Looking for a Shopify App Growth Partner / Co-founder (Rev-Share Model)

Shopify Apps
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Hi everyone,

About a month ago, we launched our Shopify app for Upsell & Cross-sell on the Shopify App Store. While the product is fully functional and production-ready, we’re facing the classic cold-start challenge: competing against established apps with 50–100+ reviews and higher search rankings.

We are looking to break through this initial barrier and acquire our first 10 to 20 active merchant installations.

Opportunity:
If you have a proven track record in Shopify app marketing, merchant acquisition, or app store optimization (ASO), I’d love to partner with you. In exchange for driving these initial merchant installations, we are offering a fixed percentage share of the Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) generated by subscribers you bring in.

If you have experience scaling Shopify apps or strategies to tackle initial distribution, feel free to drop a comment or send me a direct message!

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Full disclosure, we’re in the same category with Sleek Bundles at Ecom Swift LLC, so this is from the same trenches rather than a pitch.

The honest problem with a rev-share deal at this stage is that there’s nothing to share yet. Anyone genuinely good at Shopify app acquisition can pick clients with existing MRR, so a percentage of zero doesn’t attract them. The first 10 to 20 installs almost always have to come from the founders. That part isn’t outsourceable.

What actually moved the needle for us early on:

Stop competing for the word upsell. You will not outrank the incumbents on it. Go after the specific things merchants type when they already know what they want, like post purchase upsell, cart drawer upsell, volume discount, buy together. Those long-tail listing keywords convert far better than the head term.

Reviews matter more than installs, and they don’t come by asking. They come from doing the setup for the merchant on a call, then asking at the end while they’re looking at a working offer. Ten hand-held onboardings beats a hundred cold installs.

Agencies and freelancers who build stores for a living are a better channel than a growth marketer, because they install apps on every new build. That’s where a rev-share genuinely works, and it’s repeatable.

Pick a wedge instead of matching feature lists. One offer type done visibly better, or one theme or vertical you support properly, gives people a reason to switch. Being the cheaper version of an established app is the hardest position to grow from.

And being present in threads here consistently does compound, slowly. Not glamorous, but it’s free.

if this helped, please mark it a solution

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Hey @Vicky12 ,

Congratulations on your launch!

The cold start problem is something almost every new Shopify app faces. While App Store Optimization (ASO) is important, I’d also focus on building trust outside of search rankings.

A few strategies that I’ve seen work well for new apps include:

Offering white glove onboarding for your first merchants to reduce friction.
Actively helping merchants in the Shopify Community, then mentioning your app only when it’s genuinely relevant.
Publishing case studies or before and after results that demonstrate measurable value.
Collecting detailed feedback from your early users and encouraging reviews after they’ve had a positive experience.
Creating short demo videos and clear documentation so merchants can quickly understand the app’s benefits.

In my experience, the first 10-20 engaged merchants are more valuable than simply chasing installation numbers. They provide testimonials, feature feedback, and referrals that can help build long term momentum.

Best of luck with the launch!

If you found my reply helpful, feel free to mark it as the accepted solution so it can help other merchants following this discussion.

Thank You !