Subversive
Subversive
Podcast Description
Subversive is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories from the best consumer subscription apps in the world. We'll bring you lessons for how to grow your consumer subscription business, including insights and inflection points that led to exponential growth from leaders at category-defining companies and innovative startups.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a range of topics related to consumer subscription models, including international expansion, product-market fit, and user acquisition strategies, with episodes detailing companies like Ladder's coaching model on TikTok and Canva's pricing adaptations for global markets.

Subversive is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories from the best consumer subscription apps in the world. We’ll bring you lessons for how to grow your consumer subscription business, including insights and inflection points that led to exponential growth from leaders at category-defining companies and innovative startups.
When Melissa Cash and her cofounders looked at children's apps, they saw two extremes: addictive games designed to maximize screen time and educational apps built around rote memorization.
So they built something different.
Pok Pok is an Apple Design Award-winning app offering open-ended, Montessori-inspired play – more like a box of LEGOs than a traditional mobile game.
Previously, Melissa designed products for babies and toddlers at Disney and now also works with companies like Solobo Toys and Inkwell Games to create thoughtful play experiences for kids.
Tune in to learn:
- Why Pok Pok deliberately removed levels, rewards, streaks, and every other addictive gaming mechanic from its app
- How Melissa thinks about building for kids while selling to parents
- Why micro-creators are outperforming influencers and traditional paid marketing campaigns for consumer subscription apps
- Why the company waited over two years before launching on Android
- Why the key to building technology for children isn't necessarily less screen time but better screen time
Melissa Cash:
- Website: https://playpokpok.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cash/
- X: https://x.com/melissacash_
Phil Carter:
- Website: https://www.philgcarter.com/
- Substack: https://philgcarter.substack.com
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/philgcarter
- X: https://x.com/philgcarter

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