Léa is Passion.io’s VP of Product and a Product Growth Advisor specializing in subscription app monetization and product-led growth. She has well over a decade of experience growing top-grossing apps like Bumble, Badoo, Busuu, Uptime, and many more. She’s a regular industry speaker, an advisor with the award-winning growth agency Aperture, and a coach on SYSTM — one of the top UK accelerators for hungry founders.
In your own words, what’s your role in the app business right now?
My main focus at the moment is on subscription app monetization, specifically how we overcome subscription fatigue, how we use industry innovation to optimize our apps, and how we ensure the end user and business interests are linked to maximize value.
How did you end up working in apps?
I started my career in eCommerce marketing but was drawn to product very early on. At a time when the majority of traffic was still on the desktop web, I could see mobile and particularly apps being the future and actively changed my focus to grow my mobile skills.
What are you most excited about in apps right now?
It’s about as cliché as it gets but right now the innovation in AI is what keeps me up at night. It’s about to radically change our field and make the barrier to entry in building apps the lowest it’s ever been. I am curious to see how that shakes the field, and how new competition makes for better products.
Is there anyone you’d like to shout out to who has influenced your journey in the app industry?
So many people influenced my journey and helped me get where I am today, especially the women who are shaping the future of tech. It’s something I am trying to pay forward by sharing knowledge and mentoring people.
What’s in your app tech stack?
I am a big fan of Purchasely for paywall testing and Amplitude for experimentation and data visibility.
What do you like most about working in apps?
It’s an industry that keeps evolving, every time I believe I know something I am proven wrong and it’s just fantastic how it keeps you on your toes and you continue learning. I also love how impactful it is as an industry, I had the opportunity to work on apps that were used by millions, where decisions we made were directly impacting people’s lives.
What one thing would you change about the app industry?
I’d love to see more transparency between app publishers, sharing more insights and real data, and fewer high-level glamorous success stories that are so far from the reality of our industry.
If you weren’t working in apps what would you be doing?
Probably another job that my parents wouldn’t understand, maybe something in science.
iOS or Android?
iOS, of course.
What app(s) have been most useful to you over the last year?
I travelled a lot recently so Airlo and Converter were very useful.
What’s on your Spotify party playlist?
Lots of podcasts, usually diving into different people’s daily lives. I love having this window on people who live very different lives.
Any TV show recommendations?
I am looking for recommendations at the moment.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I am learning how to surf at the moment, it’s super hard and super fun at the same time. I would highly recommend it for anyone who struggles to quiet their thoughts, it works better than meditation for me as it requires to be fully present in the moment.
Do you know someone driving change and growth in the app industry? Nominate an app leader here.
