Strava executive chairman Mark Gainey and his co-founder Mike Horvath came up with the idea for Stava in the mid-1990s, but weren’t able to make their vision a reality until 2009, when mobile and GPS technology reached an inflection point. In the meantime, they built Kana Communications into a business that earned a valuation of more than $10 billion. When they returned to the “virtual lockerroom” idea that became Strava, they made a crucial decision: They would focus their go-to-market strategy on passionate road cyclists, and build a fierce loyalty with that group before expanding to other sports categories. Gainey explains four core aspect of Strava’s “inch wide, mile deep” approach to engaging early customers.
Related
Luke Sykora,
Stanford University
Starting Up in a Downturn
An Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders mini-guide for aspiring founders facing a troubled economy.
Josh Makower, MD,
Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign
The Biodesign Innovation Process [Entire Talk]
Innovation isn’t random – it’s a process that can be learned, improved, and effectively deployed to solve specific problems.
Josh Makower, MD,
Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign
The Biodesign Innovation Process [Entire Talk]
Innovation isn’t random – it’s a process that can be learned, improved, and effectively deployed to solve specific problems.
John Felts,
Cruz Foam
Engineering Green Materials [Entire Talk]
To scale a technology, engineers need to think beyond the technology itself.
John Felts,
Cruz Foam
Engineering Green Materials [Entire Talk]
To scale a technology, engineers need to think beyond the technology itself.
