We did $144k on AppSumo in 60 days: what worked, what sucked, and our exact playbook
No-BS recap of our AppSumo Select campaign: what worked, what didn’t, numbers, and the exact playbook.
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We did $144k on AppSumo in 60 days: what worked, what sucked, and our exact playbook
AppSumo slid into our inbox first. We said “tell me more.” A few calls later we were on AppSumo Select with a 30 percent rev share, a shiny listing, and a countdown timer that gave everyone a tiny case of FOMO. Here is the no-BS version of what happened, including the stuff we would absolutely do differently.
TL;DR
- •Campaign ran 28 April 2025 to 13 July 2025. Last week was AppSumo Plus only.
- •We launched with four LTD tiers, raised prices around day 5, and conversion stayed fine.
- •We ended with $34,933.77 net payout to us, 44 reviews at 4.4 stars, and 110 public questions answered.
- •Best parts: cash for a bootstrapped team, sharp feedback, and an AppSumo crew that was actually helpful.
- •Hard parts: 60 day payouts, serving discounted users when your costs are real, a few spicy customers, and a license-linking gap we should have seen coming.
Why we did it
We wanted distribution that could bring qualified users, fast. Tailride connects to your email accounts, finds invoices automatically, and keeps them export-ready for accounting. AppSumo reached out to offer a deal. We chose AppSumo Select because it paired their promotional push with curated placement, and 30 percent rev share fit our economics better than a deeper one time discount.
Goals
- •Get cash to extend runway without raising.
- •Validate positioning with buyers outside our existing audience.
- •Collect public reviews we could reuse on our site and in sales.
- •Pressure test onboarding across many mailbox setups in a short time.
The deal and the prep
Primary contacts
- •Ashley and Courtney. Both were fantastic to work with, very direct, and quick on feedback loops.
From first call to signed
- •After the first meeting with Ashley we received a pricing proposal. We negotiated terms, then signed.
- •Their team drafted listing copy and produced a video. We reviewed and approved.
- •They sent three beta testers. Their feedback exposed a few bugs and edge cases we fixed before launch.
Pricing and tiers
Launch pricing and quotas
| Tier | Monthly extracted invoices | Deal price at launch |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | $69 |
| 2 | 250 | $139 |
| 3 | 1,000 | $329 |
| 4 | 2,000 | $479 |
Price increase after early traction
- •Around day 5 AppSumo added a 7 day countdown. We raised to $79 / $159 / $379 / $549 with the same quotas. Conversion held.
Launch week timeline
Day 0 – Monday, 28 April 2025 Spain’s electric grid had a bad day. We are in Barcelona. Support was basically offline for the first day. Felt like a nightmare, but inbound was lighter than we feared.
Days 1 to 3 We answered lots of questions as fast as possible. Sumo-lings appreciated it.
Days 4 to 7 Conversion hovered around 5 percent. AppSumo added the 7 day countdown. We raised pricing to $79 / $159 / $379 / $549. Conversion stayed healthy after the change.
Results
- •Net payout to Tailride: $34,933.77
- •Codes: 889 payable, 247 refunded.
- •Reviews: 44 at 4.4 out of 5
- •Questions answered: 110
- •Geo mix: Lots from the US, plenty from Europe, and a healthy rest-of-world slice. Not heavily localized.
From the Partner Success Recap
- •Gross sales: $144,028
- •AOV: $128
- •Total campaign sessions: 25,786
Translation: lots of attention, a healthy AOV, and a refund rate that is pretty normal for marketplace LTDs.
Video recap
By the numbers
- •Net payout to Tailride: $34,933.77
- •Codes sold: 1,136 (889 payable + 247 refunded) → refund rate ~21.7 percent
- •Reviews: 44 (avg 4.4/5)
- •Questions answered: 110
- •Price change: raised on day ~5 with a 7 day timer
- •Channel mix from AppSumo: Email 45 percent of gross sales from 9,948 sessions, Affiliates 16 percent from 1,858 sessions, Meta Ads 2 percent from 594 sessions, Google Ads 12 percent from 3,173 sessions, 4,086 direct PDP sessions
What worked
- •
Cash for a bootstrapped team Breathing room without raising. Always nice.
- •
Beta testers and fast fixes The three testers AppSumo sent caught edge cases before the flood. Boring fixes, big payoff.
- •
Support in public Being present in questions and reviews calmed nerves and nudged fence sitters.
- •
Ask for reviews at the right moment After a successful export or a support win. Not sooner. That is how you get specific 4s and 5s, not vague 3s.
- •
Keep the drumbeat Small releases, short videos, and quick emails during the first weeks kept the energy up.
- •
UTMs everywhere Track trials that happen before purchase so you can actually follow up. Many people try before they buy.
What could be improved
- •
60 day payouts If you sell on 1 May, expect money in the first days of July. Meanwhile you carry the cost of serving everyone.
- •
High fixed costs meet deep discounts If your infra or support is pricey, model the margin hit before you say yes.
- •
License linking gap for existing users Many buyers tried Tailride first, then bought on AppSumo, then could not link the code to the account they already had. Support had to jump in at what should be the happiest moment. Next time we ship a clean self serve claim flow and detect existing accounts the second a code is entered.
- •
A few difficult users Marketplaces attract power users and bargain hunters. Some are a joy. Some are educational. Calls helped and a few folks actually flipped their reviews to 5 stars.
- •
You will discount That is the trade for reach and reviews. Price and set quotas with that reality in mind.
Playbook if you are considering AppSumo Select
- •Front load reviews in the first days. Ask right after success, not after signup.
- •Answer questions fast and consistently. Predictable beats 24 by 7 heroics.
- •Offer calls to unhappy buyers. Humans fix what tickets cannot.
- •Ship small wins weekly during the window. Announce them.
- •Track attribution with UTMs and events. Many will try first and buy later.
- •Price with headroom so you can raise if conversion is hot.
- •Model cash flow with a 60 day lag.
- •Build a self serve AppSumo code claim and linking flow before launch.
Partner success recap highlights
Channel performance
- •Email: 45 percent of gross sales from 9,948 sessions
- •Affiliates: 16 percent from 1,858 sessions
- •Meta ads: 2 percent from 594 sessions
- •Google Ads: 12 percent from 3,173 sessions
- •Direct product page sessions: 4,086
What customers loved
- •Massive time saver for fetching invoices from email and exporting to Sheets or Drive.
- •Friendly, fast support. Minutes, not days.
- •Reliable extraction and data accuracy.
Why some refunded
- •Already had a solution or no longer needed one.
- •Wanted to test only, or felt functionality was too limited for advanced workflows or multi account setups.
- •Activation glitches around the rebrand window, IMAP scanning hiccups, limited integrations.
What we would change next time
- •Add an in product nudge that asks for a review after a successful export and after at least one day of use.
- •Prepare a two tier support plan for launch week so a local outage does not knock out day one.
- •Ship a self serve AppSumo license claim and linking flow and detect existing trial accounts the second a code is entered.
Closing thoughts
AppSumo gave us reach, urgency, and a clean feedback loop. The Select model worked for our economics and our roadmap. Most importantly, it forced discipline. When you only have a few seconds of attention, you find out what your product actually does for people.
Curious about Tailride? Connect a mailbox, watch the first scan, and export your invoices. If it saves you time, it did its job. If it does not, tell us why so we can fix it.