Canceling Subscriptions: What to Check Before You Click Cancel
Cancelling a subscription is not just clicking a button. The pre-cancel checklist: exports, data retention, refunds, and what to verify after.
Aaron Blake
How to Audit Your Subscriptions in Under an Hour
You can audit every subscription you pay for in under an hour. The exact method: statements, categorization, zombie-killing, and the document that prevents repeats.
When Apps Get Acquired: What Usually Happens to Users
Acquisitions end more apps than bankruptcies do. Learn the typical patterns — absorption, sunsetting, neglect — and how to protect yourself through each.
What a Decade of Discontinued Apps Teaches Us
A decade of discontinued apps reveals clear patterns — about business models, user habits, and data. The lessons are qualitative but powerful.
The Lifecycle of an App: From Launch Hype to Sunset Email
Every app follows a lifecycle: launch hype, growth, maturity, decline, sunset. Learn the stages, what each one signals, and how to read where your apps stand.
Why Apps Get Shut Down: The Business Reasons, Explained
Apps do not shut down randomly. The same handful of business reasons explains most closures — learn to recognize them and you can see risk coming.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule, Adapted for App Users
The 3-2-1 backup rule is decades old and still the best advice in data safety. Here is how to adapt it for the app era — with concrete setups for real people.
Open Formats and Standards: Your Best Defense Against Lock-In
Open formats are the closest thing to a guarantee your data will survive. Learn which standards matter, how to check them, and how to build an all-open workflow.
What Is Vendor Lock-In (and Why It Makes Shutdowns Hurt)
Vendor lock-in is why app shutdowns hurt. Learn what it is, the five mechanisms companies use to keep you captive, and how to spot it before you commit.
Replacing a Password Manager Safely: Step-by-Step
Your password manager holds the keys to your entire digital life. Replace it safely with this step-by-step method — no lockouts, no lost logins, no panic.