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

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)

Listen Later
  • 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/ 


    Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter:

    2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach:

    https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ 


    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

    ...more
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    Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & TeamsBy Fabian Tausch
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