Strava is renowned as the top fitness app globally, boasting 135 million users, 51 million weekly activities, and 1 million active clubs. With its new Athlete Intelligence feature, Strava proves it is committed to enhancing its services beyond what you might expect from an app of its caliber.
During the grand opening of the new San Francisco headquarters, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie praised Strava as an essential player in promoting the city as a prominent business destination. The office design, named after iconic fitness locations worldwide, mirrors Strava’s dedication to celebrating the global fitness community.
One standout display showcased a real-time map of San Francisco illustrating local Strava users’ activity throughout the day. This interactive feature caught my attention and got me discussing potential enhancements to existing features like the weekly heat maps.
Exploring the office further, I discovered a library of running books, GPS art, and running bibs from employees’ favorite races, making it a haven for fitness enthusiasts. However, my primary focus was delving into Athlete Intelligence with Strava’s CPO Matt Salazar and CTO Rob Terrell to uncover the app’s future trajectory.
Athlete Intelligence has room to grow
Recently out of beta, Athlete Intelligence has received positive feedback with over 80% of users finding it very helpful. Salazar and Terrell emphasized the unique approach of Strava’s AI in providing deeper insights into user data, making it more accessible to all skill levels.
While Strava’s AI currently focuses on running, hiking, walking, and cycling, Salazar hinted at expanding to other activities in the future. The team is dedicated to ensuring quality before broadening the scope of Athlete Intelligence.
Addressing concerns about the app’s reactive nature, Salazar and Terrell hinted at future developments to provide more personalized insights and proactive training recommendations. This evolution could benefit users at all levels of fitness.
Strava knows you’re mad about race distances
One of the most substantial challenges Strava faces is ensuring accurate distance tracking, particularly in races. The team acknowledges user frustrations and is exploring ways to address this issue by optimizing the app’s accuracy without compromising data integrity.
As a significant portion of activities stem from smartphones, which may not offer the same GPS precision as smartwatches, Strava is working on strategies to enhance accuracy and maintain user trust.
Terrell and Salazar outlined the complexities involved in addressing this issue, emphasizing the app’s commitment to transparency and accuracy in performance tracking.
Strava could help you ‘celebrate’ your race triumphs better
The possibility of official race leaderboards on Strava was discussed, considering the significant number of users who log major races on the platform. Salazar hinted at the importance of celebrating race achievements and suggested that future developments might cater to this desire.
While no specific plans were revealed, the prospects of enhanced race leaderboards and interactive comparisons on Strava left me optimistic about future features to connect and engage with fellow racers.
Where Strava goes next
Building on recent additions like Athlete Intelligence and enhanced integrations, Strava continues to innovate and improve its services for users. The team hints at exciting developments in store, underscoring the app’s commitment to evolving and enhancing user experience.
With a focus on providing more sophisticated insights and evolving Athlete Intelligence, Strava aims to stay ahead of the competition and deliver valuable features for users across all fitness levels. The future looks promising for Strava as it maintains its position as the leading fitness app.