May 2021 Summaries

RevenueCat has introduced a new pricing structure that eliminates base fees for its Starter and Pro plans, allowing developers to pay as they grow from their first dollar, which may result in a short-term revenue decrease but aims to make the platform more accessible for app growth. Despite the challenges faced after their series A funding, the company has made significant progress, including the launch of Customer Lists and a pricing refresh, and plans to introduce new features like rewritten charts and new app stores. The company is transitioning from a small startup to a more established organization, expanding its team with plans to hire 20 more people this year and shifting towards long-term planning with the help of a series B funding from YC’s Continuity fund. This funding secures their financial future and allows a focus on product and mission development, further supported by the addition of Anu Hariharan to their board of directors. RevenueCat's goal is to empower developers by helping them monetize their software, with the founders expressing gratitude to their community and recognizing the growth of the company beyond their initial vision.

Google I/O introduced several new in-app subscription tools and features aimed at enhancing user experience and developer capabilities, including multi-quantity purchases, multi-line subscriptions, and prepaid plans. These features allow users more flexibility, such as selecting quantities of consumable products, managing multiple products within a single subscription, and using prepaid plans for fixed access periods. To utilize these updates, developers must implement the Play Billing Client 4.0 in their apps. Additionally, new engagement metrics and benchmarks will offer developers insights into app performance, while the Digital Goods API will enable PWA apps to sell digital items using Google Play Billing. The Google Play SDK Console will give SDK developers access to usage and crash statistics, improving communication and information sharing with app developers.

Family Sharing is a feature on Apple platforms that enables users to share digital purchases, such as movies, books, and apps, with family members. Initially limited to whole app purchases, Family Sharing expanded in December 2020 to include in-app purchases and subscriptions, allowing users to share these with up to six family members. This feature can enhance user engagement and retention by maximizing the value of subscriptions within a family and fostering customer loyalty through perceived added value, potentially leading to organic growth and improved app store optimization. However, it comes with challenges such as potential revenue impact due to fewer subscriptions per family and limited cross-country availability. Once enabled in App Store Connect, Family Sharing for a product cannot be turned off, making it a crucial strategic decision. Developers must ensure their apps support Family Sharing by observing transaction queues to manage access and calculating revenue accurately, while also providing clear communication about the benefits of shared purchases to users. Though testing this feature in a Sandbox environment is limited, RevenueCat customers can automatically support Family Sharing through the platform's analytics and entitlements features.