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7 Counterintuitive App Growth Strategies That Actually Work
- Event: MAU Vegas 25
- Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
- Speakers: Steve Young, Founder of App Masters
- Estimated read time: 6–8 minutes
Quick Summary
When Steve Young took the stage at MAU Vegas 2025, the audience expected another technical talk about paywalls and conversion rates. What they got instead was a masterclass in doing the opposite of what most app developers assume drives growth.
For over thirty minutes, the founder of App Masters unpacked more than a decade of A/B testing and real world data proof that smart monetization strategies can transform performance across the entire mobile app industry.
From podcast host to app growth expert
Before he became known for app marketing, Young was simply a developer trying to learn from others. In 2013, he started a small podcast called App Masters to interview founders who had figured out how to succeed in the App Store.
“I was born in Burma and came to the States when I was six” he told the crowd. “As an immigrant, I was always trying to fit in. That drive to learn and keep testing is what built this company.”
Today, App Masters works with indie studios and major brands, helping app publishers and app providers experiment with monetization models, from in app purchases and subscription models to freemium paid versions. The goal: create a scalable app monetization strategy built on data, not guesswork.
Why you should show your paywall early
Most teams believe users should experience value before being asked to pay. The data tells a different story.
“More than 60 percent of people who buy do it before they ever use your app” said Young. “That’s why showing a paywall during onboarding can literally double your sales.”
Across dozens of app categories, roughly 90 percent of all conversions came from two places, the onboarding flow and the home screen. That first moment of curiosity is also the peak of intent. Wait too long and users drift away. Capturing that intent quickly is critical when mobile traffic attention spans are measured in seconds.
Treat onboarding as part of the user experience, not just a tutorial. It’s your first chance to convert, and your best opportunity to shape user behaviour.
The power of simple wording
Design changes can move numbers, but so can language. In one A/B test, the only difference was a button label: one said “Unlock Everything”, the other said “Get Pro Features.” The second version won easily.
“‘Unlock Everything’ got more trial starts” Young said, “but ‘Get Pro Features’ created more paying users.”
Why? The first phrase sounds vague; the second describes a clear benefit. In growth terms, clarity beats hype. Try reframing your own CTA from what the user does to what they get, say, “Start Learning Faster” instead of “Start Free Trial.” It’s a small detail, but over time it influences user retention and overall customer lifetime value.
Rethink discounting: let users choose
Discounts are a staple of digital marketing, but they work best when people feel in control. Instead of a single “50% off” banner, Young’s team tested a screen with two offers, 50% off monthly or 60 % off annual.
The result? Higher conversions.
“‘Pick what you want’ beats ‘Here’s a deal’” he said. “People like control, and they don’t always pick the cheapest option.”
This simple shift taps into behavioral economics and more precise user targeting. Young also recommends pairing discounts with retention offers and Apple’s Win Back tool in App Store Connect. “It takes five minutes to set up and can drive extra sales automatically” he said. “If you’re running large ad or advertising campaigns, it’s free money.”
When visuals drive conversions
In a world driven by short form video and rich media, static paywalls feel outdated. One client swapped illustrated graphics for real photos, then added a short looping video. Each step improved conversions.
“Videos on paywalls work” said Young. “They make your app feel real. People can see the outcome before they buy.”
A one page paywall with a short video outperformed a multi step version that guided users through several screens. The reason: speed and emotion. Moving visuals communicate benefits faster than paragraphs ever could, and video integrates smoothly with most monetization platforms and analytics tools.
Keep it short, authentic, and focused on outcomes, not features.
The psychology behind three pricing plans
Three options almost always beat two. It’s not a design trend; it’s human behavior.
“Three plans are better than two” said Young. “You need a decoy plan to make the top plan look like a no brainer.”
Removing a monthly plan to “simplify” the paywall actually caused one client’s sales to crash. The middle option, the decoy, was what made the others make sense.
The ideal setup:
- A low priced entry plan
- A high value premium plan (usually yearly or weekly)
- A mid tier decoy plan that frames value
Highlight your target plan visually with a Most Popular or Best Value badge. Framing, not price, drives the decision, and the right mix directly affects customer lifetime value.
Match trials and billing to app behavior
Trial length and billing cadence are among the easiest things to test, and the most overlooked.
One App Masters client switched from a seven day trial on an annual plan to a three day trial on a weekly plan. Sales tripled.
“We actually made more on the yearly plan once we removed the long trial” said Young. “AI and photo or video apps perform best with weekly billing.”
The takeaway: align your billing with your product rhythm.
- Daily use apps → shorter trials, weekly or monthly billing
- Occasional use apps → longer trials, annual billing
Different app categories behave differently, but when billing matches engagement, retention and product development outcomes improve naturally.
The case for gating content
Many teams assume giving away more content builds trust. In practice, it often just creates freeloaders.
One client stuck at $8,000 a month started locking more content instead of showing a hard paywall. Sales quickly jumped past $10,000.
“Gate more content” Young said. “The more free stuff you give, the faster people churn. Seventy seven percent of users disappear within three days anyway.”
If people can endlessly browse free content, they’ll rarely convert. Restrict access strategically so that the upgrade path feels natural, not forced. Scarcity drives focus, and better user retention.
The hard paywall that doubled sales
The story that made the audience sit up was about a single “X” button.
After acquiring a small app making a few thousand dollars a month, Young’s team redesigned the onboarding flow and removed the close icon from the paywall. Within weeks, revenue grew to nearly $10 K a month.
“We saw double the sales when we removed the X” he said. “That one little button killed conversions.”
When they added it back, revenue halved.
Hard paywalls (no exit option) aren’t for everyone, but for early stage apps testing product market fit, they surface real intent fast. You quickly learn who’s willing to pay and who’s not, no vanity metrics, no noise in your purchase flow data.
Why these tactics work
Behind each of these counterintuitive wins is behavioral science:
| Principle | What It Does | App Example |
|---|---|---|
| Loss aversion | People fear missing out more than they value free access | Hard paywalls, countdowns |
| Anchoring | Users need contrast to see value | Three tier pricing |
| Choice empowerment | Control increases satisfaction | Discount choice screens |
| Endowment effect | Effort builds commitment | Short trials that require setup |
| Social proof | Trust lowers friction | Video demos, testimonials |
Understanding these effects turns testing from random guessing into actionable user research, and replaces simple competitor research with real behavioural insight.
Build a culture of testing
Young’s closing advice had nothing to do with design and everything to do with discipline.
“Every failed test teaches you something” he said. “Don’t fear being wrong, fear standing still.”
His team runs one new test per week, documents every result, and reviews it across design, marketing, and product development teams. That rhythm keeps growth continuous and measurable.
He also noted how fast the market shifts. “AI apps are printing money right now” he joked, “but the same rule applies: keep testing.”
The mindset that drives growth
In the end, Young’s strategies aren’t about tricks, they’re about curiosity.
Should you show your paywall sooner? Remove a button? Give away less? The only way to know is to test.
“Don’t be afraid to break the rules” he told the crowd. “That’s where the growth is.”
For app developers, app publishers, and app providers, that’s the real takeaway: growth doesn’t come from copying others. It comes from testing, learning, and adapting your app monetization strategy to your own audience.
In a competitive world of mobile traffic, shifting ad campaigns, and evolving monetization solutions, the edge belongs to the teams who stay curious, and keep experimenting.
About the Speaker
Steve Young – Founder, App Masters
Steve Young is the founder of App Masters, an app marketing agency focused on growing apps faster, better and cheaper. He also hosts a top ranked app marketing YouTube channel with over 60,000 subscribers, featuring interviews with major industry figures including the co founders of Shazam, Crossy Road, Mafia Wars, Colour Switch, and more.