In today's episode, I am interviewing Kresten Jensen to discuss the topic of technology in fitness. How Motosumo has grown from three friends to a full-blown company.
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Kresten is the founder and CEO of Motosumo; a fitness app that allows people to participate in group training and to connect with one another.
Tell us your story, how did you get into this? (03:25)
- Kresten says he has always been keen on sports and fitness. The whole idea started when two of his friends came over for pizza and they started building on this idea.
- They were looking at similar concepts and felt that they could produce something more interesting.
- They thought if people were bringing their phones on a bike ride or a run, they could actually tell people how to move and provide insight into their power and efficiency.
- They approached their first investors, and as soon as they got the go-ahead, they jumped right into it.
- Creating an app to generate an income is tricky, because people look for free apps, and there are numerous fitness apps out there.
Where is the company now, as far as health clubs and gyms go? (07:37)
- Kresten says the company now has more than a thousand gyms on the platform, which was a big milestone for them.
- They reached the thousand mark by the new year 2019.
- He's always a bit cautious to give exact revenue but to provide a range; it's around $2000 per gym annually for the full service.
- He adds that at this point in time, they are still using more money than they are actually accumulating. But he is confident that this will change very soon.
Gamification, social networks, and events are powerful qualities. Did you implement these qualities intentionally? (09:43)
- He says initially, the social part wasn't part of their vision. It was meant to be used as a tracking tool for the individual.
- However, some more visionary team members convinced them of the benefits of connecting people. They were sceptical at first, but in no time they started seeing the positive effect of social connection.
- When he started thinking about gamification, his initial thought was to do something where people could compete. However, an advisor told them that the majority of people are collaborators and not competitors. People want to be part of a team.
- Although these qualities were initially not implemented on purpose, they definitely are now.
You started out as a group of friends with an idea, and now you are running a whole company. What was adaption like? (17:32)
- He says one of the biggest factors for him was the fact that you can't be involved in everything, and you definitely can't be an expert at everything.
- When you're only three to eight people, you know what everyone else is doing. But as the numbers grow, it's hard to keep track of everyone, so management systems and communication procedures must be put in place.
- The most challenging mental shift for him was that he had to let go of things he knows nothing about, and things that shouldn't bother him in the first place.
- He jokingly says that he believes he has been quite a nuisance for some of the company members because he wants to be a part of everything and be involved everywhere.
How do fitness professionals take advantage of technology like yours? (20:05)
- He says regardless of what your profession is, you can find the app useful, and it's really easy to use. It takes 5 minutes to install the app and you can get started right away.
- Once you've got the app, you just activate your gym on your phone. Since we are already using our smartphones for everything else, this is the sort of technology where you shouldn't be afraid to get started.
- They have a ten-minute explainer video, and if it takes you more than ten minutes to understand how Motosumo works, it's becoming too complicated.
- If you really want to take advantage of this, it's more than just downloading the app; you have to immerse yourself and see what the app can do for you. This will allow you to add value to your group fitness
Resources
Connect with Kresten on LinkedIn
Visit Motosumo Website
