“Carissa Lintao is a “Kind Innovator” and the CEO & founder of Apptuitive, an award-winning app marketing agency. She’s been recognized in Forbes, TEDx, CNBC, Business Insider, and Roadtrip Nation’s documentary ‘Venture Forward’ for her entrepreneurial efforts & focus on changing tech for the better. Carissa’s passion is raising awareness about the intersection of ethics & tech to bridge information gaps and level the playing field.”
In your own words, what’s your role in the app business right now?
As the founder of Apptuitive, I oversee business development and the growth of the company. Aside from accelerating growth for leading brands through organic & paid acquisition, I have two main responsibilities: 1. Keeping everyone as happy as humanly possible – from clients to the Apptuiteam. This entails everything from managing expectations to surprising & delighting customers. 2. Executing ideas at speed. I’m always testing new strategies or starting new projects to see what sticks and what doesn’t. I’m always working on bigger & badder things.
How did you end up working in apps?
I fell into the app marketing world when I was 18 years old because I couldn’t find a “real” job. One day, I found Upwork, the world’s largest network for independent professionals and was almost immediately hired by an indie developer. I was tasked with the mission of writing 300 questions & answers for his House of Cards Trivia app. I knocked out that project, and before I knew it, more and more projects started falling into my life. I’ve done everything from writing push notification copy to ideating & executing full-scale marketing strategies for apps on the Top Charts.
What are you most excited about in apps right now?
Hyper-niche utility + social apps. Apps that are developed “by the people for the people” are extremely fascinating to me. These founders know their target customer inside & out and are able to cultivate community like no one else’s business. Think Peanut, Loosid, The SnapBack, Lex, etc.
What other companies in the app space do you rate/ inspire you and why?
MobileAction and Digiruu! We’re official partners with MobileAction and consider the Digiruu family as a part of ours. Both companies prioritize their customers first and it’s so clear to see in their work.
What do you like most about working in apps?
Working closely with founders who are making a serious impact. Social good is something that’s very important to me so whenever I get to work with a mission-driven company – I’m over the moon. Also, the fact that we work on something new every single day is also something I love. We could be working on a baby monitor app one day and a hypnosis app the next. Definitely requires me to stay on top of a ton of different trends and industries which is something I enjoy.
What one thing would you change about the app industry?
It’s pay to play nature. Generally speaking, it’s more expensive to grow a user base than it was years ago. Community building / organic growth has never been more important.
Where do you think there’s an opportunity for apps or unmet needs?
There’s a lot to be said about differentiation. Both mobile app stores are extremely saturated and we’re at the point where it doesn’t make sense to compete head to head against dominant players unless you have a multi-million dollar budget to justify doing so. The new wave of successful founders will be people who have strong missions and go out of their way to build for needs – not attention.
If you weren’t working in apps what would you be doing?
I’d either be doing something related to music, which I studied for over 10 years, or philosophy/education full-time.
iOS or Android?
iOS
What app(s) have been most useful to you over the last year?
Spotify, Slack, Bumble, Google Maps, and Hypnocloud
Any Netflix/ TV show recommendations?
Peaky Blinders or Mad Men!
Do you know someone driving change and growth in the app industry?
Nominate an app leader here.
