Post-Acquisition Playbook

Verify All Transfers Are Complete

Confirm you have full access and ownership of:

• App Store Connect app (transfer completed)
• Google Play Console account/app
• Source code repository
• Domain names
• All third-party service accounts

Remove Seller Access

Remove seller from all accounts and services. Verify they no longer have access. Keep seller's contact info for transition support if agreed.

Set Up Monitoring & Alerts

Immediately set up monitoring for:

• Server uptime and performance
• Error rates and crashes
• Revenue and payment processing
• User signups and churn
• API failures

Backup Everything

Create backups of code, databases, and critical data. Set up automated backups if not already in place. Store backups in multiple locations.

Audit All Third-Party Services

Review and document all services:

• List all APIs, SDKs, and third-party services
• Verify costs and billing for each service
• Check for unused or unnecessary services
• Understand what each service does and if it's critical
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs

Review Codebase Thoroughly

Understand the technical architecture:

• Read through code documentation
• Identify technical debt and areas for improvement
• Understand the tech stack and dependencies
• Review security practices and vulnerabilities
• Test the development environment setup

Test All Critical Functions

Verify everything works:

• User registration and login
• Payment processing and subscriptions
• Core app functionality
• Push notifications
• Email delivery
• API endpoints

Review Financial Operations

Understand the money flow:

• Verify payment processor setup and webhooks
• Review revenue recognition and accounting
• Understand refund and chargeback processes
• Set up financial reporting and dashboards
• Verify tax settings and compliance

Update Contact Information

Update all public-facing contact info:

• App Store Connect and Play Console contact info
• Support email addresses
• Website contact forms
• Privacy policy and terms of service
• Social media profiles

Set Up Customer Support

Establish support operations:

• Review existing support tickets and history
• Set up support tools (Zendesk, Intercom, etc.)
• Create response templates for common issues
• Establish support response time goals
• Train yourself or team on common issues

Analyze User Behavior & Metrics

Deep dive into user data:

• User acquisition channels and costs
• Retention cohorts and churn patterns
• Feature usage and engagement metrics
• Customer lifetime value (LTV) by segment
• Geographic distribution and trends
• User feedback and reviews

Fix Critical Bugs & Issues

Address urgent problems:

• Review crash reports and error logs
• Fix critical bugs affecting user experience
• Address security vulnerabilities
• Fix payment processing issues
• Resolve App Store policy violations

Optimize Costs

Reduce unnecessary expenses:

• Cancel unused services and subscriptions
• Optimize server/infrastructure costs
• Negotiate better rates with vendors
• Consolidate duplicate services
• Review marketing spend efficiency

Establish Communication with Users

Build trust with existing users:

• Send welcome/transition email to active users
• Update app store description if needed
• Respond to recent reviews
• Announce improvements and roadmap
• Gather user feedback

Document Everything

Create comprehensive documentation:

• Update and improve code documentation
• Document operational procedures
• Create runbooks for common tasks
• Document decision-making processes
• Maintain a knowledge base

Establish Baseline Metrics

Document current performance metrics to measure future improvements. Track revenue, users, churn, retention, and other KPIs. Set up dashboards for ongoing monitoring.

Develop Growth Strategy

Create a comprehensive growth plan:

• Identify highest-impact growth opportunities
• Prioritize features that increase retention
• Plan user acquisition campaigns
• Develop content marketing strategy
• Explore partnership opportunities

Improve User Experience

Enhance the product:

• Fix UX issues identified in user feedback
• Improve onboarding flow
• Add features that increase engagement
• Optimize app performance and speed
• Improve app store screenshots and descriptions

Reduce Churn

Implement churn reduction strategies:

• Identify why users churn (exit surveys, analytics)
• Implement win-back campaigns
• Improve value delivery for existing users
• Add features that increase stickiness
• Improve customer support response times

Optimize Revenue

Increase revenue without hurting user experience:

• Test pricing strategies (A/B test if possible)
• Optimize in-app purchase placements
• Improve subscription conversion rates
• Add new revenue streams (ads, premium features)
• Implement upselling and cross-selling

Improve App Store Presence

Enhance discoverability:

• Optimize keywords and app store SEO
• Update screenshots and preview videos
• Respond to all reviews (especially negative ones)
• Improve app ratings through better UX
• Consider App Store optimization (ASO) services

Build Marketing Systems

Establish marketing infrastructure:

• Set up email marketing campaigns
• Create content marketing strategy
• Build social media presence
• Set up analytics and tracking
• Develop referral programs

Create Product Roadmap

Plan future development:

• Prioritize features based on user feedback and data
• Plan major updates and improvements
• Consider platform expansion (iOS to Android or vice versa)
• Identify technical debt to address
• Set development milestones and timelines

Build Systems & Processes

Create scalable operations:

• Automate routine tasks
• Establish development workflows
• Create quality assurance processes
• Set up continuous integration/deployment
• Build reporting and analytics systems

Scale Operations

Prepare for growth:

• Optimize infrastructure for scalability
• Plan for increased support load
• Consider hiring contractors or employees
• Build team and delegate responsibilities
• Establish vendor relationships

Measure & Iterate

Establish data-driven decision making:

• Set up comprehensive analytics
• Track KPIs and measure progress
• Conduct regular reviews and retrospectives
• Test hypotheses and iterate based on data
• Build feedback loops with users

Plan for Long-Term Success

Think strategically:

• Consider exit strategy (if applicable)
• Plan for market changes and competition
• Build competitive moats
• Develop brand and community
• Create sustainable competitive advantages