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 games, challenges in HR, managing company growth, the impact of pricing strategies on a global scale, the value of A/B testing and player retention. But the big story in this podcast is Russell Ovans' book 'Game Analytics, Retention, and Monetization in Free Play Mobile Games' which is a comprehensive guide to the mechanics of mobile game businesses. 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:00 The Challenges of Running a Mobile App Business 00:44 Introduction to the Guest Speaker: Russell Os 01:17 The Journey into Mobile Gaming 05:26 The Evolution of Facebook as a Gaming Platform 07:48 The Transition from Facebook to Mobile Gaming 09:59 The Importance of Analytics in Mobile Gaming 10:41 The Decision to Write a Book on Mobile Gaming 15:09 The Power of Building an Abstract Schema on Top of Your Data Warehouse 19:32 Understanding the Big Mac Index and AB Testing 20:01 Applying Purchasing Power Parity and Exchange Rates 20:34 Testing Market Response in Mexico 21:11 Adjusting Pricing for Different Markets 22:14 The Challenges of AB Testing 22:46 The Importance of Proper AB Testing 28:53 The Role of Retention in Gaming 33:52 The Complexity of ROAS 36:58 Final Thoughts and Conclusion