“I'm the CEO, the PM and the whole growth team.”
Creative testing happens at midnight, if it happens. The apps winning your category launch new ads every week.
Installs don't pay. Subscribers do.
We run your paid ads, ship 30–40 new AI-made creatives a month and fix the store page, onboarding and paywall in between. One senior operator, judged on a single number: how many users pay.
Free app audit + growth plan in 48 hours. No call.
- 01 · Ad30–40new tested ads every month
- 02 · Store18.1%of store page visitors install
- 03 · Onboarding61.4%of new users sign up
- 04 · PaywallTop 20%initial conversion in its category*
- 05 · PayingTop 20%monthly revenue per paying user*
Real results from an app we run growth for · *category benchmark, Sep 2026
30–40 tested ads a month✦
Top 20% initial conversion in its category✦
+173% signups in 30 days✦
61.4% open → signup✦
18.1% store page conversion✦
$3.8M+ ad spend managed✦
Works inside your stack
- Meta Ads
- TikTok Ads
- Google App campaigns
- Apple Ads
- Snapchat
- App Store Connect
- Google Play Console
- RevenueCat
- Adjust
- PostHog
- GA4 / Firebase
How Appfound works · 64 sec
Where users leak between your ad and your paywall, and how we plug each leak in 90 days.
Why most apps stall
More installs won't fix
a funnel that leaks.
The ads usually work. Then users stall on the store page, quit halfway through onboarding or bounce off the paywall. You keep paying to refill a bucket with holes in it.
“Our CPI looks great. Our revenue doesn't.”
If Meta and TikTok never see a trial or a purchase, they find you cheap taps instead of buyers.
“People install, then disappear.”
The ad did its job. The store page, onboarding or paywall didn't, and nobody owns that gap.
“Our agency reports installs.”
Installs are where their report ends. It's where your revenue is supposed to start.
Build your
growth machine
01
Seven levers, in the order they usually pay back.
- 01
Ship 30–40 tested ads a month
New hooks every week, pulled from your reviews and the longest-running ads in your category. Every ad gets a spend cap, so losers die cheap.
- 02
Track every step to payment
Install, signup, trial and purchase, wired in week 1 and fed back to Meta, TikTok and Google so they hunt for payers.
- 03
Turn store visitors into installs
Screenshots, icons and custom product pages, tested against each other. We've taken a store page to 18.1% conversion.
- 04
Plug onboarding and paywall leaks
Shorter flows, sharper paywalls, smarter trial offers. One onboarding rebuild got 61.4% of new users to sign up.
- 05
Rank in App Store search
Almost 65% of App Store downloads happen right after a search (Apple). We make sure yours is one of the results.
- 06
Get named by AI assistants
When someone asks ChatGPT for “the best app for…”, your app should be in the answer. We work on the sources it reads.
- 07
Scale only what pays
Budget goes up when payback proves it. Never on a hunch, never because a platform suggested it.
The appfoundsystem
02How it works · 3 phases
Pouring budget into a leaky funnel burns money. So we plug the leaks first, then feed the funnel, then make it compound.
01
Plug the leaks
Tracking · store page · onboarding · paywall
Most accounts we open can't see who pays. We wire up install, signup, trial and purchase in week 1 and feed them back to every ad platform. Then we map each leak between the ad and the payment and rank it by what it costs you.
02
Feed the engine
30–40 tested ads a month
We study the ads that keep running in your category, mine your reviews for the words users actually use, and ship 30–40 new creatives a month. Each one gets a spend cap. Losers die cheap. Winners get budget, and fresh hooks before they fatigue.
03
Overfill the funnel
Scale on payback · compound organic
Budget rises when payback proves it. ASO, SEO and AI visibility bring in users you never pay for, and paywall winners shape the next batch of ads.
Lost users
Installs
Paying users
Phase 01 · Leaking
Results · health subscription app · iOS · US
Top 20% of its category
at turning users into payers.
Top 20%Initial conversion, first 30 daysCategory benchmark
Top 20%Monthly revenue per paying userCategory benchmark
+173%Signups in 30 days vs the previous 30Product analytics
The receipts.
Real dashboards from an app we run growth for. The name stays private. The numbers stay exactly as they are.
Chapter 1 · Launch · iOS · US
Fixed the funnel. Signups jumped 173%.
We rebuilt the store page and onboarding, then moved the budget behind the ads that won our creative tests.
+173%signups in 30 days vs the previous 30Product analytics
61.4%of app opens became signupsProduct analytics
18.1%of store page visitors installed (daily average)App Store Connect
Along the way, the ads that won our creative tests brought in installs 56% cheaper than the ones they beat ($2.75 vs $6.28, Meta, same audience).
Chapter 2 · V2 relaunch · Aug 13, 2026
Relaunched with every step measured.
For V2 we built one dashboard from first open to payment, with the subscription platform as the source of truth. Seven weeks after launch, the app ranked in the top 20% of its category for initial conversion.
2,185first-time app opens since launch, all sourcesPostHog
857activated users, 39% of first opensPostHog
Top 20%initial conversion and monthly revenue per paying userCategory benchmark
Super app · ride-hailing & delivery · multi-country
Trained where mistakes cost six figures.
Mohamed runs user acquisition in-house at a venture-backed super app: install and in-app purchase campaigns across several countries, checked against independent attribution (Adjust). Your app gets the same discipline.
$842Kad spend managed across multiple countries
1.25M+app conversions across the ecosystem
Also behind
- 19,049 orders for a beauty e-commerce brand
- $264K managed for high-ticket lead gen (88 campaigns)
- 49.6% Google visibility built for a brand (SEMrush)
Where does your funnel leak? We'll find your biggest leak and show you how to fix it. Free, in 48 hours.
Find my biggest leak →Services · all six included
Every lever between the ad
and the payment.
One plan covers all six. We put the hours where your funnel is weakest.
Paid ads that hunt for payers.
- Account audit and a simple structure built for learning: few campaigns, many tested ads
- Meta, TikTok, Google App campaigns, Apple Ads and Snapchat, picked for your audience and budget
- Optimized to trial or purchase events once tracking can see them
- iOS measurement set up for SKAdNetwork, so iOS campaigns still learn after ATT
- Daily checks, weekly budget calls, scaled only when payback says yes
We own: cost per trial · cost per paying user · payback days
| Ad | Status | Spend | CPI | Trial → paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook: “3 minutes a day” | Scaling | $1,240 | $2.61 | 31% |
| UGC: before/after | Testing | $310 | $2.94 | 27% |
| Static: review quote | Testing | $190 | $3.40 | — |
| Old: feature list | Killed | $696 | $6.28 | 9% |
Illustration · real data in Results
30–40 new ads a month. Every one tested.
- Research in the ad libraries of the top apps in your category, focused on ads that keep running
- Review mining: 10+ angles (pain, desire, proof, curiosity) in your users' own words
- 30–40 new ads a month made with AI: UGC-style video, statics and motion, edited by hand
- Spend caps per ad: losers die cheap, winners get new hooks before they wear out
- A creative learnings log you keep, so every batch starts smarter than the last
Why it matters: creative drove 56% of sales lift in digital campaigns (Nielsen, ~500 campaigns)
“I deleted 4 apps for this one”
WinnerPOV: day 30 of the habit
TestingStop doing this every morning
TestingFeature tour v2
Killed at capIllustration · bars show spend vs cap
Numbers you can bet the budget on.
- Event map from first open to renewal: what fires, where, and who counts it
- SDK or MMP events for install, signup, trial and purchase, set up in week 1
- Subscription events (RevenueCat or your billing) sent back to Meta, TikTok and Google
- One dashboard: cost per trial, trial → paid, payback, by channel and creative
- Every number labelled: platform-reported or measured in your own data
Budget decisions use your source of truth, not the platform's
Illustration · simulated events
More installs from the same traffic. More payers from the same installs.
- Keyword research and metadata for the App Store and Google Play
- Screenshot and icon tests (Product Page Optimization, store listing experiments)
- Custom product pages matched to each winning ad angle
- Onboarding and quiz flow reviews with test briefs your team can ship
- Paywall tests: hard paywall vs trial, price points, plan mix, placement
We own: store page conversion · onboarding completion · paywall → trial
| Keyword | Popularity | Rank | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| habit tracker | 14 | ▲ 22 | |
| daily routine app | 6 | ▲ 9 | |
| build good habits | 3 | ▲ 11 | |
| self improvement | 28 | ▲ 41 |
AB · winnerC
Illustration · not client data
Win the search before the store.
- Keyword map built from what your users search before they look for an app
- Landing, comparison and “best app for…” pages that rank and pre-sell
- Technical SEO for your site: speed, indexing, structured data
- Content your team can publish, briefed and checked by us
- Monthly ranking and traffic report tied to installs
Track record: grew a brand to 49.6% Google visibility (SEMrush)
best app to build habits
yourapp.com › guidesThe 7 habit apps that actually stick (2026 test)
We tested every popular habit app for 30 days…
someblog.comTop habit tracker apps
Our editors picked…
reddit.com › r/productivityWhich habit app do you use?
Illustration · not client data
Be the app AI recommends.
- 20–50 prompts your users would ask, tracked monthly in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
- Source audit: which sites the answers cite, and whether you're on them
- Fixes to what AI tools read: your site, store listing, reviews, comparison pages, communities
- Monthly report on what moved. Nobody controls these models, so we never promise a spot
We own: share of answers for your category's prompts
What's the best app to build a daily habit?
A few strong options, depending on what you need:
- YourApp: best for beginners; short daily check-ins and streaks.yourapp.com
- App B: detailed stats for power users.
- App C: works well for teams.
Illustration · not a real AI response
Your first 90 days,
step by step
What happens, who does it, and how much of your time it takes.
-
0Day 0 · free
Your Growth Plan
You send your app's name. We audit your store page, your ads, your competitors' ads, your reviews and your funnel. You get a scored audit, a growth plan and a video teardown within 48 hours.
Your time2 minutes
-
1Week 1
Kickoff & baseline
A 30-minute kickoff. You grant access to ad accounts, App Store Connect or Play Console, analytics and billing. We write down your baseline numbers and agree on 1–2 targets. The guarantee starts here.
Your time30 min + access
-
2Week 1
Tracking fixed
Event map from install to purchase, SDK or MMP and subscription events sent to Meta, TikTok and Google, SKAdNetwork set up for iOS, and one dashboard everyone trusts.
Your time1 dev ticket, if needed
-
3Week 2
Leak map
Store page, onboarding, paywall and pricing reviewed step by step. Each leak ranked by what it costs you, with the first test briefs written.
Your timeReview 1 doc
-
4Weeks 2–3
First creative batch
Competitor and review research turns into 10+ angles and your first batch of AI-made ads: video, statics and UGC-style. From here we ship 30–40 a month. You approve before anything goes live.
Your timeApprovals within 48h
-
5Weeks 3–6
Test & learn
Restructured campaigns go live with spend caps per ad. Losers are cut, winners scaled. Store page tests start, and onboarding or paywall tests ship with your team.
Your time30-min weekly call
-
6Weeks 6–12
Scale what pays
Budget follows payback. Winners get fresh hooks, new channels open (TikTok, Google, Apple Ads) and custom product pages match each angle.
Your time30-min weekly call
-
7Weeks 4–12
Compound organic
ASO keywords and metadata, SEO pages and AI visibility tracking run underneath paid, so new users keep coming when spend pauses.
Your timeNothing extra
-
8Day 90
Review & decide
We compare against your week-1 baseline. If we haven't beaten it, your fourth month is free. Then month-to-month, or you walk away with everything we built.
Your time1 hour
Every week, from week 1
- Monday reportWhat changed, why, and what's next, in plain words
- Slack lineDirect to Mohamed, answered the same working day
- 30-min callDecisions, approvals, next tests
Step 0 is free. Send your app's name and get your Growth Plan in 48 hours, with no call and no commitment.
Start step 0 →Agency, hire or Appfound
Agencies sell installs.
Senior hires cost $8K a month.
| Criteria | Typical UA agency | In-house growth hire | Appfound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimizes for | Installs & pretty reports | Depends who you hire | Paying users & payback |
| Creative | You supply it, or pay extra | One person's ideas | 30–40 AI-made, tested ads a month |
| Tracking | Uses whatever exists | Maybe, eventually | Fixed in week 1 |
| Store page & paywall | “Not our job” | Rarely both | Store, onboarding & paywall tests included |
| ASO, SEO & AI visibility | Separate retainer | Different skill set | Included |
| Cost | $5K–$15K/mo, often + % of spend | $8K+/mo salary + ramp-up | $1,500/mo flat · founding rate |
| Commitment | 6–12 month contracts | Permanent | 90-day sprint, then month-to-month |
| Who does the work | Often a junior account manager | Your one hire | The operator who runs UA at super-app scale |
| Who owns the accounts | Sometimes the agency | You | You, always |
The operator
05
You work with me.
You work with me.
Not an account manager.
I'm Mohamed Barkat. I run user acquisition in-house at a venture-backed super app (ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery), scaling campaigns across several countries on Meta, Google and TikTok.
Before that I managed $3.8M+ in ad spend for consumer apps, online stores and lead gen. I built Appfound for founders who are done paying for installs that never turn into revenue.
“If a number can't be traced to your own dashboard, it doesn't go in my report.”Check everything on LinkedIn ↗
A full growth team for less than a fifth of one hire.
06Typical mobile agency
$5K–$15K/mo
Often + % of ad spend · 6–12 month lock-in · run by a junior
Senior growth hire
$8K+/mo
+ months of ramp-up · one skill set
Always yours
Ad accounts, creatives, dashboards and data stay in your name. Leave anytime after the sprint and keep everything.
Growth Partner · founding rate
5 slots$1,500/month
Starts with a 90-day sprint, the time it takes for testing and funnel fixes to show in revenue. Then month-to-month. Founding clients keep this rate for 12 months.
- Paid ads run for you: Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple Ads
- Creative: 30–40 AI-made ads a month, each tested with a spend cap
- Tracking fixed in week 1, one dashboard you trust
- Store page: keywords, screenshots, custom product pages
- Funnel tests: onboarding, quiz flow, paywall & pricing
- Organic: ASO, SEO and AI visibility
- Monday report in plain words + 30-min weekly call
- Direct Slack line to Mohamed. No account managers
Not included: your ad spend, at least $2K a month, paid straight to the platforms from your accounts. Real creators on top of the AI ads are optional and billed at cost.
Start with your free Growth Plan →The guarantee
In week 1 we agree on 1–2 target numbers with you (for example cost per trial, or trials per week) and write down your baseline. If we haven't beaten it by day 90, your fourth month is free: we keep working and you pay nothing for it. What we need from you: at least $2K a month in ad spend, access to your accounts, and approvals within 48 hours.
Why $1,500 and not $8,000? You work directly with the operator running your campaigns: no agency layers, no account managers, no markup. It's a founding rate for the first 5 app clients, locked for 12 months. Once their case studies are published, the price goes up.
What's in the free Growth Plan, and what's the catch?
An audit of your app and a growth plan, as a PDF with a video teardown: a Growth Score out of 100, a store page audit, your ads against your top competitors', five ad angles from your reviews, an onboarding and paywall walk-through with your biggest leak marked, a search and AI visibility check, and the top three fixes ranked by impact. No catch. You see how we think before you spend a dollar. If we're not the right fit, the plan says so.
What ad budget do I need?
At least $2,000 a month in ad spend, paid to the platforms from your own accounts. Below that, the platforms can't test ads fast enough to find winners and scale them. Not there yet? Get the free Growth Plan, fix the leaks it finds, and come back when you're ready to scale.
How fast will I see results?
Tracking and funnel fixes usually show in weeks 1–3. Creative testing needs 3–6 weeks of spend to find reliable winners. Organic channels compound over months. That's why we start with a 90-day sprint and agree on targets in week 1.
Can you really ship 30–40 ads a month?
Yes, because they're made with AI. We write the angles from your reviews and your competitors' ads, then produce video, statics and UGC-style ads with AI video, voice and image tools, edited by hand into templates built from your winners. Most ads are new hooks and formats on angles that already work, which is how the top apps test at volume. You approve every ad before it runs, and we follow each platform's rules on labelling AI-generated content.
We already run ads ourselves. What would you add?
Usually three things: volume (30–40 tested ads a month instead of 2–3), tracking that shows the platforms who actually pays, and the funnel after the click: store page, onboarding, paywall. Your free Growth Plan shows which one costs you most.
How do you measure results after Apple's privacy changes (ATT, SKAdNetwork)?
Two layers, always labelled. Platform numbers (SKAdNetwork and modeled conversions) guide day-to-day optimization. Your own source of truth (subscription platform, MMP or product analytics) decides budgets. If the two disagree, your data wins.
Do I need an MMP like AppsFlyer or Adjust?
Not to start. At smaller budgets, platform SDKs plus your subscription platform and product analytics usually cover it. We'll tell you when an MMP starts paying for itself, and set it up when it does.
Our tracking is a mess, or doesn't exist. Is that a problem?
It's normal, and it's the first thing we fix, in week 1. We set up the events that matter (install, signup, trial, payment) so the platforms learn from real buyers and your dashboard tells the truth. Usually one ticket for your developer, or none.
Do you do AI / ChatGPT visibility?
Yes, as part of organic growth. Each month we check whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews mention your app for the questions your users ask, then improve the sources those answers draw on. Good ASO and SEO feed this too. Nobody controls these models, so we report what moved and never promise a placement.
Who owns the ad accounts, creatives and data?
You do. We work inside your accounts with the access you grant, and every creative, dashboard and learnings doc stays with you if you leave.
Which apps are a good fit?
Consumer apps on iOS and Android, especially subscription and in-app purchase apps, with at least $2K a month for ads and a product people already come back to. If retention is the real problem, the Growth Plan will say so before you spend more on ads.
What do you need from me?
Access (ad accounts, store console, analytics, billing), feedback on ads and tests within 48 hours, and one 30-minute call a week. Founders typically spend under 2 hours a week on this.
What if you miss the target?
Your fourth month is free. In week 1 we agree on 1–2 numbers and write down your baseline. If we haven't beaten it by day 90, we keep working in month 4 and you don't pay for it.
Am I locked into a contract?
No. One 90-day sprint to start, then month-to-month. Cancel anytime after.
Free · 48 hours · no call
Get your
growth plan
Send us your app. Within 48 hours you get a scored audit of your app, a growth plan and a video teardown: where users leak, what to fix first, and the ads we'd test. Keep it either way.
Growth Plan · YourAppPDF + video
- 01Growth Score out of 100: store, ads, funnel, reviews, visibility
- 02Store page audit: keywords, screenshots, ratings, conversion
- 03Your ads vs your top 3 competitors' (Meta Ad Library)
- 045 ad angles pulled from your reviews and competitors
- 05Onboarding & paywall walk-through, biggest leak marked
- 06Google, App Store search & AI assistant visibility
- 07Top 3 fixes ranked by impact + your first 30 days
Video teardown recorded by Mohamed
Get found.
Your free Growth Plan is two fields away.