Peet’s Coffee, APS San Francisco, Driving 500 Miles Per Week, and More
Exploring September travels, from long-haul flights to San Francisco insights: a blend of personal experiences and professional growth.
Hi friends,
After traveling for most of September, I'm finally back home and excited to present the latest edition of my newsletter.
Many friends have pointed out that while I often touch on professional subjects, they'd love to hear more personal anecdotes intertwined with my professional insights. While the core of this newsletter revolves around professional matters, I believe growth is multifaceted and can be personal, too. So, I'm introducing a blend of personal anecdotes alongside professional insights.
In September, I embarked on four long-haul flights, spending a total of 48-50 hours airborne. Additionally, I've been driving extensively, clocking in about 500 miles weekly—a significant amount for a small city dweller. One revelation from my travels is the clarity it brings. The road has a way of introducing fresh perspectives and highlighting unnoticed details. This journey also led me to some captivating podcasts and audiobooks, perfect companions for the road.
One podcast that stands out is "The Ezra Klein Show" from the New York Times. Despite the criticism it faces, I have a soft spot for the NYT and continue to support it with a subscription. The show offers insightful discussions on topics like politics, liberalism, climate change, homelessness, and many other pressing issues. Ezra, with his liberal perspective, has always been someone I've admired, and I thoroughly enjoy his content. Some episodes that have resonated with me include:
For those with a keen interest in politics, I highly recommend Ezra's book, "Why We're Polarized."
At the start of the year, I found myself in Singapore for a crypto conference named TOKEN2049. I spent an entire week there. While many hold Singapore in high regard, labeling it as one of the best countries globally, it didn't quite strike a chord with me. Yes, it's safe, picturesque, and impeccably organized, especially when compared to some Western cities, but it just didn't resonate with me on a deeper level. However, one unforgettable experience was attending a Formula 1 race, my first ever. As a fan of Lewis Hamilton, it was truly exhilarating, even if he isn't clinching as many victories these days.
Just days before I was set to head to San Francisco for the App Promotion Summit, tragedy struck my homeland. Azerbaijan made aggressive moves in Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to the displacement of 120,000 ethnic Armenians. This massive upheaval deeply affected Armenia, and it was a challenging period for all Armenians, myself included. Today, my heart also goes out to every Israeli enduring the devastating impacts of war.
My first trip to San Francisco and the Bay Area was at the end of September. I was there to speak at the App Promotion Summit. I must say, I have a fondness for APS. The atmosphere is electric, and it's a place where you're constantly surrounded by other growth industry professionals. It's a fantastic platform for networking and learning from industry leaders. Many of the attendees are individuals I've only interacted with on LinkedIn or WhatsApp, so APS provides a great opportunity to finally meet them in person.
My presentation revolved around subscription churn and strategies to counteract it. When discussing subscriber churn, it's crucial to differentiate between its two main types: involuntary and voluntary. Each type has its unique triggers and, therefore, requires distinct prevention strategies. Here is the small walkthrough:
Involuntary churn often results from:
Insufficient funds on credit cards.
Changes in credit card address/zip code.
Expired credit cards.
Technical glitches.
To tackle involuntary churn, consider:
Lifecycle Marketing: Prompt users with failed charges to update their billing details.
Grace Periods: Offer temporary service access while users address billing issues.
Proactive Notifications: Use Stripe for advanced card expiration warnings.
Frictionless Billing Updates: Allow easy in-app billing modifications.
On the other hand, voluntary churn can be attributed to:
Users feel they've achieved their desired use case with your product.
Seasonal behavioral changes.
Product-related technical issues.
Overwhelming costs.
Habit moment failures.
To predict and mitigate voluntary churn:
Analyze churned user data using platforms like Amplitude or Mixpanel.
Use the 'Stickiness' feature to identify churn metrics.
Spot recurring patterns.
Create a dynamic cohort of current subscribers exhibiting similar behaviors.
Integrate this cohort with tools like Iterable or Braze.
Launch a targeted churn prevention campaign.
You can watch the full presentation here.
One observation I made about San Francisco is that media portrayals often don't align with reality. A quick YouTube search might lead you to believe that the city is overrun with homelessness and danger, but my experience was quite different. Yes, areas like the Tenderloin or Mission might have their challenges, but overall, San Francisco is much more than these negative portrayals. I had a wonderful time exploring places like Baker Beach and Pier. If you ever find yourself in the city, I recommend grabbing an iced latte from Peet’s Coffee and a bun from the Good Mong Kok Bakery in Chinatown.
I also took the Caltrain from SF to Palo Alto. While U.S. trains might not match their European counterparts in terms of efficiency, the journey was still an experience in itself. Visiting Stanford's campus was like stepping into a hub of innovation. Conversations about the latest AI startups filled the air. I also ventured to Oakland and Berkeley. A trip to Stanford feels incomplete without also visiting UC Berkeley. The campus was buzzing with excitement, especially with an upcoming game against Arizona University and an ongoing cheerleader performance.
In summary, my time in the Bay Area was truly memorable, and I'm eager to return in the near future.
I'll wrap up here for now. I'm keen to hear your thoughts on this blend of personal and professional content. Rest assured, I'll strive to make future editions even more engaging and organized.