Why I Built WinWinKit
Shipping apps is never simple. But marketing them is often even harder.
As an indie developer with vast experience shipping mobile apps, I saw first-hand just how tough user acquisition can be, especially with limited marketing budget. Despite all the challenges I managed to grow my apps fully organically and recently celebrated over 1.5 million installs on my app Usage.
I always focus on making great products first. But quality alone isn't enough to succeed. That's why I've been testing different ways to grow my user base naturally and sustainably. One approach I hadn't fully explored until now was referrals.
Why Referral Marketing
Personal touch
When users recommend your app to friends, that recommendation carries more weight than any ad campaign ever could. People are much more likely to try something new when it comes with a personal endorsement.
Engagement + retention
Referred users typically have higher retention and lifetime value - they're already pre-qualified by someone they trust. Additionally, referring users become more loyal to your app when they have friends using it too. The act of referring someone creates a deeper personal investment in your product - they've now put their reputation on the line by recommending it.
Sense of community
People enjoy using products with their networks, and this social aspect can transform an app into part of users' social identity. This creates stronger emotional ties to your product that go beyond its utility.
Natural growth loop
When adding a referral program to your app, each customer who comes through your door has the potential to bring more with them. This creates a powerful flywheel effect where growth compounds over time.
Cost effective
Unlike paid advertising, referral programs costs you only when successful conversions happen. You're essentially tapping into your users' networks at a fraction of what traditional user acquisition would cost.
Saw it with my own eyes
During my time at an insurance startup, we created a referral program that yielded impressive results, generating roughly 20% of our paid customer acquisitions.
Proven success stories
There are many examples of now known companies that began its rapid growth by creating incentivizing and catchy referral marketing campaigns. Take Dropbox, Outlook, PayPal or AirBnB. Each built referral programs that rewarded both the referrer and new customer, creating that perfect "win-win" dynamic that inspired my product.
How It Got Started
Once I started exploring options for setting up referrals in my apps, naturally I went looking for an existing service. While there were lots of possibilities for web apps or e-commerce, why wasn’t there a way to set up referral programs in mobile apps?
I set out to build a platform that would solve that.
The decision to build WinWinKit wasn't just about filling a gap in the market - it was about empowering developers like myself who understand that great products deserve great distribution.
What Is WinWinKit
The easiest way to launch a referral program in a mobile app!
With WinWinKit, you define the rewards and referral logic directly in the dashboard. The platform generates the referral codes for your app users, manages rewards, and gives you transparency into what's working and what isn't. It's built to scale, experiment, and adapt - unlocking organic referral marketing channels without heavy lifting. No matter how simple or complex your app is, launching a referral program takes just a couple of hours. In most cases it already fits into your setup. No backend needed. For iOS, Android, games and even web apps.
For learning more, I suggest you explore the platform and check out the documentation.
If you’ve struggled with app marketing, consider this your invitation to take WinWinKit for a spin - because your best growth channel might be your happiest users.
The Journey Continues
I'm excited to announce that affiliate marketing support is coming soon to WinWinKit! This new feature will complement the existing referral capabilities, allowing you to further expand your user acquisition channels. With affiliate marketing, you'll be able to partner with creators, bloggers, and influencers to promote your app, offering them incentives for driving conversions. Stay tuned for updates as we bring this powerful addition to the platform, making it even easier to grow your app organically and sustainably.
Thank you for reading!
Jul 10, 2025