What is BlueThrone all about

BlueThrone is the world's leading app aggregator company that buys and grows iOS and Android apps. The company offers two acquisition models: Exit Now, where apps can immediately hand over the business and cash in, and Partnership, where the developer can stay in the game and grow the app further with BlueThrone's resources. BlueThrone started buying apps in 2021 and today has over 30 apps under the brand. The company identifies itself as an active VC, resembling the investment model of classic VCs but more involved in the business practices and execution to grow the apps it acquires.

45k to 160k - an app founded by an 18-year-old developer

About four months ago, BlueThrone started a new partnership with a music app founded by an 18-year-old developer from the Netherlands. At that time, the app was making about $45K a month in revenue. Only a few months later, revenue reached $160K and continues to grow, becoming one of the stores' biggest music apps. With BlueThrone's in-house resources and business expertise, the young developer can dedicate his creativity and talent to building the app.

Things BlueThrone looks for in apps

BlueThrone looks for signs of product market fit: downloads, revenue, RPD, ratings, the look and feel of the app, size, and the impact of the community on forums like Discord or social media. As an active VC that gets its hands dirty growing the apps, the company also explores the X factor behind all apps: the developers, their knowledge of the market and users, and their ultimate business intent.

What BlueThrone avoids

BlueThrone avoids UA apps, in other words, user acquisition-led apps. Apps focusing only on user acquisition tend to neglect product market fit, which plays a pivotal role in user stickiness and continuous growth. Often, UA apps are successful in proving their advertising market fit, but driving traffic through paid ads costs money to maintain, and if the product doesn't bring users back organically, the app doesn't have a sustainable future.

Subscription is the way to go

BlueThrone gives a higher valuation to subscription-based apps than apps monetizing through one-time purchases or ads, for two reasons: they have recurring revenue, and sticky subscribers are a sign of the app's value. Idan believes subscription is the most successful app monetization model because the effort to make users stick naturally creates internal pressure to continuously improve the app's value, features, and user experience.

More about Idan Waller

Idan Waller has rich experience in direct-response marketing, creating multi-million dollar funnels with some of the best direct marketers in the world, which led him to build Israel's biggest coaching company for digital-based SMBs. This business and marketing experience culminated in founding BlueThrone with his brother and long-time business partner Alon.

Episode 12 sneak peek

• On partnering with developers: "We grow it in every possible way, and we did it through our marketing expertise, through our resources. Suddenly, he doesn't have to do backend anymore, which releases a lot of time to actually be creative and develop the product further."
• On product market fit: "What are product market fit apps? These are products that I see, or we see, some kind of proof that people really like this product."
• On UA apps: "User acquisition-based. All traffic is bought users, in no way organic tracking at all. I don't see a product market fit. I see the advertising market fit. The advertisers are working well but they want to sell it because it stopped working."
• On subscription: "I think a very good advice for developers who hear us and they have only one-time purchases, just find a way to bring more value to the table and make the app a subscription app, then your own valuation will explode."