The App Equation: TyrAds' David Ruggiero on Turning Engagement into Revenue

Whether it’s rewarded ads, smarter segmentation, or balancing user happiness with business goals, TyrAds' Director of Monetization, David Ruggiero has seen it all. We caught up with him to talk about what’s next for app monetization and how to keep users, and revenue, swiping right.

In your experience, what frameworks or KPIs best help teams strike the right balance between revenue generation and user satisfaction in app environments?

I look at impacts on churn rate, engagement rates like swipes generated and chat sessions for dating apps, session length and overall revenue generated between the test groups.

From there it’s about seeing results versus our predictions and working with my counterparts in product and business intelligence teams to determine the spot we would like to optimise towards.These goals can also change often depending on the current business situation and user trends. Therefore it’s something I optimise often and part of the “day to day” role.

What do you see as the next frontier for rewarded ad formats in apps, especially as technologies like instant rewards become more widespread?

Rewarded ads are already deeply embedded in gaming because the value exchange is clear, players trade their valuable time for in-game currency or boosts at moments that feel natural. The next frontier is bringing that same integration depth into non-gaming verticals.

In dating apps, this could mean profile boosts or extra swipes as examples; in streaming, ad-free sessions or early access to content; in education, bonus lessons or certifications; in fitness, premium workouts or tracking features.

As instant reward delivery and personalization improve, rewarded ads will evolve into rewarded actions.Incentives tied directly to a user’s goals, delivered at the right moment to enhance both engagement and monetization. The key is balancing these rewards with in-app purchase offerings to avoid cannibalising higher-value transactions.

You’ve emphasised segmentation as critical in today’s ad monetization strategies. Can you share how segmentation strategies differ for casual utility apps versus social or dating apps

Segmentation strategies differ because user intent and engagement depth vary. In casual utility apps, sessions tend to be short and focused on specific tasks, so how often users return and their recent activity patterns are important factors, alongside other signals like session length or feature use.

In social or dating apps, segmentation often looks at where someone is in their journey, whether they are just starting out, very active, or have drifted away, and matches ad experiences to their mindstate and engagement level. Monetization can also be layered with behavioral signals such as swipe activity, message volume, or gifting.

Popular monetization SDKs do not guarantee success. A partner that performs well elsewhere may not suit your audience, geography, or engagement patterns

Given the risk of ad fatigue, what are the most effective ways you’ve seen app publishers innovate within traditional formats like banners or interstitials to maintain user engagement without sacrificing revenue?

Ad fatigue is a challenge, especially when creative rotation isn’t fully under your control outside of directly sold campaigns. One effective approach is managing how often the same user sees an ad through frequency capping and smart bidding strategies. Placing ads at natural pauses in the user experience also helps reduce disruption. Native-style ads that blend with the app’s design while remaining clearly labeled  won’t be as impactful on revenue, however can improve engagement without feeling intrusive.

It’s about balancing revenue goals with user comfort through thoughtful delivery rather than just new creatives.

At ParshipMeet Group, you led advertising strategy and a team. What practices have proven most effective in aligning cross-functional teams — such as product, tech, and revenue — around a unified ad monetization strategy for apps?

At PMG, revenue is split between in-app purchases, subscriptions, gifting, and advertising, and each has different drivers to meet business goals. This makes cross functional collaboration even more important so we can plan resources effectively and avoid competing priorities wherever possible. We align by setting shared KPIs, creating joint roadmaps, and keeping testing results visible to all teams. This ensures product, tech, and revenue teams work toward the same lifetime value objectives rather than optimising in isolation.

Your roles have involved significant negotiation and collaboration with ad networks and SDK providers. What are the most common pitfalls app publishers face in these partnerships, and how can they avoid them?

Popular monetization SDKs do not guarantee success. A partner that performs well elsewhere may not suit your audience, geography, or engagement patterns.

Common pitfalls include relying too much on one or two networks, delaying SDK updates that improve performance or compliance, and focusing only on high eCPM instead of overall yield, fill rate, and the quality of the ad experience for users.

Strong strategies diversify demand, set clear technical and commercial expectations, and run regular side-by-side tests to ensure each partner delivers meaningful value without damaging engagement or trust.

You regularly represent companies at industry events. From those vantage points, what emerging ad tech trends do you believe will most reshape app publisher monetization strategies in the next three years?

Rewarded play ads and offerwalls are becoming faster and more seamless, moving beyond gaming to create engaging experiences in other app categories. On-device AI is already improving privacy-first ad selection by processing data locally, such as through Apple’s SKAdNetwork. In the near future, this could also enable publishers to better segment users and tailor both ads and in-app purchase offers without compromising privacy. Meanwhile, creative formats are evolving into interactive, goal-driven experiences that feel native to apps, helping sustain engagement and revenue.