Robin Thurston, the founder of MapMyFitness and current CEO of Outside, has had a remarkable journey from being a semi-professional cyclist to a successful tech entrepreneur. In a candid discussion, Robin shares valuable insights and experiences from his entrepreneurial journey.
A Passion for Cycling
Robin's love for cycling began in his childhood in Colorado, where he had the opportunity to go skiing in the winters and cycling in the summers. His competitive nature and social drive led him to a "semi-professional" cycling career, where he participated in elite events like the Zinger Mini Classic. Although he describes himself as more of a "bottle carrier and breakaway chaser" than a race winner, Robin's cycling career allowed him to travel across Europe, learn languages, and make lifelong friends.
The Birth of MapMyFitness
The idea for MapMyFitness came to Robin during a cycling trip to Switzerland in 2005. A fellow cyclist expressed the desire to ride the same roads Robin knew, even without Robin being there. This sparked the idea for a platform that would allow users to create maps of their rides and share them with others. MapMyFitness was built on top of the Google Maps API, and the timing was perfect. MapMyRun and MapMyRide became two of the first iPhone apps, gaining massive popularity and millions of downloads.
Entrepreneurial Lessons
Robin shares several key lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Seize Opportunities: Robin capitalized on the opportunity to create a product that didn't exist at the time, leading to the success of MapMyFitness.
- Focus on Customer Needs: MapMyFitness had a technology-driven culture that prioritized customer needs and used an agile approach to iterate based on customer feedback.
- Understand Exit Options: Entrepreneurs who take capital have three potential exit options: go bust, sell to a strategic buyer, or go public. Understanding these options is essential for decision-making.
- Content vs. Hardware: Robin believed in building a subscription business with content rather than hardware. He saw content as a way to bring people back to the platform more often and create a stable business.
A Mission to Promote Outdoor Activities
With Outside, Robin aims to promote outdoor activities and improve global health. He believes that people are spending less time outdoors, leading to a health crisis. Robin is driven by a mission to create technology with strong reward mechanisms to encourage outdoor time and improve people's well-being.
Robin's journey exemplifies the importance of seizing opportunities, understanding exit options, staying resilient, and having a mission-driven approach to entrepreneurship.
For more insights and the full podcast with Robin Thurston, check out the Terra Blog article and the YouTube podcast.
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