The Sonos app debacle: a lesson in poor app strategy

Sonos, a well-known audio brand, faced widespread backlash after releasing a revamped mobile app in 2024. The update, intended to improve user experience, instead introduced numerous bugs, degraded system performance, and removed several popular features. The lack of proper user communication, inadequate preparation for digital adoption, and insufficient measurement of critical user paths contributed to the app’s poor reception.

The fallout was severe. By early 2025, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence stepped down amid ongoing issues with the app and a reported 8% revenue decline in Q4 2024. Sonos’s failure to communicate effectively, measure user behavior accurately, and act on feedback eroded customer trust.

Key factors that lead to app failures

While there are many key factors that contribute to failure of mobile apps, my experience has shown that three critical areas are often overlooked, despite being essential to a successful app strategy. These areas are product marketing and digital adoption, measurement, and the need for specialized mobile-first teams. Failing to address these elements can turn even technically sound apps into costly failures.

Product marketing and digital adoption: core pillars of success

In addition to technical and UX challenges, the product marketing strategy and digital adoption framework around the app are essential components of success. These functions ensure users not only download the app but also adopt its features, engage with it consistently, and become loyal advocates.

Product marketing involves positioning the app in a way that highlights its unique value to users. It requires clear messaging, targeted campaigns, and user education. An effective product marketing strategy ensures that users understand how to derive value from the app and stay engaged over time.

When Sonos launched its redesigned app, it failed to market the changes effectively. A robust product marketing campaign, including email outreach, feature highlights, and educational in-app walkthroughs, could have helped manage expectations and guide users through the new experience, reducing frustration.

Digital adoption is about ensuring users not only use the app on a recurring basis but also fully understand and benefit from its features. Among other strategies and tactics, companies can achieve this through:

  • Onboarding experiences: Step-by-step tutorials when users first open the app.
  • In-app guidance: Contextual help, tooltips, and interactive prompts to assist users as they explore new features.
  • Engagement campaigns: Push notifications, emails, and in-app messages to encourage continued usage.

Without a well-planned digital adoption strategy, even the most well-marketed apps can lose traction over time, as users struggle to realize the app’s value.

The critical role of measurement in mobile app success

A crucial yet often neglected aspect of mobile app development is measurement. Product management and development teams must begin with the end in mind, carefully charting the complete user flow, using tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to measure key user behaviors and track engagement at each stage, including the promotional channels leading users into the app. Every step of this flow should be instrumented and measured to build robust conversion funnels.

Conversion funnels track user progression through key stages, from initial awareness to app download, feature adoption, and repeat engagement. These funnels help product teams understand where users drop off and what needs improvement. Here’s a very high-level overview of the approach:

  1. Chart the user flow: Start by mapping the key entry points (e.g., ads, organic search, email campaigns) and follow the user journey through to critical actions (e.g., sign-ups, feature usage).
  2. Measure each stage: Use analytics tools to measure user behavior at each stage of the funnel. Key metrics may include conversion rates, time to value, retention rates, and engagement with core features.
  3. Optimize continuously: Use data from the funnels to identify bottlenecks and drop-off points. Refine both the product and marketing strategies accordingly, releasing incremental improvements that enhance the user experience.

Slack’s success can be attributed in part to its rigorous measurement and optimization of user flows. From the moment users sign up, Slack tracks engagement at every stage of onboarding and beyond. By continually refining its funnel, Slack ensures users experience the platform’s value early, leading to high retention rates.

Why legacy IT teams don’t always build great mobile apps

One of the most critical but overlooked aspects of mobile app development is the team behind the effort. Many large enterprises rely on their existing legacy IT staff, professionals who are experienced in maintaining traditional web or desktop applications. However, mobile app development requires specialized skills, a mobile-first mindset, and familiarity with modern tools and methodologies. Without these, even well-resourced companies can sometimes fail to deliver high-performing apps that meet user expectations.

Key reasons why legacy IT teams struggle

  1. Lack of mobile-first expertise: Legacy IT staff are often well-versed in building applications for desktops and browsers but may lack experience in mobile-specific technologies. Unlike traditional web applications, mobile apps require specialized knowledge of platform-specific frameworks, such as Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android, and must account for limited device resources, varying screen sizes, and offline functionality. Additionally, mobile apps often need to integrate with hardware features like cameras, sensors, and GPS, adding an extra layer of complexity.
  2. Platform fragmentation challenges: Mobile app development requires handling diverse devices, screen sizes, operating systems, and hardware capabilities. Legacy teams may not have the experience or tools to manage this level of complexity effectively.
  3. User experience (UX) expectations: Mobile users expect intuitive, seamless, and fast experiences. Designing for small screens and touch-based navigation requires UX specialists who understand mobile behavior patterns. Traditional IT teams may not have the design skill set to meet these heightened expectations.
  4. Performance optimization: Mobile apps need to be optimized for battery life, memory usage, and processing power. Without expertise in mobile performance tuning, apps built by legacy teams can suffer from lag, crashes, and excessive resource consumption, leading to poor user reviews and high churn rates.
  5. Modern development tools and frameworks: Successful mobile apps are often built using modern frameworks (e.g., React Native, Flutter) and CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery. Legacy teams, accustomed to older technologies, may not be equipped to leverage these tools, resulting in slower development cycles and less frequent updates.
  6. Security concerns: Mobile apps face unique security challenges, such as data encryption, secure offline access, and compliance with app store guidelines. Ensuring robust security for mobile applications requires specialized knowledge, particularly for apps that handle sensitive user information or financial transactions.

The solution: specialized, cross-functional mobile teams

To build successful mobile applications, companies must assemble dedicated, cross-functional teams that include:

  • Mobile developers: Skilled in both iOS and Android platforms or cross-platform frameworks.
  • UX/UI designers: Experienced in creating user-centered designs optimized for small screens and touch interfaces.
  • Product managers: Focused on mobile-specific product strategies, including user engagement, retention, and digital adoption.
  • Product marketers: Responsible for creating awareness, crafting messaging, and ensuring users understand the app’s value through targeted campaigns, educational content, and feature highlights.
  • QA engineers: Well-versed in mobile app testing across devices, networks, and environments.
  • DevOps engineers: Capable of setting up continuous integration and deployment pipelines for fast, reliable releases.

By investing in specialized mobile-first teams, companies can overcome the limitations of legacy IT departments and build apps that delight users and drive business success.

Conclusion

The Sonos app debacle and other notable failures serve as cautionary tales about the importance of strategic planning, user-centric design, rigorous testing, product marketing, digital adoption, measurement, and communication in mobile app development. Moreover, these cases highlight why companies cannot rely on legacy IT staff alone. Building a successful app requires a dedicated, mobile-first team with specialized skills, a comprehensive product marketing strategy, and a robust digital adoption and measurement framework.

By learning from these mistakes and investing in the right resources, businesses can create mobile applications that not only meet user expectations but also enhance brand reputation and drive long-term success. Whether you are starting a new app project or considering improvements to an existing one, focus on strategic planning, user-centric design, and specialized teams. With the right approach, your mobile app can become a key driver of growth and customer satisfaction.