Growth strategies in gaming vs. utility apps

Olivier highlights that although gaming and utility apps share the ability to explore diverse growth strategies for achieving a global presence, there are notable differences. Gaming apps have long relied heavily on in-app purchases (one-time purchases) to drive revenue, developing remarkable sophistication in predicting lifetime user value and churn. Utility apps are centered around a subscription-based model, which compels them to focus on funnel optimization and effectively communicating the subscription's value proposition.

Scaling a business across multiple markets

Olivier's experience at Molotov, a streaming service only available in France, showed him the unique challenges of targeting only one market when trying to grow and test new ideas without negatively impacting the brand. At PhotoRoom, he has the freedom to experiment and test in less strategic markets without compromising their brand, pivoting focus if a specific market doesn't produce desired results. Since the UK market is highly competitive for photo and video apps, PhotoRoom used learnings from the US market and shifted attention to markets like Japan, Germany, and Taiwan.

Challenges ahead for PhotoRoom's growing business

As PhotoRoom's team and business continue to grow, Olivier identifies two key challenges: maintaining a culture of experimentation and speed, and optimizing the first few days of the user experience to improve retention. Olivier emphasizes the importance of giving team members strong ownership over their projects and providing them with the right tools to execute experiments quickly.

Leveraging TikTok content for user acquisition

PhotoRoom's focus on delivering visually stunning content made it a perfect match for leveraging TikTok as a means of user acquisition. The global community of PhotoRoom creators spans many countries, including the US, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and France.

Growth advice for utility apps

Olivier emphasizes the importance of giving team members strong ownership and trust, making experimentation easy, and understanding the culture and needs of different markets. He advises growth professionals not to overlook markets outside the US, since there may be low-hanging fruit in regions such as Japan, Taiwan, Germany, and South America.

More about Olivier

Currently VP Growth at PhotoRoom, the leading AI photo-editing app for commerce, Olivier Lemarié has been leading revenue and user base growth since 2020. PhotoRoom has reached 50 million installs, with millions of active users and several hundred thousand paying subscribers. Prior to joining PhotoRoom, Olivier was heading Molotov marketing operations, a TV streaming app used by millions of French households and later acquired by FuboTV.

Episode 20 sneak peek

• On gaming vs. utility apps: "Gaming apps, as they rely a lot on in-app purchase, are much more advanced than utility apps in terms of lifetime value prediction and user acquisition and all things related to churn prediction as well because they don't have the choice."
• On growing an app globally: "We need to build an international team out of Europe. English is by default the language and this is kind of what we believe in, but also we think it's successful in our mission."
• On leveraging TikTok for user acquisition: "Some other people started using PhotoRoom and showcasing PhotoRoom on TikTok and we ended up discussing with some of them promoting their content. We built a network of, I would say today, more than 100 content creators who produce content all over the world."
• On international expansion: "Think international. As a utility app, it's pretty easy to be available everywhere in the world. But there are tons of big markets elsewhere that are worth digging into. If you look at Japan, Taiwan, they're in the top five markets for the App Store, and most western app developers don't think about them because the cultural barrier may be too high. But having one person or a small team focusing on those markets, understanding the culture, adapting the onboarding, it's an effort but not a huge one to bring significant growth."