AllTrails · B2C · hiking trails app
Keep adding photos, reviews and social features to stay far ahead of Apple Maps
Guest says Apple may take a few % of free users but not payers
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What they did
When Apple added hiking maps to iOS 18 Maps, the answer is to keep shipping depth the platform won't build: more photos, more reviews, and now social features, aiming to stay '10x better' than the broad, shallow OS feature.
What happened
Guest expects the platform to clip a couple percent of free users while paying users still go premium.
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · The Subscription App Industry Rebound — Eric Crowley, GP Bullhound“They always have to be 10x better than whatever Apple's offering is, right? More photos, more reviews. Now they're doing social features, right? Apple doesn't do any of that.”
“Apple may clip off a couple percentage of their free users, but what they don't do is they don't take the people that would pay for AllTrails and Flo.”
Related topics
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More from AllTrails
All 3 AllTrails tacticsMore from this episode
- Flo: Give the core app away free, then sell add-on modules as users' needs change60M+ monthly users; thesis behind a $200M raise at a $1B+ valuation
- Flo: Hire a bank to run a competitive raise, then take more than plannedSet out for $100M; raised $200M at a $1B+ valuation
- Email loyal subscribers before a price rise and explain what they get for itGuest says best-of-breed apps keep users through it; one of the main paths to positive NRR
- Spotify: Offer a family plan so one subscriber can add the rest of the householdCited as user expansion from a single acquired customer; no numbers
- onX: Sell an upgrade tier with nationwide maps on top of the single-state plan
- Quicken: Add estate planning tools (wills, trusts, document locker) as an upgradeGuest calls it an easy upgrade for users; no numbers
- Tinder: Sell packs of one-off boosts, like super likes or streak repairs, next to the subscriptionCited as extra revenue on top of subscriptions; no numbers
- Nutracheck: Sell the subscription app to a big ad-funded publisher that needs subscriptionsGuest calls it a home run deal that answered the buyer's CAC questions
- Tractive: Show owners how far their dog walked compared with other dogs
- Fi: Advertise a pet supplement inside the app to people who already own the collarHost found the offer compelling; no numbers
- Offer a 10-20% cheaper web signup to skip the 30% App Store feeEvery client of the guest is exploring it; tools charge ~5-7% vs 30%