Navigating Conflicting Data Sources in Finance and UA — PGC London Panel Discussion

At Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025, the Mobile Finance Collective had the pleasure of hosting an insightful panel discussion titled “Source of Truth: Navigating Conflicting Data Sources in Finance and UA.” Moderated by Martin Macmillan, the session featured an exceptional panel: Justin Stolzenberg (Metica), Mariusz Gąsiewski (Google), and MFC mentors Erla Gunnhildardóttir and Eric Ludwig.

Together, they unpacked one of the most critical and challenging topics for gaming studios today: ensuring alignment between UA and Finance teams to make data-driven decisions.

💡 Key Insights from the Panel

1️⃣ The Pitfalls of Misaligned Data:

• Inconsistent definitions and metrics can have grave consequences, such as overestimated growth, poor resource allocation, or even premature studio closures.
• Some world-world examples were shared — for example a studio mistakenly planning around flawed lifetime value (LTV) and payback period calculations, shortening their expected runway from 18 months to just 8 months.

2️⃣ Importance of Shared Definitions:

• Misunderstandings around UA metrics like D30 retention or payback periods often arise due to inconsistencies in how metrics are calculated. Aligning on common definitions and methodologies is crucial to ensure comparability across teams, studios, or even acquisitions.

3️⃣ Bridging the Gap Between Finance and UA:

• Effective collaboration between Finance and UA teams requires mutual understanding of their differing perspectives. Finance thinks in terms of cash flow and profitability, while UA operates on cohort-based timelines. Aligning these timelines enables informed, strategic decision-making.

4️⃣ A Unified Approach:

• The panel stressed the need for cross-functional collaboration, with Finance teams interrogating UA models and vice versa. This ensures that data is not just accurate but also applied in a way that reflects the company’s strategic goals.

📊 Why This Panel Matters

Conflicting data sources are a universal challenge in the gaming and apps industry, yet the stakes are higher than ever with rising UA costs and tighter resource constraints. By addressing these issues head-on, our panelists provided actionable strategies to reconcile conflicting data, avoid costly mistakes, and foster collaboration between key teams.

We are grateful to our brilliant panelists for sharing their expertise and to the audience for the lively discussion that followed. Events like this remind us of the power of community in tackling shared challenges!

If you would like your team to be involved in our pioneering new community for finance Leaders and founders in the mobile apps and gaming industry, you can read more on our website (www.mobfin.co). You can also reach out to Martin Macmillan or Anna Nikulina , who will be happy to answer all your questions.