In this episode of Subscription League, we sit down with Belen Caeiro, the VP of Product Management of Babbel Live, to talk about the bold decisions, attempts, and success along the journey of creating the latest business branch of Babbel, Babbel Live. 

Belen shares the logic behind the brand’s unusual approach of not offering a free trial and tips on how Babbel Live differentiates itself from its competitors in the market. 

Listen to the end to steal Belen’s predictions of the future of subscription apps, and her view on the benefit of pursuing product-led growth.

For noteworthy quotes and key takeaways from the episode, read the article - How to create and launch a success in a crowded market with Belen Caeiro.

Episode Topics at a Glance

• Three attempts, one success
• Product marketing 
• Babbel’s unique selling proposition
• Start-up approach 
• Why free-trial doesn’t work for every app
• Simplifying the acquisition flow

More about Belen Caeiro

Prior to Babbel, Belen led the international roll-out of SoundCloud’s monetization options. She was involved in the early-stage development of other online companies in the entertainment and ticketing industries. Now based in Berlin, Belen is originally from Argentina and lived in Spain, Singapore, the Philippines, the United States, and the Netherlands. She’s a firm believer that learning new languages helps us understand each other and integrate new perspectives into our way of thinking. 

Belen Caeiro’s Links

• Babbel Live
• LinkedIn

Timestamps

[0:36] Belen is introduced on the show

[1:30] What is Babbel Live? 

[1:56] Belen explains product marketing and the importance of product USPs

[3:19] How Babbel brought Babbel Live to market

[6:28] Managing a business strategy pivot within the Babbel team

[8:13] Why it was third time lucky for live language learning lessons

[9:35] How Babbel positioned itself against its competitors

[12:25] The strategies that Babbel deployed to roll out Babbel Live

[17:33] Experimenting with the subscription app model

[19:38] Ditching the free trial: An unusual way to end churn in subscription apps

[21:04] Babbel’s pricing models

[22:06] Belen’s tips on how to apply a subscription model to a premium price app

[24:56] Why a referral program might be the way forward in user acquisition

[25:33] Belen’s predictions for the future of subscription apps

Transcript

Episode production by Mobdesign: https://podcasts.mobdesignapps.fr