Understanding the Strategy Behind Strava’s Indoor Workout Tracking Feature

When product managers make decisions about new features, there’s often a strategic thought process behind them. One interesting example is Strava's decision to launch indoor workout tracking on their app. This move might seem straightforward, but it reflects a deeper understanding of user behavior, market conditions, and long-term goals.

Strava's Mission and Initial Focus

Strava has always been known as a platform that connects athletes, primarily focusing on outdoor workouts like running and cycling. Its core functionality revolves around GPS tracking, which allows users to log and share their outdoor activities with a community of like-minded individuals. This outdoor-centric approach aligned well with Strava’s mission to create a social network for athletes, showcasing the routes they’ve covered and fostering connections through shared experiences.

The Shift in User Behavior

The introduction of indoor workout tracking can be traced back to a significant shift in user behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdowns and restrictions in place, many people found themselves unable to participate in outdoor activities as they usually would. The inability to travel to races or events, along with the closure of gyms, meant that more people turned to indoor workouts as an alternative.

Recognizing this shift, the product team at Strava saw an opportunity to cater to a new segment of users who were now engaging in indoor exercises. By offering the ability to track indoor workouts, Strava not only aimed to retain its existing users but also attract new users who were looking for ways to track their indoor fitness activities.

Hypotheses and Goals Behind the Launch

The primary goal behind launching the indoor workout feature was to increase user engagement by tapping into a new user base. The hypothesis was that by introducing this feature, Strava could reverse any decline in daily active users that might have occurred due to the pandemic. Additionally, it was believed that this new feature would appeal to users who preferred or were now limited to indoor workouts, thereby expanding Strava’s reach and relevance in the fitness community.

Measuring Success: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

To gauge the success of this new feature, several KPIs were identified. The primary KPI was daily active users (DAU), which would measure the overall engagement on the platform. The idea was to compare DAU before and after the launch of the indoor workout feature to see if there was an increase in activity.

Secondary KPIs included the sign-up rate of new users and the activity upload rate. The sign-up rate would indicate how effectively the new feature was attracting new users, while the activity upload rate would provide insights into how often users were engaging with the new indoor tracking capabilities.

Responding to Post-COVID Trends

An interesting consideration is how to respond if post-COVID data shows a continued preference for indoor workouts over outdoor ones. In this scenario, it would indicate that the indoor workout feature was not just a temporary fix but a significant addition to Strava’s offerings. The product team might then consider further expanding this feature, perhaps by introducing more indoor workout categories or enhancing the tracking accuracy for different types of indoor exercises.

Iterating and Expanding the Feature

Iteration is key in product development, and the Strava team would likely take an incremental approach to expanding their indoor workout tracking feature. Initially, they might focus on a few common indoor workouts like yoga, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and treadmill running. If these categories show strong user engagement, they could gradually introduce more options.

Future iterations might also include integrations with popular fitness devices like Apple Watch or Fitbit, allowing for more seamless tracking and a better user experience. However, such integrations would be considered further down the line, once the core indoor workout tracking feature has been fine-tuned and proven successful.

Prioritizing the Roadmap

When prioritizing the product roadmap, Strava’s team would weigh the potential benefits of each feature against the cost of development. For example, improving the accuracy of tracking for existing workout categories might be prioritized over adding new categories, especially if the former has a more direct impact on user retention and engagement.

Expanding the feature set to include more types of workouts would likely be the next step, followed by integrations with other fitness platforms or devices. The goal would be to continuously enhance the indoor workout experience, ensuring that Strava remains a valuable tool for a broad range of athletes, whether they prefer indoor or outdoor activities.

Final Thoughts

Strava’s decision to launch indoor workout tracking is a great example of how product teams need to stay responsive to changes in user behavior and external conditions. By expanding their focus to include indoor workouts, Strava not only addressed a temporary need during the pandemic but also set the stage for future growth and diversification in the fitness tracking space.

For aspiring product managers, this case highlights the importance of understanding user needs, setting clear goals, and measuring success through well-defined KPIs. It also emphasizes the need to be flexible and willing to iterate on features based on user feedback and market trends. As Strava continues to evolve, its ability to adapt to new challenges and opportunities will be key to its long-term success.