Among the panelists, Lakshya Ankit, Founder of UndrAds, delivered some of the session’s most grounded, future-proof perspectives on the shift from single-channel monetization to a blended, data-led approach.
Joined by Doruk Kaşoğlu, Founder of Peax, and Murat Ödemiş, Founder of Univenn, the discussion centered on how today’s studios can adapt to rising infrastructure costs, AI-led automation, and the increasing relevance of subscriptions alongside traditional ad revenue.
But the throughline of the session, and Lakshya’s commentary, was clear: The monetization game is no longer about choosing one path, but designing for an “AND” world.
What the AND v/s OR strategy means
A recurring question in developer communities is whether to build for ads, or in-app purchases, or subscriptions. Lakshya challenged this premise entirely.
“Nothing today works on an ‘Or’ function.
If an app only bets on IAPs, it may never survive long enough to crack the model. If it pushes ads aggressively, it risks killing user growth. If it relies only on subscriptions, the conversion base may be too thin. Modern revenue strategy is an ‘AND’ game.”
Lakshya Ankit Pratap Singh, Founder at UndrAds
He emphasized that studios should treat monetization as a portfolio approach, where ads, subscriptions, IAP, and web funnels coexist. The winning blend emerges from continuous A/B testing, not guesswork.
According to Lakshya, a mature studio with 100,000 users might naturally segment into groups across subscription, IAP, and ads. “That distribution only reveals itself when you run diverse tests,” he noted, urging developers not to prematurely narrow themselves into a single track.
AI Is reshaping costs and expectations
The panel with Doruk and Murat shifted into the economics of app development, especially with AI-driven features becoming the norm. Lakshya argued that while revenues across ad networks remain stable compared to five years ago, cost structures have changed dramatically.
“Inflation kicked in. AI infrastructure cost kicked in. Every user has a real cost now,” he said. With apps increasingly plugged into systems like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini, a significant portion of revenue is redirected toward model usage rather than pure margin.
However, Lakshya also sees AI as the great unlock, if used wisely. Many developers equate AI with automation, but he clarified that the real value comes from decision-making, not mechanical task automation.
“Use AI to identify and automate triggers, not just trigger-based workflows,” he told the audience. “That is where you unlock the real potential.”
Hybrid monetization is the new playbook
As the discussion progressed, the panel agreed that hybrid monetization across web, in-app purchases, ads, paid marketing, and subscriptions is now the dominant strategy. Lakshya added a sharper point:
Web is no longer just an acquisition channel. It’s a pre-conversion trust builder. Apps retain, subscriptions monetize, and ads sustain volume. None of these components can stand alone. “It’s not about following one playbook,” he said. “It’s about mixing everything up, but with a mindful blend.”
AI needs context. Humans need to provide it.
Addressing a question about major ad tech players increasing their AI automation layers, Lakshya called out a limitation often misunderstood in the market: AI can optimize, but it cannot understand context beyond local maximums.
“Whether it’s OpenAI, Anthropic, or AppLovin’s algorithms, AI responds to the context you feed it.
For example, “It cannot interpret deeper market realities such as how inflation in Turkey differs from spending power in India unless you give it guardrails.”
Lakshya Ankit Pratap Singh, Founder at UndrAds
This is why UndrAds builds what Lakshya described as a ‘mini-brain’ on top of existing ad network algorithms. By injecting data context, genre nuances, geographic realities, and timing signals, UndrAds strengthens decision-making where pure automation fails.
“Human-led AI will rule the short term,” he stated confidently.
Ads are not the enemy. Weak strategy is.
Lakshya, along with Doruk and Murat, closed the conversation by addressing a foundational belief among developers: users hate ads. He countered with a broader view.
“Ads have been with us since the first newspaper. They’re not going anywhere
But the playbook has changed. The winners are the ones sitting on top of their data and translating it fast.”
Lakshya Ankit Pratap Singh, Founder at UndrAds
This article was produced in collaboration with UndrAds.
The full session video will be uploaded to Mobidictum’s YouTube channel soon.
