Wrestle AI · B2C · AI wrestling coach app
Sell gift subscriptions to parents with ads at Christmas
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What they did
Plan to run heavy Christmas ads aimed at parents buying the app for their high-school kids. Still working out how to sell prepaid access without breaking Apple's rules (offer codes can be given out but not sold); reselling Apple gift cards is an option but risks losing the buyer.
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · George Lampropoulos - Meet the ex-wrestler making $41k/mo with AI apps“But I think gift cards, like for Christmas season, we're going to be like running hella ads for parents to buy for their kids.”
Related topics
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More from this episode
- FightAI: Build an app you want yourself, then post about it to test demand~$1K revenue at pure margin; convinced him the idea was real
- FightAI: Spin off a version for the one sport users keep asking aboutWrestle AI passed 100K downloads; only wrestling app, so creators were cheap
- Wrestle AI: Make a VA running your Instagram DMs your first hireVA's DM through a mutual follower landed the niche's top creator as partner
- Wrestle AI: Make your niche's biggest creator a 50/50 co-owner of the appDrove launch and most growth; app passed 100K downloads
- Wrestle AI: Have a creator push an App Store pre-order before launch day$8K in week one; #19 in Sports on launch day
- Wrestle AI: Sponsor about 10 niche creators, then drop all but the bestPassed 100K downloads on creators alone; 'really profitable'
- Wrestle AI: Run the creator videos that explain your app most clearly as adsPaid ads just started; no results yet
- AbMax: Run ads where a creator reacts to a ridiculous video, then pitches the app~$60K back on ~$20K spend over 3 months; still the top-spend ad
- Wrestle AI: Run ads where a creator ranks the best apps and picks yoursFounder says ranking ads work as paid but flop organically; no numbers
- Brawler: Run a plain screen recording of the app in use as an ad$10 CPA on day one vs $40 break-even (3-4x ROAS)
- Wrestle AI: Make polished, high-production video adsEvery attempt got near-zero revenue and very high CPA
- Brawler: Make many versions of each winning ad and raise spend slowlyFast spend increases raised CAC and erased gains; slow scaling grew revenue
- AbMax: Have more UGC creators copy your best creator's ad format
- AbMax: Work out your break-even cost per sale and judge every ad against itSimple to read while ads are the only channel
- Brawler: Pay a big-name creator expecting a loss, so your ads feel trustedRecouped 75% of $4.5K vs a 25-50% goal
- Brawler: Sponsor creators who teach the sport, not ones who post highlightsInfluencers bring ~25% of revenue; does well with the right people
- AbMax: Pay clippers for cheap views, even at a loss, to make ads convert betterJust started; aims for 10M views at ~$0.30 CPM
- Wrestle AI: In onboarding, ask about users' pain points, build their plan, then show the paywall
- Wrestle AI: Add a feature people use daily, like a calorie tracker, between big usesFounder says it helped retention 'a ton'; no numbers
- Wrestle AI: Try dropping the free trial
- Wrestle AI: Require your sponsored creators to also post inside your app's feedJust launched; too early to tell
- Brawler: Pay a pro coach to record lessons users must perform to unlock the next
- Wrestle AI: Copy Duolingo's push notifications and tie them to what users didNo stats; they don't track which notifications get clicks
- Brawler: On a user's third app open, offer a phone call with a founder10-15 calls; found users never knew about features that took weeks
- Brawler: Show a short demo video the first time someone opens a tricky feature
- Ladder: Let people use the app free for 7 days before showing any paywall