The Runna Podcast Why Strava Bought Runna: The Startup Story Behind Runna (with the CEOs of Strava & Runna)
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Sep 12, 2025 Dom Maskell, CEO and co-founder of Runna, and Mike Martin, CEO of Strava, share the thrilling journey behind Runna's acquisition by Strava. They delve into the evolution of Runna from a pandemic project to a global app, which now supports runners in seven languages. The duo recount the challenges of securing funding, having faced over 100 rejections, and discuss the innovative features that merge both platforms, promising an enhanced running experience. Join them for insightful anecdotes and their vision for the future of fitness technology.
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From Lockdown Project To Startup
- Dom taught himself to code by building an automated running-plan generator during lockdown.
- That side project became the seed for Runner after Ben turned weekly coaching docs into a product.
The PDF Plans That Became An App
- Early Runner sold personalized PDF plans emailed to customers and required manual edits by Dom.
- As demand grew, manual support scaled into daily edits until the team automated in-app plan editing.
Make Plans Adapt To Real Runs
- Let training adapt automatically to actual workouts and pacing to avoid overreach.
- Detect missed runs, mileage changes, or pace deviations and adjust future sessions accordingly.