A former CMO and Fortune 250 VP Digital & Mobile Marketing exec now running your app’s growth.
Next Curve Agency is founder led by Nick Shin, who has 20+ years in performance marketing including CMO of an early stage AI tech mobile app, SVP of Digital Marketing at a venture backed tech startup, and VP of Digital Marketing and Mobile Marketing at a Fortune 250 bank. This agency was started because most mobile app marketing agencies have never actually ran the entire growth engine from user acquisition to lifecycle marketing to executive strategy while scaling to millions of users.
Due to the unique background we bring, we can speak the same marketing language, understand and provide actionable solutions to the same frustrations and challenges, and we strive to understand how your app is used to get inside the head of prospects and existing users. We combine executive level thinking with hands on execution to help startups find their next growth curve.
Built by an Operator and Player-Coach. Not Just a Marketer.
While many agencies are built by media buyers or creative teams, Next Curve Agency was built by someone who has sat in the executive seat and rolled up his sleeves to execute campaigns himself.
That means we’ve experienced the same challenges you might face:
- Limited budgets
- CEO/Co-Founder/Investor/Board expectations
- Rising customer acquisition costs
- Losing your moat due to increased competition
- Pressure to grow efficiently
- Pressure to grow more quickly
- Prioritizing where every marketing dollar goes
- Prioritizing how every marketing dollar is tracked
We’ve been held accountable for the results.
Why Next Curve Agency?
Every successful startup eventually reaches a plateau and growth slows. Customer acquisition becomes more expensive and channels begin to saturate.
The companies that continue winning don’t simply spend more. They discover their next growth curve.
That’s why Next Curve Agency was born.
We help mobile app companies and startups identify the next opportunity to accelerate growth through smarter user acquisition strategies, better data drive actions, stronger App Store visibility, and executive level marketing leadership.
“I’ve spent more than 20 years leading marketing across Fortune 250 companies and various startup sizes leading performance marketing and building acquisition, lifecycle, organic social, SEO, partnerships, analytics, and subscription and LTV growth. I started Next Curve Agency to give founders access to the type of executive marketing leadership while still being hands on that growing startups need.” – Nick Shin, Founder
What’s Important to Us in a Partner Relationship
Humble Attitude
We don’t pretend to have all the answers on day one. We learn your app first.
Strive for Excellence
We operate like an owner because good enough isn’t the bar.
Open, Direct Communication
Straight answers about what’s working, what isn’t, and why.
Curious
We become users of your app so we understand it the way your customers do.
Why Next Curve Agency Exists
Founded by Nick Shin [Connect on LinkedIn] based in Illinois. While serving as CMO of an early stage AI mobile app startup, Nick ran an agency search and kept hearing the same answer from marketing agencies, “We don’t have mobile app experience, but we’re sure we can figure it out.” Really?!
That wasn’t good enough for a startup that needed to make an impact fast and move fast. Next Curve Agency was built specifically around executing mobile app paid media and app store optimization while also having a strategic planning lens.
Talking to other app founders surfaced a second challenge: companies approaching $1M in annual app revenue. This becomes a critical point in a company’s growth marketing in which Apple’s platform fee jumps from 15% to 30%. This requires more than campaign management. These companies need to accelerate growth, which involves holistic marketing strategy spanning organic (SEO, social), product marketing, reviews and ratings management, lifecycle management, and paid media all pointed at the same growth curve.
As a result, Next Curve Agency was born.
Fun Things About the Founder That Have Nothing to Do with Marketing
Outside of marketing, Nick is passionate about the following so if we jump on a call together, he will always be open to going off topic.
Trading card collecting (since the 80’s)
Buy, sell, trade sports cards and Pokemon cards and also sets up as a dealer
Real estate investing (since the mid-2010’s)
Mostly focused on single family residences and transitioned from fix and flips to short and long term rentals
Personal finance (FIRE movement)
Enjoy educating and discussing personal finance strategy (no financial advice) with the end goal to FIRE (financial independence, retire early). Nick achieved this once in his early 40’s.
Garage sale-ing (since the 2020’s)
Consistent weekend activity with the parents (to get them out of the house and get steps in) to find things to buy and flip
Signed memorabilia collecting (since the 2020’s)
Partially due to the garage sale-ing
Doubles) tennis (playing USTA league since the 2010’s)
Nick has taken a break after experiencing the yips (who knew amateurs can get the yips), but will be back on the court soon