Mark Gainey | How Strava Made Running and Cycling Social
Feb 15, 2022
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Mark Gainey, co-founder of Strava, discusses his upbringing, early career, and what inspired him to start the company. They also explore the changing mindset of athletes influenced by media, the significance of perspective, and the challenge of balancing personal aspirations with social media validation. Gainey reflects on embracing struggle, building a great team, and their pivot from building a virtual locker room to developing software for managing customer emails.
Mark Gainey's passion for outdoor activities like skiing and running played a significant role in inspiring him to start Strava and build a community of athletes.
Mark emphasizes the importance of solving a personal problem and building a trusted consumer brand as the driving force behind starting Strava.
Strava's growth and evolution have led to increased engagement, with users spending 50 minutes in the app for every 1 minute of physical activity, and the platform's goal is to create a global community of athletes and support various initiatives.
Deep dives
Mark's Upbringing and Love for Outdoor Activities
Mark talks about growing up in Reno, Nevada and how he enjoyed outdoor activities like skiing, biking, and playing soccer. He also shares his passion for running and how it became a significant part of his life.
Transition from Athlete to Entrepreneur
Mark discusses his journey from being an athlete to becoming an entrepreneur. He shares his early entrepreneurial experiences, such as starting a concessions business in college, and how he developed a passion for entrepreneurship while working in private equity. He also talks about his decision to leave his job and start his first successful company.
The Birth of Strava and the Driving Forces Behind It
Mark explains the founding of Strava and the factors that influenced its creation. He highlights the emergence of social media and wearable devices as key elements that shaped the timing and feasibility of the Strava concept. He also emphasizes the importance of solving a personal problem and building a trusted consumer brand as the motivation behind starting Strava.
Starting a Business and Finding a Co-founder
The podcast episode follows the journey of the speaker and his co-founder in starting a business. Initially, the speaker left his job in finance to pursue entrepreneurship. To sustain himself financially, he negotiated with his landlord and worked part-time at a running store. During this time, he sought out potential co-founders and eventually connected with his current co-founder, who was a professor at Stanford. The speaker emphasizes the importance of checking one's ego at the door when venturing into entrepreneurship and highlights the value of finding a compatible co-founder.
Strava's Evolution and the Power of Community
The episode also discusses the growth and evolution of Strava, a platform for athletes. The speaker mentions that the platform has seen increased engagement, with users spending an average of 50 minutes in the app for every 1 minute they are actively engaged in physical activity. The speaker highlights Strava's goal to create a global community of athletes and promote an active lifestyle. Additionally, the speaker mentions Strava's role in supporting various initiatives, such as fundraising cycling trips and analyzing data for urban infrastructure planning and wildfire prevention. The episode concludes with optimism about the future and the potential for further innovation in the space.
Mark Gainey is the co-founder and executive chairman of Strava, an app for mostly runners and cyclists to track their physical activity and engage with others on its social network.
We spoke about Mark’s upbringing and early career all the way up to what inspired him to start the company and his vision for the future of the space.
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