What is Fyt Feed? (0:32-1:05)
Katy and Dennis introduce Fyt Feed as a platform built to boost motivation through social encouragement and friendly competition. Unlike other fitness apps that solely focus on performance, Fyt Feed emphasizes community engagement. Users can upload their activities, interact with friends, and participate in challenges focused on various wellness aspects, including steps, active minutes, and mindful minutes.
Katy’s Inspiration for Fyt Feed (1:05-4:46)
Katy shares her personal journey, revealing her background as a PhD chemist and her struggles with confidence, body image, and disordered eating. She explains how finding supportive fitness communities became a turning point in her life, fostering a holistic sense of well-being. However, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these vital communities, leaving a void that inspired the creation of Fyt Feed. She envisioned a platform that could provide the support and encouragement she found so crucial, even when in-person connection wasn’t possible.
The Value of Community (4:46-6:48)
Katy delves deeper into the significance of these communities, using her experiences in yoga and mountain biking as examples. She describes the welcoming atmosphere of her yoga studio, where encouragement from others helped her gain the confidence to try new things like weight training. Similarly, when she moved to Tennessee, a friend’s suggestion and offer to lend her a bike opened the door to the world of mountain biking. Katy underscores how these seemingly small acts of encouragement can have a profound impact on someone’s fitness journey.
Why Not Fyt Feed? (6:48-7:38)
Katy connects her personal experiences to the core philosophy of Fyt Feed, embodied in their motto: “Why not?” She explains how having someone in your corner, encouraging you to try new things, can be incredibly motivating. Fyt Feed aims to be that virtual cheerleader, fostering a community where users feel empowered to explore new activities and push their boundaries.
Dennis’s Motivation (7:38-9:43)
Dennis, also a PhD chemist and a professor, adds his perspective on the creation of Fyt Feed. He echoes Katy’s sentiments about the isolation brought on by the pandemic and shares his own personal health transformation. Having been overweight in his youth and struggling with high blood pressure, Dennis understands the challenges of embarking on a health journey. He emphasizes that Fyt Feed aims to support individuals in achieving their unique wellness goals, whether it’s weight loss, mindfulness, or simply moving their bodies more.
Distinguishing Fyt Feed from Strava (9:43-15:45)
The host raises the question of how Fyt Feed differentiates itself from established platforms like Strava. Katy and Dennis acknowledge Strava’s strengths in training and performance tracking but highlight Fyt Feed’s distinct focus on community and fun. They explain that while competition can be a powerful motivator, it needs to be attainable and sustainable to avoid demotivation. Fyt Feed’s challenges are designed to be inclusive and enjoyable for all fitness levels, fostering a sense of camaraderie rather than cutthroat competition. They discuss the importance of focusing on the intrinsic enjoyment of activity rather than solely chasing performance metrics.
How Fyt Feed Was Built (15:45-21:10)
Dennis reveals the surprising backstory of Fyt Feed’s development. With no prior coding experience, he and Katy embarked on a self-taught journey using the no-code platform FlutterFlow. Dennis describes the process as one fueled by “grit,” involving countless hours of problem-solving and learning through trial and error. Katy emphasizes the value of this experience, even for non-technical founders, as it provides a deeper understanding of the development process and facilitates better communication with developers.
Validating the Idea (21:10-23:56)
Before investing heavily in app development, Katy and Dennis cleverly validated their idea through manual challenges hosted on Instagram. They tracked participant progress using spreadsheets, demonstrating a resourceful approach to early-stage testing. The surprising level of engagement and the observed behavior change among participants provided strong validation for their concept, proving that the social encouragement aspect of Fyt Feed resonated with users.
The Saint Jude Squat Challenge and Viral Growth (23:56-31:07)
A seemingly simple act of participating in a Saint Jude squat challenge on Facebook sparked an unexpected wave of viral growth for Fyt Feed. Katy shared a post about using the app to track her squats, which caught the attention of other participants and quickly spread within the group. This organic exposure led to a massive influx of new users, demonstrating the power of authentic community engagement and the unpredictable nature of viral growth.
Navigating Rapid Growth (31:07-34:18)
The sudden surge in users brought its own set of challenges, including scalability issues that required immediate attention. Katy and Dennis discuss how they prioritized addressing these technical hurdles while maintaining transparent communication with their users. They acknowledge the imperfections of their early-stage app and emphasize the importance of honesty and authenticity in building a strong community. This transparency fostered a sense of shared journey and understanding among their users.
The Hardest Part of Building Fyt Feed (34:18-35:44)
Reflecting on their journey, Dennis and Katy identify the initial struggle to gain traction as one of the most challenging aspects of building Fyt Feed. They describe the slow, often discouraging process of acquiring early users and the importance of maintaining momentum despite the lack of immediate results. This period required significant perseverance and a belief in their vision. The recent influx of users served as validation of their efforts and a testament to their persistence.
Balancing Full-Time Jobs and Fyt Feed (35:44-39:33)
The two founders offer insights into how they balance the demands of their full-time jobs with the intense workload of building a startup. They emphasize the importance of time management skills, prioritizing sleep, and honoring their personal wellness routines. They discuss their “Why not?” motto as a source of motivation, encouraging themselves to push through fatigue and prioritize their health even when faced with a demanding schedule.
The Importance of Grace (39:33-40:41)
Katy highlights the importance of self-care and being kind to themselves, especially amidst the pressures of running a startup. She acknowledges that maintaining a perfect fitness routine isn’t always feasible and emphasizes the importance of adapting and modifying their workouts as needed. This message of self-compassion and flexibility resonates with the reality of balancing multiple responsibilities.
The Future of Fyt Feed (40:41-42:47)
Looking ahead, Katy and Dennis outline their priorities for Fyt Feed’s future. They plan to focus on managing the influx of new users, understanding user behavior, and further refining the app’s functionality. They also express their commitment to exploring partnerships with nonprofits, such as Saint Jude, to further their mission of promoting health and well-being while supporting worthy causes. This demonstrates a strategic approach to business model development and a dedication to social impact.
How to Find Fyt Feed (42:47-43:41)
In the concluding segment, Katy provides clear instructions on how listeners can find and download Fyt Feed. She mentions its availability on both Apple and Google Play app stores and directs listeners to their social media platforms and website. The host expresses gratitude for their insightful conversation and the episode comes to a close.
