Hot take: Most teams think “adding channels” = diversification. Wrong. Diversification without creative + measurement logic per channel isn’t diversification. It’s duplication.

Scaling Meta harder won’t save you when CPIs rise. But shifting 10–20% budget into OEM or SDK inventory with platform-specific creative? That’s how you find incrementality.

Past scaling mindset: Push budget into what’s already working. Present scaling mindset: Expand surface area across multiple environments. Scale happens sideways.

Some seasons are about opening tabs. Others — like now — are about closing loops. Scaling sideways is the same: expand surface, cut the noise, double down on what compounds.

Consumer apps grew +25% YoY in 2024. By 2026 they’ll overtake gaming. Yet 88% of UA budgets are still stuck in Google + Meta. New $5B study shows +214% ROAS when teams diversify. Full breakdown drops in tomorrow’s newsletter.

In CrossFit, more reps at the same weight stop delivering gains. You need new patterns and stimulus. UA is the same. Pumping more into Meta won’t compound. Diversification is the new movement your program needs.

Hot take: Consumer apps don’t have a growth problem. They have a channel problem. Budgets are stuck in 2018. The apps that diversify scale. The ones who don’t, stall.

Most UA leaders are blind to contextual signals: • Finance apps peak in the morning • Sports conversions spike at game time • Travel + productivity = hidden overlaps The open ecosystem reveals what walled gardens hide.

2018 playbook: Meta + Google = 90% of budget. 2025 playbook: Diversified stack across DSP, OEM, SDK, influencer loops. Scale isn’t about more spend. It’s about more surface area.

5 rules for running a diversification pilot: 1.Move 10–15% of budget 2.KPI = D30 ROAS 3.Track CPP + incremental lift 4.Run for 90 days 5.Double down if lift >20–30%