Strava is not a profitable business and they need to really shift their strategy. To this end I don't think a user subscription service will ever be the answer and they need to do more than add some additional functionally. Like facebook their primary commodity is data and they need to leverage this much better. Linked-in is probably a good analogy where users can pay a premium but this isn't where the platform earns the real money.

If I were at the helm I would be looking to link advanced features in strava to a user advertising agreement in addition to a subscription. The user would agree to provide information and data in exchange for access to certain features. Strava can then sell this user database in a very targeted manner and at a premium because the consumer has consented to receiving the ads. At any point the user would have the option to 'remove ads' and retain the function by upgrading the subscription service. This will act as an entry point to get users into the money making side of the program.

I also thinks Strava needs to work much harder to provide extra value to 3rd party apps like Zwift, Pelton, etc. They could host something like Zwift Power and then work to leverage the marketing that comes with such a database. They key is to increase the amount of time people spend on Strava in order to increase the value of ad space.

.. they should delete the uploaded KOMs for non subscribers after .. hm .. 2 weeks ??

---

*
___/\___/\___/\___ the s u r f b o a r d of the K u r p f a l z is the r o a d b i k e .. oSo >>

Strava has great market share and brand value. And a very large user base and resulting data set. Like many tech companies I wonder if a buy out by a bigger company is not the ultimate end/goal. Seeing Google's buy of Fitbit is fresh is mind I bet Apple could use its pretty cash fund to buy Strava and incorporate it deeply into its profitable Apple Watch line.

.. agree .. their data about traffic streams has a great value for future mobility !!

---

*
___/\___/\___/\___ the s u r f b o a r d of the K u r p f a l z is the r o a d b i k e .. oSo >>

I've always wondered why Strava didn't buy/work more closely with Best Bike Split. Seems like an obvious thing and something people might actually be willing to pay for

So, you know this has been going on for several years, right? https://metro.strava.com/

ETA:
There's not enough $ in subscriptions, or in advertising.
$ is in commoditization of your data, eh?

---

no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

That boat sailed a few years ago when TrainingPeaks bought them. BBS is a cool app, but probably way too niche for the average Strava user.

---

---

Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

Sure, Apple could buy it with couch cushion change from the executive lounge. But the hardware-agnostic, open ecosystem nature of Strava runs counter to Apple's preference for a tightly controlled, vertically integrated business model where they own both the hardware and software side of the equation. Apple can't dial back Strava to work only on Apple hardware without braking it. And with hundreds of millions of devices in use world wide, shipped with (supposedly) annonymized data reporting defaulted to "enabled," Apple has no shortage of data to mine, either.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Yeah, I think terms of agreement basically already has them sucking up all your information and data. Even with all this data they still can't make money.

There are free plugins that let you analyze all the data. There is exactly zero reason to pay for a subscription to Strava. I won't shed a tear if it all burns to the ground. It will at least make group rides fun again.

---

---

Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

There was an interesting article on Outside Online a while back about Strava's business direction; the take home message was that they weren't interested in adding more features around data analysis etc, they wanted to move more towards the social-network side of thing, as demonstrated by them implementing blog-posts etc etc.

Not sure if that direction will change now, but it sure does feel like they've been standing still for a long time.

People a lot smarter than me have gone down this line and come to conclusion Strava is hard sell (https://www.outsideonline.com/...strava-james-quarles). Strava is mature by tech standards and has yet to make a profit so the room for growth is not clear nor is the path to profitability. The valuations I have seen would reflect Strava's position as a mature company and it can be difficult to justify to shareholders how such an acquisition represents good returns on the investment. Its almost gotten to big and too mature to be acquired.

The only ads I ever see on Strava are Strava's ads. I use the free version because...well I use something else for analysis. So...if it's a social network you need to support it with ads.

---

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

They're getting something from Trainer Road and Zwift for the branded activity posts with screen-shots/virtual-maps.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qB0c_XWXso

Here's a good podcast about the founders.

It's not fully up to date, but I'm sure you'll draw something from it.

As soon as they start putting ads on the page I will stop using it.
I prefer to pay for something directly rather than by having to see loads of adverts and be tracked. Which is why I have paid to use it from the beginning. I liked it, saw a value in it and so wanted it to succeed.
The free service could be much more limited, removing the ability to upload photos would probably save them quite a bit on data storage.

The advertising revenue model is flawed and is killing the internet. It seems almost every website you visit wants you to confirm that you would like to be tracked and your info sold to umpteen third parties. If I get that when I visit a new site I frequently just close down the tab and look for somewhere else for the information I was searching for.

That's cool and all. But most of us aren't on strava for their workout analysis. We're there for the social aspect and not their paid content...so how do you monetize the 99% of users?

---

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

You add features that are social-focused that people want.

For example, why on @#$@# earth don't they have a group ride meetup engine? Why can't I create a group ride on Strava, and have it automatically push the planned route to everyone who has confirmed planning to be on that ride? After all, Garmin, Wahoo, Stages, and Lezyne GPS units support this just fine. This shouldn't be tied to a club or group - just a random URL that can be shared on any social media platform where people can RSVP and also have various privacy control

And then, now that that's set, why the @#$#@ doesn't it use Strava Beacon to show where all the people on the group ride are in real-time? Someone falls of the back and we actually know where they are, or when the group is coming around the corner so you can jump on. Again, leverage existing Strava privacy zones here.

These are all things that they have the puzzle pieces in place for. It's also things that Specialized as able to prototype within their 'Ride' app like a year ago, and that somehow isn't really core to their business yet is exactly what Strava should be doing.

As for monetizing it - easy: Summit members can create these events, non-summit doesn't get live tracking. Some will complain, most will upgrade.

Rinse & repeat with 12 new features per year. Just like every other tech company in the Bay Area. Stop focusing on sport things that aren't core to 95% of your userbase (which based on their own numbers is runners/walkers, and cyclists). Mark Liversedge put it best today on Twitter: ""imagine the things you could offer if you were Strava. Could pretty much destroy the TrainingPeaks and TodaysPlans of this world overnight." - https://twitter.com/.../1191719218909188096 (and he's 100% right. They could easily do that if they decided to)

---

-
My tiny little slice of the internets: dcrainmaker.com

Doesn't that all go against the I Don't Work Out with my phone crowd that seems to permeate slowtwitch wanting music on their watch?

---

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Nah, because I’m primarily talking cyclists - which make up the bulk of Strava’s uploads. And most people take their phone with them.

---

-
My tiny little slice of the internets: dcrainmaker.com

[credit : Matt S. from a Strava forum]

That's a fair point. On some recent rides I've been on the ride leaders have used RideWithGPS to distribute the route to load on head units, Strava to link to the Strava version for segment recon, Google Maps to show where to meet, then Facebook to distribute all the above to a specific group.

One could argue that there's opportunity for integration there.

On the other hand I come from a Unix background where combining tools that do one thing really well into useful compositions is perfectly fine. Vs. the Apple method of everything having to be tightly integrated.

And thought the above method *sounds* convoluted, it works. And it's hard to beat Facebook at Facebook. Many have tried.

I have no clue how or why Strava hasn't replaced TrainingPeaks. Seems like such low hanging fruit. Now, I like TP, but I'm just saying. If I were TP, I would have partnered (loooonnnnggg-term contract) with Strava from day 1 to prevent being put out of business...

---

wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Not a fan? :)

… which would add zero extra value to members who primarily train solo.

It's inconceivable that at this day and age you can configure gear on your Strava account (bikes/shoes) that cannot be automagically detected from the ingested sensor data. If I have two bikes with a speed/cadence sensor on each, it shouldn't be a rocket scientist project to have any ride automagically tagged against the right bike. At any other company, this would be an intern project, but apparently Strava lacks the will / skill to get such a stupid-ass feature done. End rant.