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Comment by aristofun | Hacker News Reader

All busieness and marketing advice aside, let me tell you the brutal truth from an average iPhone user, poor gym enthisiast and former b2c product manager perspective.

Your app looks like a weak vitamin, not a pain killer.

Looking at website, appstore screenshots and descriptions I got a relatively vague, generic and weak message "train smarter".

- What's in it for me?

- What exactly would I gain by wasting my time, focus and money on yet another AI gimmick?

- Who is this app made for exactly (professional athletes, lazy bums like me, weight loss enthusiasts, amateur bodybuilders, powerlifters, those dreaming of winning iron man...)?

I don't read any good and specific answers on these questions (even if I for a moment forget that 99% of amateur training success is just about consistency not "smartness") and don't want to even bother installing the app.

This is what b2c PMF is about - about the fit (the click) in user's head.

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This is 100% valid feedback, and I appreciate that you took the time to share it. I'm at that point, where I need some "brutal truth" to help me navigate the next few steps...

I definitely need to update the language on the site to be a lot more precise and clear about these questions you've raised.

> This is what b2c PMF is about - about the fit (the click) in user's head.

That's a great takeaway nugget: gotta make it "click" in the user's head that this is built just for them.

I had a similar impression. It looks very polished and smooth, but also a little overwhelming and "too much". _But_ my first thought was that I just am not the target audience because after years of amateur lifting I've realized all I really want is a rep/set/weight tracker, and this does not strive to be that. For me, anything more complex that tries to tie different parts of the fitness "experience" into one product ends up being a distraction. It takes focus from the thing that really matters to me: the lifting part. This seems like maybe a better app for beginners who just want to try different things with more guidance on the program and movements.

Great feedback!

A lot of the core UI/UX has been built around training to hit specific targets/splits for metabolic conditioning workouts, analyze those splits, etc. In other words, a _really_ fancy stopwatch that can do some analysis.

The app also supports weightlifting, endurance, and a broad interpretation of "constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement", but there's plenty to do there to improve the experience.

I've been thinking about the idea of making the scope of the UI/UX more narrow and focused on certain types of workouts, and I still am thinking about it. It's something I might try in the weeks ahead to see if "less = more" for a more focused ideal customer profile.

There's a good case to be made that the app is trying to do too many things for too many people right now : /

What is the link?

https://strongest.app

As non athlete with dubious fitness, the website does not speak to me. Like most sedentary Americans, I want to get fit but I have no fitness goals because I have no idea what to do.

The marketing seems to assume your customer are knowledgeable athletes who want an app to track their performance. I would introduce two more user personas. The first is the type whose New Year resolution is either to lose weight or build stamina. Your app should suggest a program like a personal fitness trainer, show them what to do, and track their progress and give them encouragement when they achieve some milestone. The second user has a specific goal but need help coming up with a realistic training plan For example, they want to pass the new Army fitness standards.

https://armypubs.army.mil/pub/eforms/DR_a/ARN35762-DA_FORM_7...

Great thoughts here! I think you're right.

You wouldn't know it from the website (working on that!), but the app experience is more for "fit people who want to optimize their fitness and like to analyze their training data".

It's just been a tough nut to crack to find the right way to express that so far, but to the point of this thread and all of this dialogue, that's also key to the unlock.

I'm a former military guy myself, and I've been thinking about cloning + rebranding a version of the app that's super specific to "Training for military fitness tests". The more I think about that, the more I think there really might be something there.

I'm just a coder who lifts and _not_ a marketing or ideation genius, but at first read that sounds like a really good idea.

Reasoning:

It _seems_ like if you make the programs legitimately useful and look reputable, not only would you get the people looking to pass a test in the actual military (which may be relatively few? I have no idea), but I bet you'd _also_ attract a ton of CrossFit or other fitness buffs who just want that "authentic" functional training feel: "Look at me according to this app used by legit military trainees I'm so fit I can be in the MilitaryBranchX!"

Definitely makes sense to me, too! There' a clear customer profile, it solves a specific problem, and I could reach this audience with an offering with relatively little time + expense.

I also think you're right that a lot of amateur fitness enthusiasts like to train with/to "mil specs" because of the connotations of badassery it portrays. Can't blame them... :)

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