How an App Growth Hub drives scalable app success strategies

Growing an app in today’s fast-changing mobile market is no small challenge. In this Q&A, Juan Echavarría, CEO & Co-Founder of Rocket Lab, shares insights into the biggest hurdles apps face and how to tackle them. From building sustainable growth to embracing innovation, he explains why an App Growth Hub can make all the difference.

1. Why do so many apps struggle to find the right approach to scaling their growth?

The biggest issue is that many companies focus on solutions rather than their app. They see growth as something you can buy—a tool, a platform, or a service—but that approach rarely works.

Growth isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every app is unique, with its own audience, lifecycle, and market dynamics. Treating them all the same leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities.

Another big challenge is the pressure to deliver quick results. Many businesses chase metrics like downloads or installs without considering if those users will actually stay or provide value. It’s not just about acquiring users; it’s about acquiring the right users and keeping them engaged over time. Without that focus, growth becomes unsustainable.

The mobile ecosystem is vast, fragmented, and constantly changing. New platforms, evolving privacy rules, and market trends make it tough to keep up. Real success comes from understanding where your app fits into this shifting landscape and building strategies that align with its specific needs.

2. As you mentioned, many companies feel pressured to focus on quick results, often overlooking sustainability. Why is long-term growth so essential?

Short-term results are tempting—they’re easy to measure. More installs, more downloads, a quick revenue boost. But what happens after the spike? Most of the time, those gains don’t last. Users churn, acquisition costs rise, and companies are left searching for the next quick fix.

Sustainability is about creating growth that lasts. It means building a solid foundation where users stay engaged, keep coming back, and contribute real value over time. This reduces the reliance on constantly acquiring new users, which can be expensive and inefficient. Instead, the focus shifts to nurturing relationships with your existing users and ensuring they continue to find value in your app.

Sustainability also makes businesses more resilient. Markets change, and businesses focused on short-term wins often struggle to adapt. Long-term strategies give you the flexibility to adjust to new regulations, shifts in user behavior, or emerging competitors. 

It’s not just about growth. It’s about scalability and achieving lasting success.

3. Centralization is often mentioned as a key factor in scaling app growth. Why do you think it’s so impactful?

Centralization creates clarity and focus. When your data, strategies, and campaigns are spread across multiple platforms, it’s nearly impossible to get a full picture of how your app is performing. Centralization brings everything into one place, making it easier to make better decisions, faster.

A big advantage of centralization is having a holistic view of your user journey—their behaviors, lifetime value, and where they’re dropping off. This insight helps you refine strategies for better retention and engagement, and it ensures your efforts are aligned.

What often goes unnoticed is how centralization improves collaboration. When everything is connected, strategies across channels can work together seamlessly. For instance, pairing awareness campaigns with retargeting creates a growth loop that’s much more effective than running them separately.

In a fast-paced industry, centralization also minimizes wasted time and effort. Instead of scrambling to gather insights from disconnected systems, you have a streamlined approach that helps you scale smarter and faster.

4. The mobile advertising industry is constantly evolving. How can companies focus on innovation instead of relying on old strategies?

The biggest mistake companies make is sticking with what worked yesterday. Mobile advertising changes daily—what worked before may not work today, and that’s okay. If your strategy feels comfortable, you’re probably falling behind. Innovation requires stepping out of your comfort zone, testing bold ideas, experimenting with new technologies, and being willing to take risks.

One way to innovate is by questioning assumptions. Are you targeting the right users? Are your creatives actually resonating? Are you using the best channels? Sometimes the only way to know is to test something completely different.

In a hub dedicated to app growth, testing, iterating, and scaling new technologies is part of the routine. This constant experimentation helps uncover what truly works and ensures campaigns adapt to the ever-changing demands of the market.

Staying curious is key. The companies that succeed are the ones willing to try, learn, and adapt. Innovation isn’t optional—it’s the only way to remain competitive in a market that never stops evolving.

5. Collaboration and expertise are critical in app growth. What role does shared knowledge play in driving success?

Growth isn’t something you can achieve in isolation. The most successful companies take advantage of shared expertise. It accelerates learning, prevents common mistakes, and opens the door to new ideas.

For example, benchmarking against industry standards lets you see how your app measures up and identifies where you can improve. Collaborating with experts brings fresh strategies you might not have considered. Participating in workshops or educational initiatives ensures you’re not just keeping up with trends—you’re staying ahead of them.

The mobile industry moves too fast for anyone to have all the answers. Success comes from tapping into a broader pool of knowledge, learning what works—and what doesn’t—and applying those insights to your strategy. Growth isn’t just about tools or campaigns; it’s about understanding the bigger picture and using that understanding to your advantage.

6. If you had to give one piece of advice to companies looking for an app growth partner, what would it be?

Choose a partner who truly understands your app. It’s not about finding someone with the most tools or the lowest price. It’s about finding someone who takes the time to understand your app’s unique challenges and opportunities and helps you build a strategy that fits.

A great partner listens, challenges assumptions, introduces new perspectives, and prioritizes sustainability. They’re adaptable, helping you navigate changes in the market—whether it’s new technologies, trends, or regulations.

At Rocket Lab, this is the foundation of what we do. We don’t just offer solutions—we focus on creating strategies that work specifically for your app. With sustainability, innovation, and collaboration at the core, we bring everything together under one roof to help apps grow smarter, not harder.

That’s what makes a true growth partner.