Yakov Filippenko, Founder of AI Flexible Staffing Platform Intch: How App Store Removal Destroys Subscription Revenue and Why a Fallback Must Be Built in Advance
Based on his own experience with the removal of an app from Apple's App Store, Yakov Filippenko, founder and CEO of the AI flexible staffing platform Intch, describes how platform removal destroys revenue structures step-by-step—from interrupted downloads to collapsing user trust and frozen subscriptions. He argues that founders must build independent web payment channels before a crisis occurs and that investors should incorporate platform exposure into valuation discussions.
Yakov Filippenko, founder and CEO of the AI flexible staffing platform Intch, described how an App Store removal event impacted the revenue structure of a subscription-based business within weeks. The removal first cut off the download entry point for new users; then, paying customers flooded customer service asking if the disappearance of the app meant the company was a scam; subsequently, existing users replacing their phones could not reinstall the app, leading to a continuous loss of the customer base. The financial impact was more direct: Apple immediately froze funds from the previous three months and shut down all subscription renewals. Filippenko pointed out that for a company relying on subscription revenue, this means monthly recurring revenue could drop to zero.
He cited data from Apple's 2025 Transparency Report: throughout the year, 166,899 apps were removed, and only 423 were restored after appeals. Intch itself experienced a 30-day appeal window, ultimately receiving a generic rejection reply that provided no information. Filippenko believes that appeal results are unpredictable, but businesses must continue to operate during the waiting period, meaning the appeal process itself cannot serve as a contingency plan.
His response was to decouple from the App Store two years before the crisis occurred: he built a web version and designated it as the primary payment channel. Filippenko stated that this choice also freed them from Apple's commission cuts and enabled an iteration speed of ten releases per day. Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, has also promoted web access to bypass store restrictions, but Filippenko emphasized that the key is not post-removal remediation, but rather testing whether alternative channels truly work while the app is still downloadable.