How Strava built a Global Fitness Community with 100M+ users | Expanding a consumer app to 196 Countries | Why Strava never intended to be a Venture Case | Hiring Young Potentials instead of Senior Staff (with Strava Co-Founder Mark Gainey)

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

• w Strava started as a "virtual locker room" in 1995 and why it didn’t work
• The role of timing, technology, and social media in Strava’s eventual success
• Building a Community-Driven Platform:
• Why Strava focused on engagement over growth and how this approach led to organic scaling
• Creating joy and reducing friction for users is important to keep them active and engaged
• Key Lessons in Scaling:
• How Strava expanded from cyclists to runners and other sports while staying authentic to each audience
• The challenges of internationalization and adapting to cultural nuances in markets like Brazil and the UK
• Navigating Challenges with Investors:
• How Mark balanced user-first decisions with investor expectations for growth
• The importance of patience, persistence, and perspective in building a long-term business
• Advice for Founders:
• Why does exponential growth start slow, and how do you stay motivated during the early stages?
• The value of maintaining a life outside of work is to avoid burnout and gain fresh perspectives.

ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY:

https://zez.am/unicornbakery

Where to find Mark:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gainey-b6536/

Website: https://www.strava.com/

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) The 1995 Origin Story of Strava

(00:09:31) Most crucial denominator for the success of Strava

(00:16:09) The journey of growth & global ambitions

(00:20:51) Defining the critical engagement-metrics

(00:29:08) A risky dependency on Garmin

(00:44:04) Internationalization: must-have or coincidence?

(00:50:06) The layers of product market fit

(00:53:45) How to: Build a global community app

(00:57:57) Teambuilding & culture at Strava

(01:05:38) How to manage growth expectations

(01:13:42) Mark's opinion on what makes a great investor

(01:17:00) How to: Grow junior staff into new roles and responsibilities

(01:21:47) Mark's advice for struggling founders