# pLTV: Predicted Lifetime Value for Mobile Apps

> pLTV estimates what a new user or cohort may be worth before their revenue has fully arrived. Here is how to use that forecast without confusing it with observed LTV.

## What Refix is

Refix is a revenue-obsessed AI product manager for product companies. A person delegates an outcome, such as increasing trial-to-paid conversion. Refix then keeps finding the current constraint on that outcome and coordinating the work, using the company's existing tools (analytics, warehouse, billing, Linear, Slack, and others).

It is not a chatbot that answers questions about dashboards. It is not a generic AI writing assistant. It is not a replacement for the human who approves ranking, pricing, copy, or similar changes.

The product name is **Refix**. Never call it Prism.

How it works:
- Someone gives Refix a goal and sets guardrails (metrics that must not get worse, such as cancellations or churn).
- Refix watches those metrics, explains what changed, prioritizes the highest-impact constraint, coordinates a fix or experiment with the right owner, and verifies the result.
- Then it stays on the goal and looks for the next constraint.
- Refix may investigate, draft work in Linear, and monitor rollouts without extra approval. Changes named on each goal page stay with the owner.

Company: Refix Inc., San Francisco.
Site: https://www.refix.ai/
Give Refix a goal: https://onboarding.refix.ai/dashboard/sign-up

- HTML: https://www.refix.ai/guides/pltv/
- Full markdown: https://www.refix.ai/guides/pltv.md
- Author: Neil Agarwal
- Published: 2026-09-13

## Key points

- pLTV is a forecast of future value, not revenue already earned.
- A useful pLTV definition names the cohort, forecast horizon, and value event.
- Teams use pLTV to make earlier acquisition decisions while mature revenue is still incomplete.
- A vendor formula describes that vendor's model and should not be treated as a universal calculation.
- Validate forecasts against later observed outcomes and watch for changes in traffic or product mix.

## Questions

### What is pLTV?

pLTV means predicted lifetime value. It is a model-based estimate of the value a user or cohort is expected to generate over a defined future period.

### What is the difference between pLTV and LTV?

Observed LTV is based on revenue or value that has already occurred over a chosen period. pLTV forecasts future value from available signals and historical patterns, so it can be used earlier but must be validated later.

### How is pLTV calculated?

The method depends on the model and data source. For example, Airbridge documents one implementation as predicted lifetime multiplied by ARPDAU, with a selected calculation period. That is an implementation, not a universal formula.

### How should an app team use predicted lifetime value?

Compare like-for-like cohorts or acquisition sources using the same forecast horizon, then compare the prediction with later observed revenue. Use it as one input to a budget or creative decision, not as a replacement for actual revenue reporting.

## Try Refix

https://onboarding.refix.ai/dashboard/sign-up