For 12 years Andrei Rebrov managed infrastructure and operations at Scentbird, a fragrance subscription firm he co-founded in 2013. He realized the significance of buying the suitable subscribers, those that keep and generate lifetime worth for the enterprise.
The important thing, he says, was correct, well timed analytics to evaluate channels, inventive, and promos. Finsi, his new firm, gives these metrics, enabling retailers to foretell a prospect’s worth over the long run.
In our latest dialog, I requested Andrei to share subscriber acquisition ways, churn avoidance, product choice, and extra.
Our complete audio dialog is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for size and readability.
Eric Bandholz: Inform our listeners who you might be and what you do.
Andrei Rebrov: I’m the co-founder of Finsi, an analytics platform for subscription-based companies, launched in 2024. We assist corporations purchase and retain worthwhile subscribers.
Earlier than that, I spent 12 years constructing and scaling Scentbird, a fragrance subscription service, the place I served as CTO.
I dealt with a lot of the engineering, together with coding the web site, constructing back-office techniques, and managing on-line funds and warehouse infrastructure. We launched in August 2014 and surpassed 1 million subscribers by the top of 2024. I left the corporate in March 2025.
We began Scentbird alongside subscription pioneers reminiscent of beauty manufacturers Ipsy and Birchbox, and attire supplier Fabletics. We had been impressed by Warby Parker’s “strive before you purchase” mannequin, and we utilized the idea to fragrances. We constructed our personal platform, which gave us flexibility and scalability over time.
We started with fragrances from different manufacturers. Some had been hesitant, however over time, Scentbird turned a mutually helpful companion, giving manufacturers entry to youthful audiences, internet buyers, and customers who wished to strive earlier than committing to a full bottle. Our web site’s motto turned: “Date your perfume earlier than you marry it.”
Clients may choose their month-to-month fragrances or obtain a default “perfume of the month.” 1000’s selected the default, enabling the speedy assortment of opinions and insights that manufacturers may use to refine formulation, advertising copy, and methods.
Subscription companies require nonstop acquisition to remain in place. The problem isn’t simply decreasing churn; it’s buying clients who will keep. Most SaaS corporations separate acquisition and retention groups, which might create disconnects. Success comes from collaboration — aligning acquisition, retention, and operations — so your complete firm capabilities as one system. Growing buyer acquisition spend is often worthwhile if it improves lifetime worth.
We had been vertically built-in, which meant that achievement, logistics, and advertising needed to transfer collectively. If one staff outpaced the others, one thing would break rapidly.
Bandholz: What drives worthwhile acquisition?
Rebrov: Correct analytics. It’s one of many hardest components of operating a subscription enterprise, and it’s an enormous purpose I began Finsi. At Scentbird, we invested early in analytics as a result of each acquisition channel behaves in another way. Every has its personal lifetime worth, payback interval, and acquisition value, so analyzing them individually was important.
We would have liked to grasp what clients bought by means of every channel and the way these purchases affected retention. Conventional LTV calculations depend on historic information, which is usually dated. That delay makes it inconceivable to know if present methods are working. To resolve this, we constructed predictive LTV fashions that supplied early perception — usually inside a month — so we may gauge the affect of recent creatives and A/B exams sooner.
For instance, we examined a two-product-per-month plan. It initially lowered conversion charges, however predictive information revealed a lot stronger long-term worth. That perception helped justify warehouse changes for the brand new achievement course of.
We explored varied buyer acquisition channels. TikTok Outlets turned a prime performer. Because it built-in solely by means of Shopify, we constructed a faceless Shopify retailer linked to TikTok, routed orders by means of it, and shipped pattern bundles to introduce customers to the Scentbird expertise earlier than changing them into subscribers.
We grandfathered long-term subscribers to reward loyalty. Some stayed seven or eight years, although many churned inside 12 months. Early, correct analytics made it doable to stability progress and retention successfully.
Bandholz: What measurement firm advantages from Finsi’s analytics?
Rebrov: It’s much less about measurement and extra concerning the progress stage. Every stage faces completely different challenges. One of many greatest is money circulate. Each bodily SKU has its personal lead time, so if stock takes three months, corporations should precisely forecast demand, churn, and money circulate. For early-stage manufacturers, these with annual income beneath $10 million, we assist stabilize operations and predict money wants.
At $10 to $50 million, segmentation turns into essential: figuring out lapsed clients for personalised win-backs and recognizing high-value clients early to supply premium experiences.
At $50 to $150 million, the main focus shifts to eliminating surprises and aligning techniques, making certain promotions run appropriately and groups perceive how one resolution impacts one other. Bigger manufacturers usually broaden into new product traces and face the identical scaling points once more. Throughout all levels, success is dependent upon correct, unified information to information smarter choices.
Efficient retention is dependent upon understanding why clients cancel.
Bandholz: How do you try this?
Rebrov: We often begin with surveys to collect each structured and unstructured suggestions. A number of-choice questions present quantifiable insights, however the actual worth lies in open-ended responses, the place clients share their private tales. Surveys allow you to attain 1000’s of individuals effectively, however telephone conversations are invaluable. Speaking immediately with clients usually reveals distinctive motivations and use instances that spark creativity and information product improvement.
Spending even half-hour on the telephone with just a few clients, particularly loyal ones, can uncover extra insights than analytics ever may.
Sure merchandise naturally match subscriptions. Examples are consumable dietary supplements, protein powders, and snacks. However sometimes bought items are higher fitted to one-off gross sales.
Firms should determine early as a result of it shapes their advertising technique. For conventional ecommerce, profitability usually is dependent upon the primary sale. You intention to cowl acquisition, value of products, and delivery upfront, usually by promoting bundles.
For subscriptions, the main focus shifts to lifetime worth. Sellers can afford to lose cash initially in the event that they know the client will keep lengthy sufficient to develop into worthwhile. Predictive LTV helps qualify clients early and informs how a lot you possibly can spend to accumulate them.
Simplicity wins. Don’t confuse prospects with a number of buy paths or presents. Guarantee a “subscribe and save” provide is constant and straightforward to grasp.
The fantastic thing about subscriptions lies in predictable money circulate. But rising acquisition prices make retention much more very important.
Bandholz: The place can folks observe you, attain out to you, or rent your companies?
Rebrov: Our website is Finsi.ai. I’m on LinkedIn.
