How Founders Can Reduce Platform Risk Before It Threatens Growth
Founders should treat dependence on app stores as infrastructure risk, since a sudden removal can disrupt customer access, subscriptions and revenue with no reliable path to reinstatement. Sharing his experience, Yakov Filippenko, founder and CEO of Intch, suggests that building and testing alternative access and payment channels before a crisis can help keep the business operating.
Founders must prepare for platform dependency risks, as Apple's removal of apps can have severe consequences. In 2025, Apple removed 166,899 apps, with only 423 restored after appeals. This experience taught the author that being caught in an Apple removal feels like watching a business collapse without recovery guarantees. To reduce platform risk, founders should understand what a removal can take away, such as uninstalled prospects, frustrated subscribers, and frozen funds.
They should also consider whether customers can still use the product and pay after a disappearance. Building an alternative before needing it is crucial, as seen by Intch's success with a web version and primary payment channel. Including platform exposure in growth decisions is essential, as a single platform decision can interrupt revenue.
Investors should ask about revenue dependence and the time a company could survive an unanswered appeal.
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