Business of Apps Podcast

Business of Apps
  • 4.6 (25)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Monthly

The Business of Apps podcast brings you actionable insights from the leaders of the global app industry and the world’s fastest growing apps. App marketing professionals, product managers and developers share the latest approaches to building, marketing and monetizing mobile apps. Every Monday we have a candid conversation with app industry professionals about specific topic that may cover app marketing, mobile advertising or app development and we also help our listeners to get to know our guests better.

  1. #268: “2026 CRM Trends: The Ultimate Guide to Customer Retention” Business of Apps London 2026 panel

    1d ago

    #268: “2026 CRM Trends: The Ultimate Guide to Customer Retention” Business of Apps London 2026 panel

    Let's be honest — nobody wakes up in the morning excited to open your app. Well, some people may but definitely not all of them! And in 2026, the CRM teams that win aren't the ones sending more messages. They're the ones who know exactly who to reach, on which channel, at which moment — and when to say nothing at all. In this special episode, we're bringing you the Business of Apps London 2026 panel 2026 CRM Trends: The Ultimate Guide to Customer Retention. It's a candid look at what retention really takes right now — from LLMs quietly rewriting app discovery to why downloads have become a vanity metric — told by three people running lifecycle for some of the UK's most recognizable brands: Francesca Stringer of Sky Jill Angus of Aviva Isabelle von Matuschka of Studio LTV The panel’s topics include: AI is rewriting app discovery — consumers are outsourcing decisions to LLMs instead of browsing the App Store, downloads are becoming a vanity metric, and Sky is now prioritizing GEO over SEO. Personalization is moving upstream — it's no longer about tailoring the message but about arbitration and orchestration: deciding who gets a message, on which channel, at what moment, and whether they need one at all. Product and marketing are now a joint venture — siloed teams can't win retention anymore; feedback loops, shared data, and embedded partnerships are the new operating model. CRM starts long before the email — ASO, custom product cards, and seeding the app into above-the-line campaigns and brand experiences (the M&S playbook) are the underused retention levers. Trust is fragile — and the hot takes — trust dies by a thousand micro-cuts (irrelevant pushes, broken links); community is overrated as a retention silver bullet; and CRM must stop being email-led.

    41 min
  2. #267: “AI in Action: Real-World Use Cases” Business of Apps London 2026 panel

    Jun 22

    #267: “AI in Action: Real-World Use Cases” Business of Apps London 2026 panel

    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

    46 min
  3. #266: The two levers left for app marketers with Shumel Lais, Founder of Day30

    Jun 8

    #266: The two levers left for app marketers with Shumel Lais, Founder of Day30

    Performance marketers are running out of levers — and the one most teams haven't pulled yet is signal. In this episode, we speak with Shumel Lais , Founder of Day30, about signal engineering and why it may be the most important skill in performance marketing right now. Shumel explains what signal engineering actually is, how prediction models use behavioural data to identify high-value users before they ever convert, and why synthetic events — goals you engineer rather than observe — help ad platforms like Meta find better users faster. He also shares how subscription apps have achieved up to 50% reductions in CAC, and why, with everything else becoming automated, signal is now one of only two levers performance marketers still control. If you work in user acquisition or subscription growth, this is a must-listen. Today’s topics include: What signal engineering is — and how it differs from simply tracking conversion events How prediction models use behavioural data to score users by conversion probability Synthetic events — engineering goals that don't yet exist to give ad platforms a sharper target Why subscription apps generate the behavioural data depth that makes signal engineering work The three components of an effective signal: volume, velocity, and precision Why performance marketers are down to just two levers — creative and signal Links and Resources: Shumel Lais on LinkedIn Day30 Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Shumel Lais “The concept of signal engineering is to see how we can manipulate that event to give the ad platforms a stronger correlation to the business value that you're after." "A synthetic event is, ultimately, when we're creating an event that doesn't actually exist. These are not things that have actually occurred — but based on the data we take in, we can build this from scratch." "When I think of performance marketing now, everything's become very algorithmic and very black box. There's less and less levers available for marketers to pull. I think there's only really two levers left — one is creative, and the second lever is signal." Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

    23 min
  4. #265: How Agentic AI is changing app growth, from acquisition to retention with Andy Carvel, Ed Brocklebank, Matt Dyson, and Sven Jurgens

    May 28

    #265: How Agentic AI is changing app growth, from acquisition to retention with Andy Carvel, Ed Brocklebank, Matt Dyson, and Sven Jurgens

    Hi, welcome to the Business of Apps podcast! Today, we have a special episode for you. We're featuring our recent webinar, presented by Aampe - agentic infrastructure for personalized experiences. It brings together four mobile growth leaders to cut through the AI hype and share what's actually working — from app user acquisition to retention. This session goes beyond buzzwords to unpack the real unit economics of AI-driven testing, the challenges of letting go of control, and what companies like Blinkist are learning on the ground as they make the shift from automation to agentic systems. Without any further ado, let's go! The topics covered on the webinar: The real value of ai in mobile growth today AI tools for non-technical teams What is agentic ai? (plain-english explanation) Feature's "press play": automated aso at scale Trust, control & human-in-the-loop From automation to agentic: what gets harder Building knowledge bases & setting guardrails Letting go of control: risk/reward balance Observability & attribution in agentic marketing Blinkist × amp: real-world agentic crm Strategic ai vs. execution ai Reinforcement learning explained  Final takeaways & recommendations The expert panel: 👥 Sven Jurgens – Mobile Growth Consultant (Host) 👥 Andy Carvel – Partner & Co-Founder at Phiture 👥 Matt Dyson – VP Marketing, Blinkist 👥 Ed Brocklebank – Head of Solutions, Aampe Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

    1h 3m
  5. #264: How AI decides which brands get found with Lavinea Morris, Managing Director EMEA at M&C Saatchi Performance

    May 25

    #264: How AI decides which brands get found with Lavinea Morris, Managing Director EMEA at M&C Saatchi Performance

    Brand visibility is no longer just about winning the attention of consumers — it's about being eligible to exist in the spaces where discovery happens. In this episode, we speak with Lavinea Morris, Managing Director EMEA at M&C Saatchi Performance, about what it really takes for brands to show up in an AI-driven world. Lavinea introduces the concept of "eligibility" — the idea that before an ad is ever seen, brands must first earn the right to appear. She explains how the rise of AI and generative engine optimization is reshaping discoverability, why performance marketing is now an organization-wide responsibility, and what the "eligibility tax" costs brands that aren't paying attention. From taxonomy and content to trust signals and data feeds, she makes the case that getting found is no longer the job of one team — or one channel. If you work in performance marketing, growth, or brand strategy, this is a timely conversation about what it means to be visible when the machines are doing the filtering. Today’s topics include: Why attention metrics are more romanticized than useful — and what to measure instead Brand eligibility: what it takes to be visible before an ad is even shown The eligibility tax — the compounding cost brands pay for not showing up in AI-filtered spaces How M&C Saatchi Performance's role has evolved from media buying to full-stack brand consulting Why generative engine optimization (GEO) is becoming as critical as traditional SEO Why performance marketing is no longer just the performance marketer's job Why waiting is never a strategy — especially in a challenging economic climate Links and Resources: Lavinea Morris on LinkedIn M&C Saatchi Performance Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Lavinea Morris “It depends what attention means to you. Every brand or client will consider attention differently... I think it's a slightly romanticized metric. We have to be thinking about what happens before the ad was seen. How eligible is your brand? How are you able to be seen in the ecosystems that we're operating in?” “Legibility tax is what I like to talk about — the price that brands pay for not being eligible. The reality is we're seeing rising costs, and it's not always because of the performance media. It's actually how you're showing up in these spaces. And are other brands doing better than you, getting that first mover advantage? What does that cost you?” “We've spent so many years talking about getting the attention of the humans — be it creative, putting the ads in the right place at the right time. I think now it's so exciting: how do you get the attention of the machines? And that is a new space, but an easy space for us to be working in.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

    22 min
  6. #263: Why your MarTech stack is broken with Rebecca Nackson, CEO of Notable – by Branch

    Apr 27

    #263: Why your MarTech stack is broken with Rebecca Nackson, CEO of Notable – by Branch

    What if your MarTech stack was actually working  for you instead of against you? In this episode, Amanda and Adam of Branch are joined by Rebecca Nackson, CEO of Notable, to explore why most companies fail at implementation after buying marketing tools, how to enlist salespeople as strategic partners in the buying process, and the systems that separate high-growth teams from stalled ones. From reframing a non-linear career as intentional pattern recognition ("career squiggles"), to closing the costly gap between signing a contract and actually operationalizing a tool, to acting as "connective tissue" across siloed acquisition, retention, and product teams, Rebecca shares practical insights from years spent inside Audible, iHeartRadio, Bandsintown, and now leading her own marketing consultancy. Whether you're drowning in marketing software, trying to make sense of your growth stack, or wondering how AI and low-code tools will reshape build vs. buy decisions, this conversation offers a grounded look at moving from tool chaos to strategic clarity. Links and Resources: Rebecca Nackson on LinkedIn Notable website Branch – Mobile Attribution Platform and App Analytics Solutions For Enterprises Today's topics include: Why "career squiggles" beat linear planning — how adjacent roles across industries compound into pattern-recognition expertise The implementation gap no one talks about: why vendors over-invest in sales and under-invest in helping you operationalize tools post-signature How to flip the buying process and use vendor evaluations to simultaneously inform discovery and implementation roadmaps Acting as "connective tissue" between siloed teams in remote-first orgs — getting acquisition and retention to share data instead of blaming each other The test-learn-scale loop that separates compounding teams from big-swing teams, and why pre-defining success and kill criteria is non-negotiable How AI and low-code tools are blurring the build vs. buy line — and why some tools may no longer be worth paying for The "job to be done" mindset — why asking what's broken beats asking which tool to buy Quotes from Rebecca Nackson: "The ones that are succeeding, it is because they have a system." "You can't scale what you don't trust." "It's a career that's not a straight line. It takes all these squiggles and it makes all the sense in the world in hindsight."

    37 min
  7. #262: How AI is changing creative teams with Jen Taylor, Director of AI Strategy & Integration at Capacity Interactive - by Branch

    Mar 30

    #262: How AI is changing creative teams with Jen Taylor, Director of AI Strategy & Integration at Capacity Interactive - by Branch

    What if AI didn’t replace your creative team, but made them more creative than ever? In this episode, Amanda and Adam of Branch are joined by Jen Taylor to explore how AI is changing the way creative teams work, produce, and scale content without losing the human touch. From breaking down the real role of AI in creative production and why it won’t replace artists, to how teams can use AI to iterate faster, test more ideas, and focus on higher-value creative work, Jen shares practical insights from the front lines of AI-driven marketing and content creation. Whether you’re building a creative team, scaling marketing production, or trying to understand where AI actually fits into your workflow, this conversation offers a grounded look at how AI can amplify creativity rather than replace it. Links and Resources: Jen Taylor  on LinkedIn Capacity Interactive website Branch - Mobile Attribution Platform and App Analytics Solutions For Enterprises Today’s topics include: How teams can treat AI as a strategic collaborator rather than just a productivity tool, helping refine audience targeting, messaging, and campaign direction  A practical three-stage approach to adopting AI: first set internal policies, then train teams on prompting and tools, and finally connect AI initiatives to measurable business outcomes Why ethical considerations are especially important for creative and arts organizations, including questions around ownership, environmental impact, and imitation, and why intentional tool selection matters Ways organizations can maintain consistency across teams by using AI tools trained on brand voice, tone, and mission while still keeping human review in place The idea of “human-driven AI,” where people remain involved at every stage — from prompts to review — to maintain quality and avoid low-quality automated output Using AI to analyze audiences and personalize messaging by testing content across different segments and allowing AI to uncover new audience opportunities and insights Quotes from Jen Taylor: “AI can do anything, which is overwhelming and changes how it functions as a tool. AI is a tool, but to me it feels more like a new way to work.” “AI does efficiency, but when it comes to strategy and using these tools as thought partners, that’s where they really shine.” “I fully believe in human-driven AI. It starts with the prompt, with your strategy and your direction, and at the end of the day the human is still responsible for what goes forward.”

    34 min
  8. #261: How AI is reshaping app store search with Dave Bell, CEO at Gummicube

    Mar 2

    #261: How AI is reshaping app store search with Dave Bell, CEO at Gummicube

    Search inside the app stores is changing — and AI is accelerating that shift. In this episode, we speak with Dave Bell, CEO at Gummicube, about how artificial intelligence is transforming the way users discover apps. Dave explains why search is becoming more conversational and intent-driven, how natural language queries are reshaping rankings, and why the era of optimizing for a single dominant keyword is fading. As users ask longer, more specific questions — both inside the App Store and through tools like ChatGPT — ASO strategies must evolve to reflect how people actually search. If you’re responsible for app visibility, organic growth, or ASO strategy, this episode offers a timely look at where search is heading next. Without any further ado, let’s get started. Today’s topics include: How AI is changing app store search behavior Natural language queries and intent-based ranking Why single-keyword optimization no longer works The growing role of LLMs in app discovery Apple opening the App Store to web indexing What AI-driven search means for future ASO strategy Links and Resources: Dave Bell on LinkedIn Gummicube Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Dave Bell “It’s not about looking for the one keyword to rule them all. It’s not The Lord of the Rings — it’s about understanding all the ways users might search and find your app.” “Users are really being retrained both in the way that they search for information and in terms of what results they expect from a natural search.” “LM models are now including summaries and links to apps that best fit a user’s prompt, giving users a new path into the app stores.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012

    12 min
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4.6
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

The Business of Apps podcast brings you actionable insights from the leaders of the global app industry and the world’s fastest growing apps. App marketing professionals, product managers and developers share the latest approaches to building, marketing and monetizing mobile apps. Every Monday we have a candid conversation with app industry professionals about specific topic that may cover app marketing, mobile advertising or app development and we also help our listeners to get to know our guests better.

Information

  • Creator
    Business of Apps
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    268
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Business of Apps
  • Show Website
    Business of Apps Podcast

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