two & a half gamers 💰 $400 MIL/Year Genesis: Like Voodoo, but for apps and bigger. App industry’s secret blueprint
$400M/year from all apps? 40M downloads for a 15-minute book summary?
In this 2.5 Gamers episode, we explore how Genesis became one of the biggest non-game mobile app publishers in the world, with over $35M/month in revenue, and 400 M+ total downloads.
Forget games for a minute. This is the app industry’s secret playbook, and it’s scaling like crazy.
🧠 What’s Inside:
How Cleaner Guru hit $4M/month by cleaning iPhones — with subscriptions
The rise of Headway, a micro-learning app with 40M+ downloads, beating Blinkist
Why BetterMe is pulling in $157M lifetime revenue as a fitness app juggernaut
The shady brilliance of their subscription models and cancel friction
How Genesis uses web + mobile to double their revenue (50–60% off-app stores)
Their creative strategy: fake TED talks, micro-learning memes, and Duolingo clones
Why their venture builder model (like Voodoo but for apps) scales faster than games
💡 Genesis isn’t just an app company. They’re a growth machine — blending utility, entertainment, and ruthless monetization into an empire
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
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+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
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This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.
Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric
Youtube: https://youtu.be/LCuvVzO7VmQ
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Topic Shift
02:36 Exploring the App Industry vs. Gaming Industry
04:32 Genesis: A Major Player in the App Market
07:34 Business Models and Revenue Streams of Genesis
10:44 Analyzing Popular Apps in Genesis's Portfolio
13:35 The Impact of Subscription Models on App Revenue
16:21 Micro Learning and the Rise of Educational Apps
19:34 Gamification in Apps and User Engagement
22:35 Conclusion and Future Trends in the App Industry
29:06 Exploring Subscription Models in Apps
30:38 User Acquisition Strategies and Revenue Tracking
32:28 Genesis: A Venture Builder Model
34:08 The Role of Shared Services in App Development
36:02 Financial Performance and Market Positioning
36:59 Creative Strategies in User Acquisition
38:52 Trends in App Marketing and Advertising
42:14 Analyzing Competitor Marketing Tactics
45:17 The Impact of User Experience on Retention
47:52 Concluding Thoughts on App Business Dynamics
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Matej Lancaric
User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant
https://lancaric.me
Felix Braberg
Ad monetization consultant
https://www.felixbraberg.com
Jakub Remiar
Game design consultant
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar
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Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me
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