What are the most common blockers to growing games profitably? In other words, why won't your game grow? You built a game and it’s awesome, but it’s not growing like you want it to. What’s wrong? Maybe this episode of Growth Masterminds holds the answer. Today we’re chatting with who reminds me of Ben Affleck in The Consultant, because she’s called in when nothing else is working Her name is Sara El Bachri. She runs ShamsCo, does the mobile gaming growth masterclass, and has worked with...

Where is IAP spend going in 2024? It’s tough out there: inflation is still high, ad revenue is underpacing GDP, and GDP growth is softening in key countries including the USA. So what can we expect from in-app payers in 2024? In this episode of Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier delves into the future of in-app spend and gamer loyalty with guest Jason Heller, CEO of Mistplay. The conversation covers the expected decrease and concentration of in-app spending in fewer games, the...

How can you kill it on TikTok, generate more organic downloads, and build your community quickly? Oh ... and by the way ... you don't have a huge budget. In this episode of Growth Masterminds we meet Sarah Neill, founder and CEO of Mys Tyler, a platform connecting women with 'body doubles' to find clothing that fits perfectly, thus solving the common problem of shopping disappointment. Sarah shares her growth story, explaining how they use Meta ads, paid PR opportunities with major...

In this episode of Growth Mastermind, host John Koetsier discusses the challenges of iOS mobile measurement in the era of privacy updates, focusing on the difficulty of distinguishing between organic and paid acquisition and the fragmentation of measurement across different methods: SKAN, IDFA, IDFV, MMP, and more. Guests Evyatar Ram and Kelsey Lee, product and marketing managers, introduce Singular's solution to these challenges: unified measurement. This innovative approach combines...

This special episode of Growth Masterminds features an all-women panel discussing their experiences and challenges in the growth industry. The guests share their career paths, biggest triumphs, and the key challenges they've faced, offering advice for women considering a career in growth. The panel comprises of five accomplished women from various companies who delve into topics such as the importance of self-advocacy, the value of mentorship, and the need to be adaptable and data literate in...

How do you get more data from ad platforms than they offer? Simple: use Singular. No, we're not talking about anything underhanded or tricky. We're simply getting multiple dimensions and breakdowns that are individually available but not generally visible together. That lack of visibility has a cost: complexity, time, and your ability to see optimization or targeting capability. In this Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier chats with Singular product manager Maayan Shor about the...

Welcome to a podcast crosspost from SplitMetrics' App Growth Talks. Host Lina Danilchik chats with usual Growth Masterminds host John Koetsier as they talk about Singular's ROI Index for 2024 highlighting the best ad networks on the planet. I chat about the significance of Singular's ROI Index, detailing the best mobile ad networks across various geographies and verticals. Lina asks me about my background in mobile ad tech and my path from journalist to VP of Insights at Singular, plus my...

How will Google’s new consent management platform requirement impact mobile app and game publishers? You now need a CMP ... what's that all about? In this Growth Masterminds we dive into the complexities of managing user privacy and consent in mobile apps and websites. Google's new consent management platform requirements for AdMob, AdSense, and Ad Manager users are in effect right now. So we chat with Gabe Morazan, a product director, and Achraff-Nour Meski, a client services leader from...

Why do gamers like certain games and not others? GameTree is a LFG (looking for group) app that connects gamers to play together. To do that, GameTree leverages psychology to build Gaming DNA, which analyzes why certain players like specific games. Gaming DNA shows what kinds of gamers there are, who likes which games, and who might enjoy playing with others. In this Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier chats with GameTree founders Dana Sydorenko and John Uke. Their conversation reveals...

Where is web3 in 2024? Investment is down, but there is still $91 billion of funding and 95 current unicorns in the space. Asaf Nadler, CEO of Addressable, says the game has shifted from hype to build mode. In this Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier chats with Asaf to discuss the current state and future of web3, especially in relation to marketing and gaming. They delve into how blockchain can revolutionize game ecosystems by enabling asset sharing across different games and discuss the...

In this episode of Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier chats with Singular product manager Gali Housman and product marketing manager Kelsey Lee about the complexities of cross-platform performance marketing. They discuss the necessity of tracking customer journeys across platforms to gain full return on investment and to adhere to user privacy concerns. Singular, their platform of choice, has increasingly evolved to address these intricacies providing tools to measure gaming engagement...

How can you get pre-ATT levels of behavioral targeting in a privacy-safe way? Can you? In this Growth Masterminds we’re chatting with the co-founder of an AI-powered tool that says it analyzes game play and user behavior to understand gamers and what they do. Then it recommends games that they’ll like, while rewarding them for playing recommended games. Our guest is a co-founder of Gamelight, Gunay Aliyeva. Host John Koetsier interviews her about Gamelight, an AI-powered tool that...

Ever wish somebody had written the book on making mobile app businesses work? Wish no more: the job has been done. In this Growth Masterminds host John Koetsier chats with Russell Ovans, game OG, prof, brewery owner, entrepreneur, data scientist, and current Director of Analytics at East Side Games. Russell discusses his journey from social gaming through to mobile gaming. We delve into a range of topics such as the importance of understanding game analytics and monetization in mobile...

In this intriguing episode of Growth Mastermind, host John Koetsier chats with industry veteran Farhan Haq, founder of independent growth agency Hyper HQ. They explore crucial strategies to enhance CPMs, discussing the importance of manual calls and real-time bidding in optimizing ad ops within a real-time bidding world. Farhan provides an in-depth look at how games developers and publishers can navigate these processes for effective growth in the mobile gaming landscape. He further delves...

If you're on the App Store or Google Play, you're paying the platform tax: 30% on all your IAP revenue. But can you legally AND SAFELY escape that? Maybe yes. In this episode of Growth Masterminds, John Koetsier interviews Archie Stonehill, Head of Product at Stash Gigi, to discuss the digital games industry and the evolution of direct-to-consumer platforms. They discuss the rise of third-party app stores, Apple and Google's 'app store tax', the Digital Markets Act in Europe, and how...

How do you become Apple's iPhone app of the year? In this episode of Growth Masterminds, John Koetsier sits down with Ron Schneidermann, the CEO of AllTrails, an outdoor exploration app. Out of all the millions of apps on the App Store, AllTrails won iPhone app of the year in 2023. How? How does AllTrails grow? How does AllTrails achieve 7X better retention than the average app What decisions boosted AllTrails growth? Schneidermann talks about taking over from the founder in 2015, growing...

In this episode of Growth Mastermind, host John Koetsier chats with Faheem Saiyad, director at App Samurai, about the intersection of AI and user acquisition. They dive deep into topics like the role of AI in game development, how AI aids in campaign optimization, and the application of generative AI in the creative process of ad creation. Faheem also shares details about App Samurai's new ad unit, Rewarded Playtime, that incentivizes users for every minute they spend engaging with a game....

In this episode of Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier talks with Ayush Choudhary, senior product manager of GenWise. They discuss the development and growth of the GenWise app, a multifaceted platform designed specifically for elders, which is making a big impact in India. Other topics covered include the challenge of marketing to an older demographic, combining AI with real human interaction, the concept of a 'super app', and emerging monetization models. Tune in to explore how GenWise...

In this episode of Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier speaks with mobile marketing expert Lucas Moscon. They discuss strategies to drastically increase app revenue through smart ad monetization and subscription plans. Lucas explains how he has quadrupled revenues for several apps using remote configuration logic. They also explore SKAN 4 and the use of OpenAI in generating conversion models and informing monetization strategies. Furthermore, they touch on the changing landscape of...

According to a recent study, half of all CTV ad targeting is wrong. In this Growth Masterminds, host John Koetsier and expert Chris Kelly, CEO of Upwave, talk about: - CTV targeting - CTV benefits (and limitations) - CTV affordability for smaller advertisers - CTV ads real-time optimization capabilities We also talk about performance versus brand marketing, and the need to both pick apples that are ripe for the harvest as well as plant apple trees to enable future harvesting as well. Look...

Can you play games and save the planet? Maybe, with Dots.eco's new rewarded ad experience that isn't like anything else I've seen. Wooga, Wild Life, and Playtika are using it, so I thought it'd be worth checking out. Maybe you will too :-) In this episode, host John Koetsier chats with Dots.eco chief growth officer Daniel Madrid. Episode summary Dots.eco is a platform that offers real-world environmental rewards to incentivize players in games. The platform allows players to engage in...

Remember Office Space where the consultants came in and asked the QA manager what he actually did around here? (If not, drop everything and go watch it!) In this Growth Masterminds, we chat with Luis de la Camara, VP of Marketing at Rovio, about product marketing managers vs user acquisition managers: what they are, what they do, and why it matters. We also chat about aligning teams for success, crafting joy and a lot of other things, and more, including: - Introduction to Rovio - The...

How do you manage hundreds of apps? Especially when some are D2C, some are B2B, and many are internal? In this very special Growth Masterminds, we chat with Athina Kanioura, the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer for PepsiCo. She's managing a digital transformation for PepsiCo to ensure each end customer gets exactly what she or he needs ... but also that every level and layer of a complex multi-billion multinational corporation works together seamlessly. We chat: -...

How do you make SKAN work for retail? Games? IAPs? Finance? Subscriptions? Ad monetization? In this Growth Masterminds we chat with 2 Singular experts who work with hundreds of clients, helping them get their SKAdNetwork models right. We go through SKAN for: Games & apps - admon - IAP - subscription - hypercasual vs mid-core Verticals for apps - retail - fintech - fast food - on-demand - travel - social ... and more!