How Simply grows

Instead of sending social-ad clicks straight to the App Store (a big ask for people in a 'lean-back' scrolling mindset), run a web flow that carries the ad's message through onboarding to the paywall: e.g. a parent-targeted ad leads to onboarding addressing a parent's needs for their kid. The flow takes about two minutes, builds intent and explains value before the download. Deliberately not a copy of the App Store experience; framed as audience expansion rather than fee savings or attribution. Creative, placement and destination (web vs store) are tested per app and maturity.

New products (Guitar, Sing, Draw) start as separate apps built by multidisciplinary 'pods' that move fast and independently, using the same early customer-discovery and growth playbooks. They grow in parallel with their own acquisition rather than being pushed from Simply Piano.

Mid-2025 test: turned off app campaigns in one geo and web-to-app campaigns in another, then watched organic traffic and interactions between apps and between iOS/Android versions of the same app to identify cannibalization. Goal is enough truth in CAC modeling to decide where to put the next dollar, not perfect attribution.

Share plans, roadmaps and challenges with Apple and Google account managers; monthly meetings, fortnightly for Simply Piano, with both platforms. Early on, sent developers to WWDC with real problems from building the sound-recognition engine and got access to Apple's audio engineers. Adopt new platform features quickly and ask where the app lags their benchmarks. Fly to meet them.

Years ago started with the Big Mac index itself, then evolved a custom index combining purchasing power with category-specific factors (what people pay to learn an instrument or drawing). Modeled one pricing strategy for all geos, rolled it out everywhere as a test, then optimized per geo over time and revisits as the app matures and reaches new audiences.

App-store campaigns can only land a user in one app, so the all-apps bundle is marketed in web funnels, which open with 'Welcome to Simply' and explain that one purchase unlocks Piano, Guitar, Sing and Draw.

Simply Piano started as single user/single profile. After seeing several household members use it, Simply introduced a family plan, later expanded to up to five profiles and access to multiple apps, so at any time someone in the household is using it.

Annual discounts vary by plan, sometimes 60%, sometimes 75%; discount level is tested as a pricing lever, with anchoring and user psychology in mind.

Weekly plans tested in some apps (not the bundle). Guest's reasoning: weekly lowers checkout friction but forces users to judge progress every week, which doesn't suit slow skill learning.

Ad creatives are drawn from real usage moments and well-loved features, e.g. the Simply Draw AI animation of kids' drawings.