Sub Club by RevenueCat

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Interviews with the experts behind the biggest apps in the App Store. Hosts David Barnard and Jacob Eiting dive deep to unlock insights, strategies, and stories that you can use to carve out your slice of the 'trillion-dollar App Store opportunity'.

22. Juli

Make Ugly Ads to Grow Your App – Yuliya Lennox (Solid Starts)

On the podcast: why founders belong in the marketing trenches more often, what makes ‘ugly’ ads perform so well, and why stable ad performance is actually a red flag. Top Takeaways: 🚨 Stable ad performance is a warning sign, not a win A $30 acquisition returning $50 can feel safe enough to scale, but that comfort may stop the search for the breakthrough creative that halves CPA or triples purchases. 👀 Ugly ads earn the attention that polished ads lose When every feed looks perfectly branded, an unpolished ad that explains the product in the first second has a better chance of stopping the scroll. 🛠️ Founders cannot outsource market intuition Sitting in acquisition meetings and developing early creative gives founders a firsthand understanding that no agency or marketing hire can manufacture for them. 🧪 Validate demand before building the product Selling a PDF, concept, or promise—even if it must be refunded—is a cheaper test than spending months building an app the market never asked for. 🌍 Localization is a testing advantage, not just a translation task Similar-converting international markets can turn a $1,000-a-day US creative test into a $10-a-day experiment, provided the team still accounts for local culture. About Yuliya Lennox:🚀App marketing professional helping apps scale through strategy, experimentation, and deep understanding of user behavior. Experienced in B2C growth, monetization design, and funnel optimization across startups and established teams. Thrives on turning data into actionable insights and collaborating cross-functionally to drive sustainable, user-focused growth. 👋 Linkedin Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQ Episode Highlights: [0:00] The founder thesis: Why marketing has to be felt, not just understood. [2:34] Stability is the enemy. Steady CPMs and CPAs mean you've stopped pushing. [6:54] The case for ugly ads: Why the least polished creative usually wins. [8:46] Sell before you build a single line of code. [14:47] No silver bullet: Why founders can't outsource marketing to a hire. [19:02] The belly fat ad. When brand caution costs you your best-performing creative. [24:49] When brand actually matters: The Solid Starts backlash that proved the exception. [26:31] Betting on localization for cheaper testing and bigger markets outside the US. [32:45] The case for a marketer camp: Why sharing wins beats guarding them. [40:11] Inside Higgsfield's grind: 17-hour days and an early bet on AI video. [46:43] Organic growth's double edge. How Replika and Solid Starts hit a ceiling. [56:14] Hire the obsessed: Why passion beats headcount on a great team. [1:01:06] The end of black hat growth. Subscription quizzes, regulators, and a reckoning. [1:06:45] The $1 trial that charged $350, dissected. [1:10:32] Lightning round: Biggest win, biggest fail, and the red ocean/blue ocean divide.
8. Juli

The Bootstrapper's Path to $10M ARR – Andrew Maguire, Volo Ventures

On the podcast: the bootstrapper's path to $10 million in ARR, what's actually investable in consumer in 2026, and why product taste is the new bottleneck, not engineering.Top Takeaways: 🎨 Product taste is the new bottleneck, not engineering Build costs have collapsed, but the number of great apps is still capped by the rare ability to make hundreds of small product decisions well. 💰 There has never been a better time to bootstrap a $10M app With infrastructure like RevenueCat, paid UA financing, and near-zero build costs, a solo developer can now reach eight figures without ever talking to a VC. 🔒 Low churn is the only thing that makes consumer investable Network effects and deep AI-powered personalization are the two credible paths to building a subscription product that retains long enough to compound. 🚫 Don't raise venture unless you can articulate the billion-dollar outcome Venture capital comes with preferred stock, liquidation preferences, and outcome expectations that will make your life miserable if the ceiling ends up being $10M, not $1B. 🏗️ Bootstrap first, raise later if the market proves bigger Building a cash-flowing business before raising gives you better terms, less dilution, and the option to stay indie if the venture-scale opportunity never materializes. 🛡️ Apps aren't going anywhere — agents won't replace beautiful visual experiences People want to interface with products using their eyeballs, and dedicated apps built by focused teams will always beat bespoke AI-generated software. About Andrew Maguire:🚀Andrew founded Volo Ventures in 2021 and is now the Managing Partner. Andrew has spent 20 years building and backing technology companies. He founded Looksharp (acquired) and later became a Partner at Oakhouse Partners, where he invested in a top-decile fund. He also served as COO of The Mind Company, helping scale Elevate (Apple's App of the Year) and Balance (Google's Best App of the Year). 👋 LinkedIn 🖥️Volo Ventures 💻 Zo Computer Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQEpisode Highlights: [1:36] The consumer thesis: Why AI makes this a great time to build consumer apps. [3:39] The real bottleneck: Taste and judgment, not capital, drive app quality. [6:49] Money doesn't buy PMF: Why more engineers won't get you there faster. [11:12] Breaking the one-shot myth: How X1 turns app-building into modular decisions. [13:09] Neutral by design: What models trained to avoid a point of view cost consumer products. [19:29] The power of utility: Why 15-year-old apps like Strava still win. [22:48] The indie developer moment: Building a $10M app without raising a dime. [25:39] The personal coach thesis: How AI personalization creates a new moat. [28:02] The inference cost bet: Why timing matters more than direction. [36:36] Should you raise venture capital: A real conversation with a founder chasing the wrong outcome. [38:28] Debt vs. equity: What venture debt and preferred stock mean for founders. [53:00] The problem with star ratings: Why review farming broke app quality signals. [1:02:31] Biggest fail of the year: The rise in AI-driven security incidents.
24. Juni

How Simply Finally Cracked Facebook Ads with Web Funnels – Yoav Sharon, Simply

On the podcast: reaching brand-new audiences through web funnels, how they created their own ‘Big Mac index’ for global pricing, and why monthly plans can beat annual for LTV. Top Takeaways:🌐 Web funnels unlock audiences that app stores can't reach Moving users from a lean-back social scrolling mindset to an active download requires an intermediate web flow to build intent and explain value. 🍔 Global pricing requires more than currency conversion Building a custom purchasing power index for international markets can dramatically increase conversion, but impact can be further improved by combining it with deep, culturally aware localization. 🗓️ Monthly plans create a faster feedback loop for product value While annual plans offer better upfront cash flow, monthly subscriptions provide the undeniable truth about usage and retention. With strong retention, monthly plans can generate much higher lifetime value. 🎨 Delightful product moments are the best ad creatives Features that create genuine emotional reactions—like bringing a child's drawing to life—naturally become high-performing marketing assets because they clearly demonstrate the product's core value. 🤝 Treating platforms as partners yields strategic advantages Sharing roadmaps, challenges, and user insights with Apple and Google unlocks beta access and design partnerships that adversarial approaches miss. About Yoav Sharon:🎹 Head of Growth and Product at Simply, the company behind Simply Piano, Simply Guitar, Simply Sing, and Simply Draw, which are apps used by millions of learners across more than 180 countries. 👋 LinkedIn 💪 X Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQEpisode Highlights:[2:57] Dreams into habits: Helping people learn creative skills through smaller steps. [7:10] The portfolio playbook: How Simply expanded into different instruments. [10:05] Avoiding cannibalization: Measuring interactions between apps and channels across a multi-product business. [15:15] Family first: Why multi-profile and multi-app households become the strongest retention segment. [18:02] Beyond attribution: How web funnels unlocked new audiences and new growth channels. [21:11] From lean-back to action: Using onboarding flows to move users from passive browsing into active intent. [24:24] Web as audience expansion: Why Simply views web funnels as a growth engine, not a fee-reduction strategy. [26:26] Partners, not platforms: Building close relationships with Apple and Google. [32:54] The future of learning: Why immersive platforms could transform skill development. [37:52] The case for monthly plans: How faster renewal cycles improve product learning and LTV. [44:24] The truth about pricing: Balancing annual discounts with long-term customer value. [50:54] The localization advantage: Building a pricing model inspired by the Big Mac Index. [56:01] Japan surprise: The localization lesson that completely changed a paywall strategy. [59:11] AI and visible value: Bringing children's drawings to life and increasing willingness to pay.
15. Juni

WWDC 2026: What Subscription Apps Need To Know

Every year, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference introduces updates that ripple through the App Store economy for years to come. In this special post-WWDC edition of Sub Club Live, host David Barnard sits down with RevenueCat developer advocate Charlie Chapman and world-renowned growth expert Thomas Petit to cut through the keynote hype. Together, they analyze the technical realities and strategic implications of the biggest announcements coming out of Apple Park. Rather than offering a generic recap of consumer features, the panel focuses entirely on the practical mechanics that impact subscription app growth, retention, and monetization. From the deprecation of SiriKit in favor of mandatory App Intents to the introduction of App Store Creative Assets and new subscription bundling options, this session provides a clear roadmap of what subscription businesses should test immediately, adopt eventually, or safely ignore. More content from the RevenueCat family:👉 Launched – Our sister show that features indie app developers and solo creators about what it really takes to ship something new into the world: https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchedFM👉 StartApp School – Practical courses on monetization, growth, acquisition, and everything else that turns an app into a business. Completely free: https://www.startapp.school/👉 RevenueCat blog: Mobile Paywalls: The Ultimate Guide for Subscription Apps: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/guide-to-mobile-paywalls-subscription-apps/👉 Subscription App Churn: Why Users Cancel and How to Fix It: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/subscription-app-churn-reasons-how-to-fix/👉 App Trial Conversion Rate: Benchmarks and Insights: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/app-trial-conversion-rate-insights/👉 Apple Search Ads: The Complete Guide for App Marketers: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/apple-search-ads-guide/📆 Subscribe to the Sub Club livestream calendar: https://rev.cat/subclubcalendar 🔔 Subscribe to the Sub Club YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SubClubPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQ Episode Highlights:00:00 Intro01:11 Welcome to Sub Club Live WWDC 2026 Special Edition02:00 Upcoming Events: UGC Marketing & Meta Ads Masterclass03:02 Meet the Panel: Charlie Chapman & Thomas Petit04:47 Is Apple Competing for Payments? The "Carrot Era" of the App Store08:45 Why Apple Omitted Hardware Announcements This Year10:33 Keynote Vibes: A Return to a More Authentic, Humble Apple17:07 The Siri Overhaul: Hands-On Beta Impressions of iOS 27 Speed24:22 App Intents: The Mandatory Shift That Could Make Your App Invisible|01:21:54 App Store Creative Assets: Images & Videos in Search Results01:31:51 Custom Product Pages: A Workaround for Testing Header Images01:35:06 The App Store Cleanup: Why Apple Is Cracking Down on Limited Utility Apps01:38:42 The Ad Attribution Stalemate: Why Apple Didn't Update SKAdNetwork01:13:11 Seat-Based Licensing & Group Pricing: Supporting Prosumer & B2B Apps01:05:05 Subscription Bundles & Suites: New Packaging and Retention Strategies01:45:57 Live Q&A: Resetting Trial Eligibility & App Store Cancellation APIs01:49:38 Outro & Wrap Up
27. Mai

How Removing the Free Trial Grew Monthly Subs 2000% – Nancy Anderson, Natal

On the podcast: why authentic founder-led content outperforms, tapping into HSA payments to unlock a whole new audience, and the growth lever no dashboard can measure. Top Takeaways: 🗣️ Authentic founder-led content consistently outperforms manufactured UGC Real expertise and genuine personality compound over time in a way no UGC agency can replicate — and it shows up in your conversion metrics. 🏥 HSA payments can open your app to a whole new paying audience Accepting pre-tax HSA dollars at checkout effectively gives eligible users a 30–40% discount — and targets people who already see your app as a health investment, not a discretionary spend. 📊 The growth lever no dashboard can measure is trust You can't A/B test trust, but you can see it in every downstream metric — trial conversion, retention, word-of-mouth. The apps that invest in it consistently outperform benchmarks across the board. 🧪 Removing the free trial can dramatically increase paid monthly subscriptions If your audience already trusts you, a free trial is just a delay. Removing it from a monthly plan can force high-intent users to commit — and the results can be dramatic. 🏗️ Consolidating multiple apps into one ecosystem reduces user confusion and increases LTV A portfolio of niche apps sounds smart but usually just creates decision fatigue. One cohesive ecosystem lets you go deeper, price lower, and keep users longer. About Nancy Anderson: 🚀 Founder & Business Owner of Natal, Birth Recovery Center, Nancy Anderson Fit, & Move Your Bump, digital health and fitness platforms supporting a global community of hundreds of thousands of women each month through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and long-term strength. 👋 LinkedIn 💪 Website 📱 Instagram 📱TikTok Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQ Episode Highlights:[0:00] Fitness is expensive; HSA payments make programs more accessible.[1:36] Identified a gap: limited science-based programs for pre/postnatal women.[2:38] Shifted from in-person to online coaching, keeping high-touch engagement.[4:20] First online challenge: 100 participants, before-and-after results drove organic growth.[5:51] Lessons from multiple apps; pivot to a single custom ecosystem.[6:53] Founder-led growth: build trust before selling.[9:30] Audience quality over follower count; engagement drives retention.[11:39] Treating online clients like real-life clients strengthens the connection.[14:50] Authentic, relatable content strategy.[18:52] Real coaches respond to all DMs, comments, and emails within 24 hours.[22:06] Soft selling drives high trial conversion and app downloads.[27:01] Prioritize long-term trust over short-term revenue.[30:27] User feedback informs product roadmap; App Rehab program launched.[36:08] Consolidated four apps into one to reduce decision fatigue.[38:45] HSA integration opens access for new audiences.[46:47] Onboarding logic: phase-specific content improves activation.[48:57] In-app community boosts early engagement and retention.[50:15] Posture assessment acts as an organic “lead magnet.”[51:23] Avoid free workouts to maintain perceived program value.[53:43] HSA simplifies pre-tax payments and incentivizes subscriptions.[59:15] Closing: trust-first, founder-led growth is sustainable for niche apps
13. Mai

Freemium at Scale: Why Life360 Protects its Free Users – Giordano Contestabile

On the podcast: about making growth everyone’s job, protecting the free experience even when it hurts conversion, and why an inconclusive experiment is the only kind he hates. Top Takeaways: 🎯 An inconclusive experiment is the only true failure A losing test teaches you what doesn't work, but an inconclusive one wastes time and yields zero learnings. 💰 Protecting the free tier can be your biggest competitive moat Stripping value from free users to force conversions often sacrifices long-term network effects for a short-term revenue bump. 📊 Growth is a company-wide system, not an isolated team When every department—from finance to HR—has the tools and mandate to run experiments, velocity compounds. 🤖 Machine learning can unlock new subscriber segments without cannibalizing existing ones Predictive targeting can identify users willing to pay for a premium tier who would have otherwise ignored the standard offer. 💬 Social dynamics dictate virality, not in-app buttons You can't force referral loops if your core demographic doesn't naturally share products; understand who actually drives word-of-mouth before building features for it. About Giordano Contestabile: 🚀VP of Product at Life360, the family connection and safety app. Life360’s mission is to keep people close to the ones they love. 👋LinkedIn 📍Life360 💭Life360 Careers Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQEpisode Highlights:[0:00] Why Life360 refuses to weaken its free tier for short-term subscription growth.[1:35] Inside Life360: 100M users, subscription scale, and the company’s growth strategy.[4:01] Why growth should be a system, not just a dedicated team.[5:54] How Life360 enables every team to run experiments and contribute to growth.[9:13] Velocity, win rate, and the experimentation framework driving compounded growth.[12:40] Why segmentation and machine learning personalization matter more than broad averages.[16:10] Using contextual onboarding and feature education to improve long-term retention.[18:13] Why the first 7 days determine whether users stick around for years.[21:44] How AI personalization is making sophisticated growth tactics accessible to smaller apps.[21:58] Why Life360 protects its free experience even when it costs short-term revenue.[25:15] The tension between freemium monetization and long-term product trust.[29:24] How Life360 measures LTV across subscriptions, devices, ads, and virality.[31:38] Why the “circle” changes everything about Life360’s product and monetization strategy.[35:16] How pets, Tile devices, and hardware products increase retention and LTV.[39:17] The vision for Life360 as a family super app.[43:20] Ads, partnerships, and monetization strategies designed to add user value.[47:48] The machine learning experiment that doubled platinum subscriptions.[49:43] The biggest failed experiments and why “parents are not viral.”[52:46] Why growth gets easier when every team thinks like a growth team.
29. Apr.

Why Opal Stopped Chasing Revenue – Kenneth Schlenker, Opal

On the podcast: why retention is the only real moat, how dropping paid conversion from 20% to 9% increased revenue, and why he sees the rise in competition as a net positive for Opal.Top Takeaways: 🔄 Retention is the only real moat While revenue and acquisition grab headlines, the ability to keep users coming back is the ultimate proof of value and the only sustainable foundation for a consumer app. 📉 Dropping paid conversion can multiply revenue Giving away more of the core product for free might cut conversion rates in half, but the resulting explosion in organic growth and daily active users can pay back tenfold in the long run. 🤝 The "would a free user recommend it?" test determines freemium success If the free tier feels like a restricted trial rather than a complete experience, it won't generate the word-of-mouth growth needed to make a freemium model work. 🎨 Teams create product soul, you can't vibe code a brand AI can instantly generate functional tools, but building a multi-billion dollar category winner requires a distinct brand, emotional resonance, and a team that cares about the details. 🤖 AI should be built to make the user win Instead of using new technology to trick users or add flashy but useless features, AI implementation must be entirely focused on delivering more of the app's core value to the user. About Kenneth Schlenker:🚀 Founder & CEO, Opal, a free and fun app to improve your focus and make the most of every day, with 10M+ people improving their focus. Opal's core mission is to align computers with human well-being. 👋 LinkedIn 💭 @kschlenker on X 💻 Opal website 📌 Opal careers Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQEpisode Highlights:(00:00) Introduction to Kenneth Schlenker and Opal(01:21) From $5 Million to $10 Million ARR: Scaling the Business(02:11) The Mindset Shift from Efficiency to Company Building(04:06) The Importance of Teams and Brand in Building a Product’s Soul(05:07) AI in Consumer Apps: Enhancing Value for Users(07:24) Freemium Model: The Pros and Cons of Giving Opal Away for Free(10:47) Organic Growth and Network Effects with the Freemium Model(12:45) The Value of Retention: The Only Real Moat(13:37) Why Competition in the Screen Time App Space is a Positive(15:07) Opal’s Expansion into Schools: Aligning with the Mission(19:56) The Importance of Building the Most Loved Brand in the Screen Time Space(23:56) Retention Metrics and Organic Growth Strategies(27:43) Balancing the Focus on Product with Business Sustainability(30:14) The Role of AI in Enhancing User Experience(32:10) Leveraging Customer Feedback to Drive Product Improvements(35:01) Importance of Having a Strong, Authentic Connection with the Product’s Community(38:12) Future Plans for Opal: Innovation and New Features(42:04) Closing Thoughts on Opal's Journey and Future Prospects
15. Apr.

12 AI Growth Lessons for Subscription Apps – Phil Carter, Elemental Growth

On the podcast: how AI can turn your onboarding from a chore into magic, hyper-personalized experiences that drive both retention and revenue, and why your value-to-noise ratio matters more than how many features you ship. Top Takeaways: ⏱️ AI can make the first 60 seconds of onboarding feel like magicWhen a new user experiences a personalized, interactive setup rather than a generic questionnaire, they are significantly more likely to convert to a trial on day zero. 🪞 Hyper-personalization is the new competitive moat Adapting the product experience to an individual's unique needs creates a sense of being heard, which distances an app from generic competitors and drives long-term retention. 💪 Extrinsic triggers are essential for building new habits In an ecosystem flooded with distractions, subtle and useful reminders—like calendar integrations or desktop widgets—help users remember to engage with a product until it becomes an intrinsic habit. 💭 The value-to-noise ratio matters more than the feature count Adding more AI features increases absolute value, but if it overwhelms the user's capacity to absorb the product, the overall experience degrades; pruning features is as important as shipping them. 💰 Cheaper LLMs often provide a good enough user experience compared to frontier models For many consumer use cases, the speed and cost-efficiency of a smaller model outweigh the marginal performance gains of the most expensive options. 📊 Multi-step paywalls can unlock massive growth for the right product Transitioning from a hard paywall to a freemium model with strategic upgrade prompts can dramatically increase the top of the funnel and overall LTV, though it requires a highly retentive core product. About Phil Carter: 🚀Founder & CEO, Elemental Growth, growth advisor and angel investor who helps Seed - Series C consumer subscription companies define their growth strategy, build their growth model, hire their growth team, scale their growth processes, optimize their growth channels, and achieve their full potential. 👋LinkedIn 🎙️Submersive Podcast 📚Consumer Subscription Growth Course (Maven) 💭@philgcarter on X Follow us on X: David Barnard - @drbarnardJacob Eiting - @jeitingRevenueCat - @RevenueCatSubClub - @SubClubHQEpisode Highlights:[0:00] The AI Opportunity: Why this is a once-in-a-generation moment for app builders.[2:31] The Subscription Value Loop: Value creation, delivery, and capture explained.[6:34] Magical First Impressions: How AI is transforming onboarding and day 0 conversion.[13:03] Hyper-Personalization: Why “n-of-1” experiences are the new competitive edge.[19:58] Building Habits: Using triggers to drive retention and repeat usage.[25:02] Shipping Fast: Why speed of innovation is now critical to survival.[30:28] Product-Led Growth: How AI apps are driving viral loops and organic acquisition.[35:05] Community & Content: Leveraging UGC and creators to scale adoption.[39:09] AI + Paid Growth: Scaling creatives and lowering CAC with AI tools.[46:10] Monetization in the AI Era: Pricing, tiers, and usage-based models.[54:53] Trials, Freemium, and Costs: Rethinking free access in AI products.[1:01:29] Wins, Fails, and Lessons: What’s working (and not) in subscription growth today.

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Trailer

Introducing the Sub Club Podcast — Jacob Eiting & David Barnard

Welcome to the Sub Club podcast: a deep dive on building and growing subscription app businesses. Hosts David Barnard and Jacob Eiting will guide you through the ins and outs of subscription apps — sharing insider tips, predictions, and insights from industry experts. In this episode, you’ll hear about: (00:58) Meet your hosts David Barnard and Jacob Eiting. (05:11) Sub Club is the first podcast focused on subscription apps. (05:15) Personal SaaS is a nascent industry. (6:18) The first billion-dollar mobile subscription companies; Lightricks, Calm, Headspace. (16:50) How to submit feedback and suggestions for the Sub Club podcast. (37:19) New platforms and form factors; AR (44:15) The “AWS-ification” of mobile app development. Follow Us: David Barnard: https://twitter.com/drbarnard Jacob Eiting: https://twitter.com/jeiting

Interviews with the experts behind the biggest apps in the App Store. Hosts David Barnard and Jacob Eiting dive deep to unlock insights, strategies, and stories that you can use to carve out your slice of the 'trillion-dollar App Store opportunity'.

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RevenueCat
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David Barnard, Jacob Eiting
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2020 - 2026
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170
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