each screen — the reference model for a self-improvement/education funnel.
- How long should a web2app quiz be?Funnel length depends on how considered/emotional the purchase is — education, fitness and self-growth funnels run ~50 screens and 3–7 minutes, utilities stay short; plus why to keep UI conventional and logic simple.
- Loader, personalised results and email capture in web quizzesHow to design the end of a web quiz — content-filled loaders with last mini-questions, a profile/results payoff, goal and commitment screens, a supported email screen, and future/before-after visualisation before the paywall.
- Psychology questions in web onboarding quizzesWhich question types make a web quiz convert — labeling, false dichotomies, near-universal "yes" vulnerability questions, authority-by-association, curiosity gaps — and why the quiz should feel like a conversation, not a survey.
- Running paid ads to a web2app funnelWhich ad networks feed web2app funnels and which conversion event to optimise for on Meta (start quiz → complete registration → initiate checkout → purchase/subscribe) given the ~50 events/week learning threshold.
- Social proof and trust in web funnelsWhere and how to place social proof in a web2app quiz and paywall — user counts, press/university logos, local and real-time proof, people photos, FAQ — and why the web needs more trust-building than an in-app paywall.
- The first screen of a web2app quizHow to design the landing/first quiz screen where ~50% of ad clicks drop — outcome-led headline, quiz duration, an easy first question, and per-ad routing.
- Tools and payment providers for web2appThe stack mentioned for web2app — funnel builders (web2wave, RevenueCat Funnels), payment providers (Stripe saved tokens, Paddle as merchant of record), wallets (Apple/Google Pay, PayPal), measurement (AppsFlyer, Google Ads) — with sponsorship caveats.
- Tripwire offers instead of free trials in web2appWhy web funnels replace free trials with tiny paid entry offers ($0.99–$10 intro periods or one-time boosts) that renew or upsell to full price, how to size them, and examples (Audible, Hily, Coursiv, Headway).
- Upsells and downsells in web2app checkoutHow web funnels raise revenue after (and around) the main purchase — downsell on paywall exit, one-click post-purchase upsells charged to the saved card, distinct upsell prices, upsell downsells, and in-app charges on the saved web card (US).
- Web paywall and checkout best practices for web2appChecklist for the web paywall/checkout in a web2app funnel — hard paywall without trial, ≥50% real discount with a real timer, long scroll with FAQ and social proof, per-day pricing, intro price that renews higher, Apple/Google Pay, guarantee, personalised coupon.
- Web2app funnel structure, step by stepThe canonical sequence of a high-converting web2app quiz funnel (hook → trust → value prop → psychology questions → curiosity → loader/results → email → paywall → upsells → app access → winback) with the job of each step.
- Why run web2app funnels (and when not to)The business case for selling app subscriptions through a web quiz + web checkout instead of the app store — fees, cash flow, attribution, control — plus the cases where it underperforms.
- Winback email sequence for web2app quiz completersHow Headway (and Asana Rebel) email users who completed the quiz and left an email but didn't pay — ~8 discount-escalating emails, tight cadence, emoji subjects, one button back to the paywall — and what share of sales to expect.