Founder Playbook · Sub Club by RevenueCat
7 tactics from Ben Gammon
The Art of Driving Retention Through Product
Watch the full episode“What we did is sit down and say you know what factors into retention — it's getting results. We went through all the five-star reviews, all the people that were hands up saying this is really striking a chord, and that was the underlying theme. So you start working backwards from okay getting results — what does that mean? Well in the fitness world it's consistency.”
Work backwards from results to find your retention north star
Retention analysis starts by reading every 5-star review and mining the underlying theme. For Ladder that theme was 'getting results,' which unpacked into 'consistency,' which distilled to three workouts per week backed by science. Every product decision — the journal, the widget, the streaks, the check marks — was built to serve that single north star. Ben Gammon's framework applies to any app: find what your happiest users are celebrating, then reverse-engineer the product path that reliably gets new users there.
“The journal is by definition your ability to track your reps and weights — you input the data and downstream it serves as a flywheel. You input the data, then the next time you come in the recommended weights come back into play because we've now personalized it, and over time you see the progress.”
The workout journal is a snowball feature — user input creates personalization that locks them in
Ladder's journal is a textbook flywheel: users track their lifts, the app uses that history to recommend next session's weights, progress becomes visible over time, and the accumulated data creates switching costs. Ben Gammon notes this required a secondary onboarding layer — coaches verbally prompt users to open the journal during the welcome workout — to drive adoption to 70-75%. The product feature alone was not enough; in-context coaching was the amplifier that turned it into a habit.
“The widget takes the streak outside the app to reinforce it so as you're scrolling your phone subconsciously — or consciously — you're seeing that. It has a huge effect to say 'Oh I need to remember to go do my third workout' or there's that sense of pride.”
Home screen widgets are billboards — a third of Ladder users have one driving three-workout streaks
Approximately one-third of Ladder users have installed the home screen widget — a calendar showing yellow boxes for each completed workout. Gammon describes it as a billboard visible to the user (and anyone nearby who sees their phone), driving both self-accountability and occasional organic word-of-mouth. Key timing insight: don't offer the widget immediately — earn trust first, then present it with clear setup instructions since most users don't know how to install widgets.
“You can write up FAQs and educational content about why the journal is important, all that stuff, but if you're able to communicate that while they're in the motion of doing it that is 10x more effective. That is like one of those really powerful things.”
In-context coaching during first use is 10x more effective than FAQs or follow-up email
Ladder's human coaches verbally remind users to open the journal during the welcome workout — exactly when the user is executing their first session and is most receptive. Gammon's principle: any retention mechanic needs an in-product amplifier delivered at the moment of maximum motivation, not a separate email or help article. Push notifications, emails, and lifecycle content can reinforce the loop later, but in-context instruction at first contact sets the habit.
“I think individual interviews can be helpful but in consumer you have so many people that are very diverse throughout the world — if you talk to five or ten people they might weigh in on a part that gives you a little bit of insight but you can't overindex to that because they still only represent N of five or N of ten.”
Large surveys beat individual interviews for consumer apps — N-of-five creates false signal
Gammon's take: one-on-one user interviews are overrated for consumer apps. With 7,500+ responses to Ladder's annual survey, the signal from a quantitative population far outweighs a handful of qualitative conversations, which easily distort priorities toward a vocal minority. He recommends recurring surveys (at least annually) with carefully non-leading questions as the primary feedback mechanism, now using AI to parse open-ended responses at scale.
“Those who are using both the workouts and nutrition — they're driving conversion if they're new so the percentage of those who are converting are much higher. And those who are using both are also much more retentive — they're staying on the platform.”
Secondary product-market fit: hybrid users on both workouts and nutrition convert and retain at higher rates
Ladder's nutrition feature validated within 100 days: hybrid users (workout and nutrition) show higher trial-to-paid conversion and better long-term retention than single-track users. Gammon frames this as secondary product-market fit — a new surface area that multiplies the value of the core product. His early leading indicator for the new feature: day-1 and day-2 nutrition logging consistency, not subscription renewals weeks later. The feature came directly from clear survey signal — 7,500+ responses, nutrition request as the loudest theme.
“Our ethos became and still is today — don't make me think. Get that person in there, they press play, they do the workout, and if we can do that three times a week that is really what ladders up to retention.”
Don't make me think — remove all friction between the user and the core retention action
Ladder's product philosophy borrows from Steve Krug: every decision that requires thinking is friction between the user and the result that drives retention. The entire app is architected so pressing play is the only required user decision. Once you have identified your retention north star (results to consistency to three workouts per week), the product's sole job is to make that action effortless — not to give the user more choices, features, or things to think about. Complexity is the enemy of habit formation.