The App Growth Strategy Behind LightX’s 50M+ Installs

Aug 9, 2025

Sharad Shankar, Founder of AndOr Communications Pvt Ltd and mastermind behind the AI photo editing app LightX, shares his journey from launching a paid app to achieving over 50 million installs. He discusses the pivotal shift to a subscription model and reveals his mobile growth playbook, covering ASO, paid ads, and user engagement strategies. Sharad emphasizes the importance of adaptability and team management as keys to success, offering valuable insights for aspiring app developers aiming for significant growth.

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INSIGHT

Use Cheap Android Installs To Drive iOS Growth

Sharad seeded growth with ultra‑cheap Android installs to build momentum and social proof.
That Android volume then drove organic iOS interest and earned earned media.

ADVICE

Hook Users In The First 2–3 Seconds

Sharad cut ads to a 2–3 second hook and highlighted one wow feature immediately.
He avoided long feature lists and tested which short hooks stopped scrollers.

ADVICE

Match Ad Creative To Product Page And Event

Sharad advised matching ad creative to the product page to avoid install dropoffs.
Also optimize Meta campaigns for the right event (installs, trials) rather than clicks.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Sharad Shankar, Founder of AndOr Communications Pvt Ltd, the team behind the viral AI photo editing app LightX, which has surpassed 50M installs on Android and 8M+ on iOS.

Originally launched as a paid app, LightX transitioned to a subscription model in 2019 and has since evolved into a powerful, AI-driven platform for image generation and editing.

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Sharad’s career spans roles in mobile engineering and building high-impact, user-focused products. In this conversation, Sharad shares his full growth playbook — from ASO, paid ads, and SEO to Web2App conversion strategies and cracking the Google Play featured placement.

He also reveals how he led a team of 60+ to turn LightX into a breakout success. This episode is a must-watch for anyone building or scaling a mobile app in 2025 and beyond.

You will discover:

✅ How LightX went from a paid app to top-grossing AI subscription

✅ Mobile growth playbook: ASO, ads, SEO, Web2App & more

✅ The secret to getting featured on Google Play

✅ Building user-first products with a strong USP

✅ Managing & scaling a 60+ member team

Learn More:

Explore LightX:

Web Product: https://www.lightxeditor.com/

iOS App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lightx-photo-editor-retouch/id1400740705

Android App Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lightx&hl=en_IN

Connect with Sharad:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharad-shankar-796b773/

https://andor.in/

Work with us: https://www.appmasters.com

Indie App Santa: https://www.indieappsanta.com

Get training, coaching, and community: ⁠https://appmastersacademy.com/

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