Launch HN: Charge Running (YC W21) – Social running app with real-time coaching
62 comments
I used to be a marathoner, having logged over 10 thousand and some kilometers across various fitness apps. I'd led a few clinics and very much enjoy the running world. The running community sorely needs connectivity solutions like this imo. Especially with Covid, most communities have seen local running groups halt and essentially disperse. Strava is still strong however, and Zwift running is the closest thing I seem to use for building connections live with other runners. Something is still needed to make the experience more personable though in this space. I wish you and your team the very best of luck.
This is exactly it. I love Strava, however, if I want to feel like i'm connected with people. I'm definitely not a marathoner, and I'm someone who needs the motivation to put on my shoes in the morning.
Knowing that a coach is going to guide me, and that they see I'm signed up is great, but knowing that there's other people running at the same time make it even better.
Thank you very much for the kind words!
Knowing that a coach is going to guide me, and that they see I'm signed up is great, but knowing that there's other people running at the same time make it even better.
Thank you very much for the kind words!
Congrats on the launch.
Because it is kind of hidden, I am pasting the pricing from the FAQ
A one-month subscription is $29.99 and an annual subscription is $239.99/year ($20/month). Both options give you unlimited access to every Charge Running class, as well as our weekly “Club Races”.
Because it is kind of hidden, I am pasting the pricing from the FAQ
A one-month subscription is $29.99 and an annual subscription is $239.99/year ($20/month). Both options give you unlimited access to every Charge Running class, as well as our weekly “Club Races”.
These workout subscription cost seem insane to me. Why are these apps costing the price of a gym, with none of the access to equipment. I know it's the price of a drop in class or two, but given that these apps/coaches could do many x more people in one group should drive prices much lower imo.
edit: to be honest though, it does sound like a fun app and good idea. Especially after I've gotten back into running this new year, after being out for the last 2 years from an injury I got during a half marathon, and had a hard time getting back into running. I do want to give it a try, but i have trust issues with free trials if I have to put my card in.
edit: to be honest though, it does sound like a fun app and good idea. Especially after I've gotten back into running this new year, after being out for the last 2 years from an injury I got during a half marathon, and had a hard time getting back into running. I do want to give it a try, but i have trust issues with free trials if I have to put my card in.
I'm a runner, and I love it. Two things from my POV.
1) Gyms are no competition for my money because I have no interest in going.
2) I am continually relieved at how cheap running is relative to most hobbies - I just pay for shoes, some clothes (don't need many), and race fees. Personally I feel like I have plenty of headroom to give on what I'd be willing to spend on what is easily my favorite hobby, and would really consider paying for something like this (I just had a kid so I'm not doing a lot of training right now).
For comparison, I have paid ~$100 for 3-month training programs and would gladly do it again. So these prices are in line with what I'd expect to pay for a dedicated running training program.
1) Gyms are no competition for my money because I have no interest in going.
2) I am continually relieved at how cheap running is relative to most hobbies - I just pay for shoes, some clothes (don't need many), and race fees. Personally I feel like I have plenty of headroom to give on what I'd be willing to spend on what is easily my favorite hobby, and would really consider paying for something like this (I just had a kid so I'm not doing a lot of training right now).
For comparison, I have paid ~$100 for 3-month training programs and would gladly do it again. So these prices are in line with what I'd expect to pay for a dedicated running training program.
> Gyms are no competition for my money because I have no interest in going.
Sure but at a gym you also get unlimited access to coach led group training _in person_, as well as unlimited access to large and expensive facilities, so it doesn't really make sense that this costs as much as a gym membership.
Sure but at a gym you also get unlimited access to coach led group training _in person_, as well as unlimited access to large and expensive facilities, so it doesn't really make sense that this costs as much as a gym membership.
most gyms won't have coaching geared towards distance runners, though. Competitive distance runners are specialized enough that most fitness classes won't really give them what they're looking for.
If you're somebody who goes for a couple runs a week to supplement their main forms of exercise I agree that this is a pretty steep price to pay.
If you're somebody who goes for a couple runs a week to supplement their main forms of exercise I agree that this is a pretty steep price to pay.
Great feedback. I completely understand that the price point may not be for everybody. We've done our best to keep the pricing competitive while still being able to pay our coaches fair wages. We've also tried to look at it from both our costs, and value added.
We do offer 20 different classes each and every day. Users who purchase an annual subscription can get an entire year of content, thousands of runs for less than a pair of competition running shoes.
Even for a runner that only uses our application once a week, they pay under $5 a class for a live certified coach, curated playlists (that cost a decent amount for copyright), live streaming data and other costs.
At scale these things may become more economical, and we may be able to offer a lower price.
We do offer 20 different classes each and every day. Users who purchase an annual subscription can get an entire year of content, thousands of runs for less than a pair of competition running shoes.
Even for a runner that only uses our application once a week, they pay under $5 a class for a live certified coach, curated playlists (that cost a decent amount for copyright), live streaming data and other costs.
At scale these things may become more economical, and we may be able to offer a lower price.
How do you guarantee the coach is going to give me value? As far as I can tell, there doesn't seem like a cap on the number of people in any group, there could be a dozen or a few hundred. What is the coaches value to me if I'm one of the few hundred people in a group?
From a company perspective, that's our main goal. If we don't give you value, you don't say subscribed. If we do give value, we have runners that stay with us for years.
While class sizes may differ, right now they're definitely smaller, allowing for a lot of time per coach. That will change with time, but it's our mission to provide as much value as humanly possible to our users.
While class sizes may differ, right now they're definitely smaller, allowing for a lot of time per coach. That will change with time, but it's our mission to provide as much value as humanly possible to our users.
That’s not really an answer at all. And it’s not even true. At least when it comes to gyms they have huge numbers of people that keep paying without going.
My apologies, let me clarify. We guarantee that we will provide value by offering a money-back guarantee in the first 7 days. If you don't find value, you don't need to pay.
Many gyms work really hard to lock you into long-term contracts, where you need to provide adequate reason to unsubscribe. With Charge, you're not locked into something long-term, and it's much easier for you to leave. From a business perspective, this requires us to continue to provide value for our customers, which is exactly what we're trying to do.
Don't take me at my word though, I'd love to hear your feedback. Would you be willing to try it out and let me know if you found value in the coaching?
Many gyms work really hard to lock you into long-term contracts, where you need to provide adequate reason to unsubscribe. With Charge, you're not locked into something long-term, and it's much easier for you to leave. From a business perspective, this requires us to continue to provide value for our customers, which is exactly what we're trying to do.
Don't take me at my word though, I'd love to hear your feedback. Would you be willing to try it out and let me know if you found value in the coaching?
I haven't been running regularly for ages, but the gyms in Denmark are closed now so I suppose there's no time like the present to pick it up again!
Do it! I started running again at the beginning of the year, after 2 years of trying to get back into it. The first few weeks really sucked, but now I can't wait for my run days. I really wanna run on more days but don't want to turn myself again.
I started 1 1/2 miles 2 days per week.
I'm up to 3 miles 3 days per week.
I started 1 1/2 miles 2 days per week.
I'm up to 3 miles 3 days per week.
Again, I do like your concept, so I'm only being critical because I'd like to try, but there are two things holding me back
1. I have to enter my credit card for a 7 day trial
2. then I have to email you to cancel it within 7 days. I should be able to hit a button
There should be a free trial, no credit card.
I'm usually one to get the annual subscription on services, so I would get that here, but like a gym, i can't cancel after 7 days if I don't think I'm getting value, and I think this type of service would take more than a week to know if it's valuable. $10 more per month for monthly seems steep.
I'm putting this in the perspective of Gym membership costs, idk if other people think the same way.
1. I have to enter my credit card for a 7 day trial
2. then I have to email you to cancel it within 7 days. I should be able to hit a button
There should be a free trial, no credit card.
I'm usually one to get the annual subscription on services, so I would get that here, but like a gym, i can't cancel after 7 days if I don't think I'm getting value, and I think this type of service would take more than a week to know if it's valuable. $10 more per month for monthly seems steep.
I'm putting this in the perspective of Gym membership costs, idk if other people think the same way.
Yea I’m not saying that a running freak would get very much out of joining a gym, I’m just comparing what a gym rat gets for his 30 bucks with what their customers get, and he seems to get a helluva lot more. So it just makes me wonder if people will be happy to pay.
Maybe they will, people pay for peloton. Then again that’s essentially a cult, and the contents seems richer.
Nice idea though, I wish I had thought of it!
Although, given that the coaching isn’t personal, and not even done in a local group, how much can a competitive runner really get out of it?
Maybe they will, people pay for peloton. Then again that’s essentially a cult, and the contents seems richer.
Nice idea though, I wish I had thought of it!
Although, given that the coaching isn’t personal, and not even done in a local group, how much can a competitive runner really get out of it?
I've also gotten back into running and love, I look forward to my runs, but gyms offer much more in the sense that you get access to equipment.
Running is cheap, and I happily pay for the nice things I use to run. $200 shoes every few months, no problem. $60/year for strava to track my goals, runs, best time, and be competitive with my friends, gladly pay that.
Paying $100 for a 3 months training program in person is different than a large group virtual training program for about the same price. IMO the economy at scales should make this app much cheaper.
I guess I also just don't understand how this works as there's not really any good videos, or demos on what exactly a session looks like. On the flip side of that, to cancel the trial you have to email them
Running is cheap, and I happily pay for the nice things I use to run. $200 shoes every few months, no problem. $60/year for strava to track my goals, runs, best time, and be competitive with my friends, gladly pay that.
Paying $100 for a 3 months training program in person is different than a large group virtual training program for about the same price. IMO the economy at scales should make this app much cheaper.
I guess I also just don't understand how this works as there's not really any good videos, or demos on what exactly a session looks like. On the flip side of that, to cancel the trial you have to email them
>Why are these apps costing the price of a gym, with none of the access to equipment.
At least in tech, the biggest cost center is employee wages, it's possible that this is what's happening here, the cost of employees (coaches) is probably their biggest cost.
At least in tech, the biggest cost center is employee wages, it's possible that this is what's happening here, the cost of employees (coaches) is probably their biggest cost.
Great point, thank you!
Because this is a live experience with a coach in your ear, there is a cost involved
Because this is a live experience with a coach in your ear, there is a cost involved
What if you used GPT-3 and 15.ai (currently down, but it produces voice-actor-quality audio) to offer your service?
As a developer, I would love to have this! However, after talking to our users, the biggest thing that we consistently hear is that they love the community, and the coaches.
For example they can talk with Coach Amy on social media, chat with Coach Rory on Clubhouse, and see Coach Justin making a funny TikTok. The relatable coaches may not be the reason that runners are coming to the app, but they're definitely a major reason into why they stay.
For example they can talk with Coach Amy on social media, chat with Coach Rory on Clubhouse, and see Coach Justin making a funny TikTok. The relatable coaches may not be the reason that runners are coming to the app, but they're definitely a major reason into why they stay.
I wonder what the liability concerns with this are. Could a runner that gets injured because the AI coach bugs out and tells them to do something dangerous (e.g. extreme overtraining) sue?
We do require an injury waiver for all users to agree to before accepting to hearing coaching advice
Why did you already build an Android app? You now have to maintain it as you iterate the product. Did you reach some growth milestone and decide to expand platforms in order to maintain growth? Or did you determine that the p2p nature of your app requires maximal network potential in order to have any traction?
Congrats on your progress. This is a difficult and risky path you’ve undertaken! Having used RockMyRun early on, and the new Nike coaching, I definitely appreciate the coaching and am curious how real-time will help (yay accountability) or hinder (ugh, scheduling) me getting my runs in.
Congrats on your progress. This is a difficult and risky path you’ve undertaken! Having used RockMyRun early on, and the new Nike coaching, I definitely appreciate the coaching and am curious how real-time will help (yay accountability) or hinder (ugh, scheduling) me getting my runs in.
Regarding Android, you hit the nail on the head. Nearly all of our customers were coming from word of mouth. Runners wanted to have their whole club do a run together, and not having an Android app made it impossible.
In addition, we've had requests for in-person races to offer a virtual option through Charge. This allows us to grow our user base with a unique go-to market strategy, and wouldn't be possible if we couldn't serve 50% of runners
Thank you for the kind words. Two notes for the live classes:
1. For me personally, having the runs scheduled has been one of the biggest reasons for me being successful on the platform. I plan all of my runs on Sunday nights, and they're on my calendar so I don't miss them. 2. If you can only run at another time, we do record many of the classes, and allow you to listen to them anytime you would like. You still get access to the leaderboard because we keep track on how far users have gone at different points in the run.
In addition, we've had requests for in-person races to offer a virtual option through Charge. This allows us to grow our user base with a unique go-to market strategy, and wouldn't be possible if we couldn't serve 50% of runners
Thank you for the kind words. Two notes for the live classes:
1. For me personally, having the runs scheduled has been one of the biggest reasons for me being successful on the platform. I plan all of my runs on Sunday nights, and they're on my calendar so I don't miss them. 2. If you can only run at another time, we do record many of the classes, and allow you to listen to them anytime you would like. You still get access to the leaderboard because we keep track on how far users have gone at different points in the run.
Matthew! I'm a front-end engineer at Twitter and an avid triathlete. Seeing this post and the progress you have made gave me overwhelming motivation. I want to help out, I don't even know how but I don't want to miss the opportunity to be apart of something this awesome.
Wow, thank you so much for the kind words. I'd love to chat more! Feel free to email me at matthew (at) chargerunning dot com
Really cool looking product. The group that I run with in Los Angeles did weekly runs on Saturday mornings pre-COVID, but since the pandemic has transitioned to remote runs where everyone dials into an audio call and runs separately. It's not a great experience. Your app sounds like it'd be a big improvement over what we're currently doing.
The one piece of feedback I'd give is that it's incredibly difficult to find pricing info on your site. I'm sure this is intentional, and maybe you want people to just sign up for a free trial and then learn how much it actually costs later, but at least for me it's a huge turnoff when any product does this.
The one piece of feedback I'd give is that it's incredibly difficult to find pricing info on your site. I'm sure this is intentional, and maybe you want people to just sign up for a free trial and then learn how much it actually costs later, but at least for me it's a huge turnoff when any product does this.
We actually have several run clubs that run with Charge Running. You can share which class your joining with your Run Club and see everyone on that same leaderboard and chat room.
Regarding pricing, that's definitely a fair point, and something I think we could easily change. Thank you for the feedback
Regarding pricing, that's definitely a fair point, and something I think we could easily change. Thank you for the feedback
Hi - very cool idea! Will probably try it out. Apologize if this is on the site (could not find it) but do you plan to offer any features to "meet" local runners in person? I am always trying new run clubs, and some have stuck and some have not, but I would absolutely LOVE a way to meet local runners that run similar terrain/fitness levels as me. Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words. As of right now, we don't have an option to meet-up through the app, but we do have many users that are organizing their own meet-up groups via our Facebook Run Club.
This look like something that I would have used when I started running.
Most running injuries happen because of overtraining, heel striding, wrong shoes, rigid posture, stride length, bad upper body form and dynamics
Would any of these being taken into account? Considering the sensor data is from the phone I guess not.
It would be interesting to see a video of app in action as well as how the trainers view and give feedback.
Most running injuries happen because of overtraining, heel striding, wrong shoes, rigid posture, stride length, bad upper body form and dynamics
Would any of these being taken into account? Considering the sensor data is from the phone I guess not.
It would be interesting to see a video of app in action as well as how the trainers view and give feedback.
Great points. We do use the accelerometer and pedometer data in the phone to give the coaches many key parts of data such as cadence, average pace, stride length, and more.
Regarding form, one of the best ways that we've found to fix it is by doing routine "form checks". During this part of a run, a coach will walk you through your posture, and make suggestions. An example would be something like this:
"Let's take a minute and look at our feet. Where is your foot hitting the ground? If it's on your heel, focus on leading on the center of your foot." They would then proceed to do the same with your arms, shoulders, back, and more.
While we can't get exact data here, we can provide runners with a way of actively thinking about these form issues.
Regarding form, one of the best ways that we've found to fix it is by doing routine "form checks". During this part of a run, a coach will walk you through your posture, and make suggestions. An example would be something like this:
"Let's take a minute and look at our feet. Where is your foot hitting the ground? If it's on your heel, focus on leading on the center of your foot." They would then proceed to do the same with your arms, shoulders, back, and more.
While we can't get exact data here, we can provide runners with a way of actively thinking about these form issues.
"I quit my job as an iOS contractor for a big company to focus on a start-up full time, at the same time my wife was 8 months pregnant with our first child."
If you are willing to share, leaving Big Co, at this delicate time, how did you plan family health insurance?
If you are willing to share, leaving Big Co, at this delicate time, how did you plan family health insurance?
You can buy it directly from healthcare.gov.
I did it for 3 years as a contractor. It really wasn't that hard.
I did it for 3 years as a contractor. It really wasn't that hard.
I agree, purchasing it was not the hard part. It was the cost changing by state, specifically for Illinois.
I was previously employed by a company in the state of Michigan, and to match the same coverage was not even possible on healthcare.gov. The closest thing was nearly double the price, and when you're going through your first pregnancy, you take a ton of other factors into account.
In hindsight we probably didn't need the advance plan that we had, but it was (and still is) a major portion of our expenses.
I was previously employed by a company in the state of Michigan, and to match the same coverage was not even possible on healthcare.gov. The closest thing was nearly double the price, and when you're going through your first pregnancy, you take a ton of other factors into account.
In hindsight we probably didn't need the advance plan that we had, but it was (and still is) a major portion of our expenses.
> I was previously employed by a company in the state of Michigan, and to match the same coverage was not even possible on healthcare.gov. The closest thing was nearly double the price, and when you're going through your first pregnancy, you take a ton of other factors into account.
Well that should be expected since your employer is not longer covering part of the plans cost.
Well that should be expected since your employer is not longer covering part of the plans cost.
The bigger change was the difference per state, nearly double. (I paid it 100% out of pocket after I left my employer)
To be totally honest, health insurance has been awful as a contractor, and as a start-up entrepreneur. I was working for this large company for over a year, but because I was labeled as a contractor, health insurance was not provided. I have a healthy family, yet we have to pay a ton of money because we're not on a corporate plan.
The solution to the problem was saving up money. I built up 6 months of runway where I knew my family could go without income. We made it last 7 months, and then I found another job to pay the bills while I continued working on start-up.
After literally years of trying to do both, Charge is finally at the stage where it can pay the bills and be my sole focus, but there was way more blood sweat and tears that went into it than I would have ever dreamed.
The solution to the problem was saving up money. I built up 6 months of runway where I knew my family could go without income. We made it last 7 months, and then I found another job to pay the bills while I continued working on start-up.
After literally years of trying to do both, Charge is finally at the stage where it can pay the bills and be my sole focus, but there was way more blood sweat and tears that went into it than I would have ever dreamed.
Very nice, congratulations on your launch! As a lifelong runner I go through phases where I want to train for a specific race, and phases where I just want to go out and enjoy the experience without worrying about speed or distance.
This app seems to address a need somewhere in the middle...you want metrics, accountability, and ostensibly, to get better at running. But you aren't training for a specific distance, and you aren't just wanting to get out for a casual jog.
Basically, I really want to try this out (and I will!), but I don't see myself as a long-time user of it. Unless the community aspect really does something for me that I'm not anticipating.
This app seems to address a need somewhere in the middle...you want metrics, accountability, and ostensibly, to get better at running. But you aren't training for a specific distance, and you aren't just wanting to get out for a casual jog.
Basically, I really want to try this out (and I will!), but I don't see myself as a long-time user of it. Unless the community aspect really does something for me that I'm not anticipating.
Great points. Ideally, we want to target all three phases.
When training for a race, we want to offer classes that fit well into your training schedule. When you're not training and just going out for a fun run, we want to offer the most engaging experience out there.
We're still early, but that's our thought process
When training for a race, we want to offer classes that fit well into your training schedule. When you're not training and just going out for a fun run, we want to offer the most engaging experience out there.
We're still early, but that's our thought process
I thought I’d take a look and stopped at step 1 (or step 2) of the signup flow. I’m curious why the signup page on the website has a sign up with Facebook option but doesn’t have a signup with Google or signup with Apple option. I thought there would be parity because of Apple’s App Store rules on this.
FWIW, I’m not the target customer for this service due to the high pricing and the fact that I’m not a runner.
FWIW, I’m not the target customer for this service due to the high pricing and the fact that I’m not a runner.
Hey all! I'm the co-founder that Matthew was referring to above. I've recently made my exit from the military after 12.5 years to pursue this crazy adventure! If you have any questions about the coaching or class structure, let us know!
The main issue I've seen (and have worked on to improve) is running form (heel striking, upper torso movement, etc). How can this app help on this? My form now is pretty good so my next goal is increasing speed + distance, which requires a training schedule (e.g. speed drills). Is this something that the app will (does) have? Thanks!
Offering feedback on running form has been one of the biggest requests that we've gotten, as well as training schedules catered to your specific needs.
All of our daily classes follow a week-long progression to make sure that you are getting in a proper training cycle and avoiding overtraining. An example is if you were to join the 6AM classes each day during the week, you might have speed drills on Monday followed by a base run Tuesday, followed by a light interval run on Wednesday for recovery, etc...
Fun Fact! Olympian Jeff Galloway is starting speed work in Charge the week of March 14th. He will be taking over some of our track attack classes for speed work.
To address running form, we recently launched private coaching, where runners can work directly with one of our certified coaches to develop a specific training program catered to their current experience level and training goals. This includes an in-depth running form analysis video where we receive a video of them running, and provide a video back thats broken down piece-by-piece to give direct feedback on how to improve running form for injury prevention and overall efficiency.
All of our daily classes follow a week-long progression to make sure that you are getting in a proper training cycle and avoiding overtraining. An example is if you were to join the 6AM classes each day during the week, you might have speed drills on Monday followed by a base run Tuesday, followed by a light interval run on Wednesday for recovery, etc...
Fun Fact! Olympian Jeff Galloway is starting speed work in Charge the week of March 14th. He will be taking over some of our track attack classes for speed work.
To address running form, we recently launched private coaching, where runners can work directly with one of our certified coaches to develop a specific training program catered to their current experience level and training goals. This includes an in-depth running form analysis video where we receive a video of them running, and provide a video back thats broken down piece-by-piece to give direct feedback on how to improve running form for injury prevention and overall efficiency.
Great! Will definitely try it out. Is there an option to get the benefit of the app w/o the "social" part? Running for me has always been a solo sport, closer to meditation.
Excited you're going to try it out, and we would love the feedback! At the current time, we don't have any option for omitting the social aspect. We've been laser-focused on creating an addictingly social experience that drives users back into the app in order to push them harder and further than they would alone.
With that said, we do know that some runners enjoy solo running more, so we are working on future features to track your solo runs so you can still earn upgradeable medals for weekly/monthly/overall mileage tracked in the app.
With that said, we do know that some runners enjoy solo running more, so we are working on future features to track your solo runs so you can still earn upgradeable medals for weekly/monthly/overall mileage tracked in the app.
Will wait until the solo mode is available then :)
We do offer an On-Demand option if you'd like to see what it's like on your own!
If you're someone who prefers running by themselves, this may be the best of both worlds. You can see what a live run would be like, without needing to think about the live aspect.
If you're someone who prefers running by themselves, this may be the best of both worlds. You can see what a live run would be like, without needing to think about the live aspect.
Isn't the social aspect the entire point of the app?
How did you build the iOS app? UIKit? Objective-C++? Swift? React Native? SwiftUI? Flutter?
a lot of options these days
a lot of options these days
Great question. We built the app in Native Swift, with UIKit, since when we started SwiftUI was not yet available.
Since the release of iOS 13, we've built all of our new screens in SwiftUI, so we're now more than 50% on the new framework.
The Android application is in Kotlin
Since the release of iOS 13, we've built all of our new screens in SwiftUI, so we're now more than 50% on the new framework.
The Android application is in Kotlin
How does the music component work and how to you deal with copyright issues?
Each running coach is choosing the music, and adjusting things like tempo based on what the specific workout is.
Regarding copyright, we keep track of each song played, and the number of people that listen. We then send this to the large music groups each quarter, and pay royalties.
Regarding copyright, we keep track of each song played, and the number of people that listen. We then send this to the large music groups each quarter, and pay royalties.
How are you technically pulling this off? E.g Are you integrated with Spotify and leveraging an API to stream music? I love the idea by the way, just curious about the implementation.
We're streaming the audio through a server that tracks which song is played, and records each one. We actually use the same technology that powered internet radios back it the Winamp days.
On the software side, we use Djay pro, which can forward the song id along to the server for recording the data.
On the software side, we use Djay pro, which can forward the song id along to the server for recording the data.
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I’m Matthew Knippen, a 10 year iOS dev turned CEO for Charge Running (www.chargerunning.com). We built a mobile app that allows you to run with others from all over the world in real-time, all while being trained by a certified run coach. Think of us as Peloton for running, but way more social. You can learn more about our product here: http://www.chargerunning.com
I’m a career mobile dev that always liked hacking on things, and worked on over 60 applications ranging from photos, games, and fitness. Over the years, when I come across a problem in my life, I write code to solve it. I built a garage door opener app before it was cool, an electronic Go board, and an app to track different whiskeys I’ve tasted like “Untappd for Spirits.” Charge was born out of a much bigger personal problem:
I used to run a fair bit with my friend (and now co-founder) Rory. It was a great way to stay in shape and having someone to talk helped the time go by faster. Unfortunately, when Rory moved across the country for the military, both of us ran significantly less than we did before. I came to the conclusion running by myself… SUCKED! We were chatting about it on the phone one day knowing there had to be a better solution, and that's when we thought of Charge. I spent the weekend hacking something together, and on Monday, we tried it out.
Our first version of the app was an all white screen where it showed two things, Rory’s distance, and mine. We hopped on a phone, and used the app to have a friendly competition. A programmer vs a Navy Seal is rarely a fair challenge, and he kicked my a$$, but we LOVED it! On the backend, we utilized Firebase’s Realtime database for data, and a group phone call to manage audio. (Most of this has since been upgraded)
As any developer would want to do, we kept building on it, showing things like current pace, cadence, and more. A few friends wanted to join us, so we built support for multiple users, and listened to music while we ran. It was at this time that someone joined us that was a friend of a friend, and said “Now that I know I can run with this, I never want to run without it.”
So, we decided to turn our ugly hacked together app into an official product. When talking to our users, we found out that they wanted four things during their runs: 1. Motivation - The hardest part about going for a run is committing to do it and getting those shoes on 2. A social experience - Every other running app focuses on social after the run, not the ability to run with others in real-time. 3. Education - Most beginner runners just start running. After hearing Rory talk with them, they learned proper form and how to improve without getting injured. 4. Music - When asked what a big pain point was, users said they needed to put more work into their playlist than they spent running!
We took that information, and made a small pivot into dedicated coached classes, where a certified trainer would guide you through a specific type of workout. Each workout was effort-based, meaning whether you’re a complete beginner, or have run 25 marathons, you could join any class and fit right in.
We hired coaches (finding them by doing a bit of web scraping ) and built an audio solution with professional DJ software, allowing the coaches to change the beat of the music and auto-blend them together.
Rory and our other co-founder Julie (my sister), would host a few classes a day. I quit my job as an iOS contractor for a big company to focus on a start-up full time, at the same time my wife was 8 months pregnant with our first child. (I have the world’s most supportive wife!)
We launched, and we’re instantly overwhelmed. Apple featured us on “New Apps We Love”. MacWorld called us the “App of the Week”. We got 25K downloads, but we're still in a very early beta. We had no on-boarding. No app store video. Calling it a website would be an exaggeration. No one knew what we did, or how it worked, and we churned 99% of the users within the first week.
However, the ones that stayed lit a fire inside of us that we never knew we had. We talked to them constantly, and they defined our product roadmap. Since then, we’ve had users run over 350,000 miles in live classes, hosted a wedding day ceremony for them, and have seen people become best friends who live halfway across the world from each other. That being said, we really want to learn more, and keep iterating. We would love to hear the community's feedback and answer any questions.