Operators Build · Episode 6

Build subscription first

Aiden, Skio CEO, on launching a subscription brand from zero.

The playbook from the episode, backed by what Skio's data on thousands of subscription brands says. The offer, the messaging, and the numbers worth aiming for.

29 pages
Real brand examples
Free PDF

A look inside

29 slides, built from the episode and Skio brand data.

No silver bullet: test everything, keep it stupid simple, don't get lazy

“I think the days of autoship are over.”

What good looks like: take rate and retention benchmarks

Three parts, fifteen takeaways

A few of them below. The PDF has the data and the brand examples behind each one.

Part 1

The offer

Convert the traffic you already paid for.

Win the first order before you chase upsells.
Value-sell with gifts, not discounts.
Lead with quarterly. Commitment sticks.

12.2% → 18.8%Subscription take rate at a beauty brand in two months, after putting subscriber gifts on the product page.

Part 2

Messaging

What to send, and when to stay quiet.

Mute subscribers. Keep ads on for 90 days.
Onboard hard for the first 30 days.
Write win-backs from cancel reasons.

1.6% → 18.1%Saves on “Not ready for regular deliveries” at a supplement brand that rebuilt its cancel flow reason by reason.

Part 3

The numbers

What good looks like, and when it starts to matter.

Read retention only at 1,000+ subscribers per cohort.
First six months: the offer, the cancel flow, messaging that manages.

70%Of subscriptions still active at month 3 at a supplement brand that grew from 27,000 to 200,000 in a year.

What good looks like

Broad strokes for a powder supplement, from Aiden's look at Skio brand data. Retention is the share of a subscriber cohort still active.

65%+Take rateWith a subscription-first buy box.

80%+Order 2 retentionAim for 90. Worry at 70.

35%+6-month retentionBest-in-class territory.

22%+12-month retentionTop brands hit 22 to 30%.

Hear it from Aiden.

Operators Build, episode 6. Aiden from Skio and Bernard from Omnisend take Cody and Matt through building Winks subscription-first.

Watch on YouTube →

Test everything.
Keep it stupid simple.

Nail the offer, then fine tune the messaging.

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