Business of Apps Podcast #258: From installs to outcomes in app growth with Lee Aho, Chief Revenue Officer at Perform[cb]
Scaling user acquisition has become harder to justify and even harder to predict. App teams are under pressure to grow faster while proving, with real data, that every dollar spent delivers meaningful results beyond the install.
In this episode, we’re sharing an App Talk interview where David Murphy speaks with Lee Aho, Chief Revenue Officer at Perform[cb]. Lee explains how outcome-based user acquisition models help brands move past surface-level metrics like CPI and focus instead on the downstream events that actually define quality — from registrations and deposits to trades, wagers, and long-term value.
Today’s topics include:- How outcome-based user acquisition shifts optimization from installs to the actions that truly define user quality
- The role of CPI and CPE models — and why they aren’t competing approaches when paired with the right down-funnel signals
- Using cross-program data and pattern recognition to drive more predictable and scalable UA performance
- Why keyword conquesting remains one of the most effective ways to accelerate organic lift through paid investment
- How rewarded environments and structured pilot programs can unlock high-intent users and long-term partnerships
“We’re only getting paid for net new users, so all of our optimization centers around the outcomes that brands tell us are their leading indicators of quality.”
“When you’re looking at hundreds of programs, you’re not just seeing what happened — you’re starting to see what’s about to happen.”
“Brands want user acquisition that scales in a predictable way, and that’s where performance-based models can really help.”
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