MAU Vegas 2026

Will I see you there?!

Jacob Rushfinn

May 08, 2026

Hey there, it’s Jacob at Retention.Blog 👋

I got tired of reading high-level strategy articles, so I started writing actionable advice I would want to read.

Every week I share practical learnings you can apply to your business.

Retention.Blog is sponsored by Botsi

Botsi helps you show the right paywall to the right user to increase LTV by up to 70%. Learn more →

MAU is here!

This is my favorite conference of the year.

Not because it’s in Vegas (but if I win at craps, I don’t mind…), but because it’s a gathering of so many amazing people in one place.

Yes, we all come for the people, but there are also some great sessions happening!

👋 First, I’ve got something exciting. As you may know, I’m the cofounder and CEO of Botsi.

Botsi is going to host a small dinner at MAU for subscription app founders and growth leaders.

If you are interested, could you please reply to this email? Let me know your name and your app, and I’ll follow up with you.

Learn how to monetize AI apps

Alice Muir (now an independent consultant), who has worked with Headspace, VSCO, Adobe, SoundCloud, and MyFitnessPal, explains why "higher engagement equals lower profit" is the new reality for AI apps, how to use strategic friction without choking activation, and why most consumers don't actually care that your app is AI-powered.

Listen or watch on Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts:

4 sessions at MAU Vegas I'm not going to miss:

1️⃣ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Panel with founders from Innertune, Brainrot, and Tolan, moderated by Lucas Moscon (Appstack). New paid ad campaign types, UX customization tied to acquisition source, and a unified attribution framework.

❓ This is for you if: You want tactical UA advice.

Side note, check out this post from Vivek Girotra on Tolan’s paywall: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vivekgirotra_paywall-from-the-tolan-app-every-ugcPost-7458228823592046592-w-I

I think I need to do a breakdown on Tolan soon!

2️⃣ 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜

Lucas Lovell (Paddle) and Phil Carter (Elemental Growth) on the monetization gaps that happen between surfaces, tools, and teams. Where users drop off between web and in-app, and how the best teams are using AI to close those handoff leaks. Case study format, not theory.

❓This is for you if: You're looking for innovative monetization advice

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸... 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺

Steve P. Young (App Masters) going deep on the monetization and growth tactics top apps are quietly using right now. Meta ads and ASO played unconventionally, pairing monetization with distribution, bending platform rules without breaking them.

❓ This is for you if: You want real strategies that are working today across monetization and UA

4️⃣ 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗟𝗚 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗟𝗚: 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

Andy Carvell🔜MAU Vegas (Phiture) and Jeff Roberto (Splice) on signal-led growth. How to identify and activate the right user signals across paid, organic, and product touchpoints.

❓ This is for you if: You're drowning in data but starving for signal, this one's for you.

(P.S. anything with Andy is can't miss)

P.S. don't forget about the: