03 May 2025
Sports

An app for running club members to share performance, set challenges ...

...and record participation in running events with people in the club or the wider world

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Swamp

The market has seen several mediocre solutions that nobody loves. Unless you can offer something fundamentally different, you’ll likely struggle to stand out or make money.

Should You Build It?

Don't build it.


Your are here

Your idea for a running club app falls into a crowded space where many have tried to build the perfect solution, but few have truly succeeded. We've identified 13 similar products, placing your idea firmly in the 'Swamp' category, where mediocre solutions abound. The average engagement with these similar products is low, with an average of only 1 comment per product. This indicates it's tough to cut through the noise and create something that truly resonates. Given this landscape, you need to seriously consider if you can offer something fundamentally different or address an unmet need that existing apps are missing, because if not you will struggle to stand out.

Recommendations

  1. Thoroughly research existing running apps (like Strava, Runkeeper, and others mentioned in the similar products) to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and user complaints. Focus on identifying why these solutions haven't fully satisfied users. Pay close attention to the discussion and criticism summaries provided.
  2. Instead of targeting all running club members, identify a specific niche within the running community that is underserved. Are there masters runners, trail runners, or beginners with specific needs not being met by current apps? Focusing on a niche could help you stand out.
  3. Consider building tools or integrations that enhance existing running platforms rather than creating a standalone app. For example, could you develop a plugin for Strava that adds specific features for running clubs? This reduces the barrier to entry and leverages existing user bases.
  4. Before investing significant time and resources, explore adjacent problems related to running that might be more promising. Could you focus on nutrition planning, injury prevention, or personalized coaching services for runners? These areas may have less competition.
  5. Carefully analyze the discussion and criticism summaries from similar products, especially the apps being criticised for lack of detail on premium plans, subscriptions, lack of free trials, or missing power alerts. Incorporate these as key differentiators into your app so you don't face the same criticism.
  6. Focus on privacy and data ownership. The OpenPace app being self-hosted was an attractive feature to users. Make this a key part of your offering.

Questions

  1. What unique features or functionalities will your app offer that are not already available in existing running apps, and how will these features address specific pain points or unmet needs of running club members?
  2. Given the low engagement observed in similar running apps, what specific strategies will you implement to foster user interaction, build a vibrant community, and ensure that your app remains actively used over time?
  3. How will you differentiate your app's monetization strategy from existing apps that have faced criticism for subscription models or lack of transparency, and what alternative revenue streams could you explore to ensure long-term sustainability?

Your are here

Your idea for a running club app falls into a crowded space where many have tried to build the perfect solution, but few have truly succeeded. We've identified 13 similar products, placing your idea firmly in the 'Swamp' category, where mediocre solutions abound. The average engagement with these similar products is low, with an average of only 1 comment per product. This indicates it's tough to cut through the noise and create something that truly resonates. Given this landscape, you need to seriously consider if you can offer something fundamentally different or address an unmet need that existing apps are missing, because if not you will struggle to stand out.

Recommendations

  1. Thoroughly research existing running apps (like Strava, Runkeeper, and others mentioned in the similar products) to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and user complaints. Focus on identifying why these solutions haven't fully satisfied users. Pay close attention to the discussion and criticism summaries provided.
  2. Instead of targeting all running club members, identify a specific niche within the running community that is underserved. Are there masters runners, trail runners, or beginners with specific needs not being met by current apps? Focusing on a niche could help you stand out.
  3. Consider building tools or integrations that enhance existing running platforms rather than creating a standalone app. For example, could you develop a plugin for Strava that adds specific features for running clubs? This reduces the barrier to entry and leverages existing user bases.
  4. Before investing significant time and resources, explore adjacent problems related to running that might be more promising. Could you focus on nutrition planning, injury prevention, or personalized coaching services for runners? These areas may have less competition.
  5. Carefully analyze the discussion and criticism summaries from similar products, especially the apps being criticised for lack of detail on premium plans, subscriptions, lack of free trials, or missing power alerts. Incorporate these as key differentiators into your app so you don't face the same criticism.
  6. Focus on privacy and data ownership. The OpenPace app being self-hosted was an attractive feature to users. Make this a key part of your offering.

Questions

  1. What unique features or functionalities will your app offer that are not already available in existing running apps, and how will these features address specific pain points or unmet needs of running club members?
  2. Given the low engagement observed in similar running apps, what specific strategies will you implement to foster user interaction, build a vibrant community, and ensure that your app remains actively used over time?
  3. How will you differentiate your app's monetization strategy from existing apps that have faced criticism for subscription models or lack of transparency, and what alternative revenue streams could you explore to ensure long-term sustainability?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 13
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 1
  • Net use signal: 0.9%
    • Positive use signal: 22.7%
    • Negative use signal: 21.8%
  • Net buy signal: -16.4%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 16.4%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

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