CEO of Outside, MapMyFitness, and Under Armour: Robin Thurston

What this episode covers

In this insightful podcast, Robin Thurston, the CEO of Outside, shares his journey from founding MapMyFitness to joining Under Armour and eventually leading the charge at Outside. Thurston highlights the importance of being resilient in entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the need to focus on three main decisions once you take institutional funding: going bust, selling to a strategic partner, or going public. He also shares valuable marketing lessons he learned from Kevin Plank, the founder of Under Armour, including the importance of attention to detail, storytelling, and relationship building. Thurston discusses the differences in company culture between MapMyFitness and Under Armour, highlighting the former's focus on technology and customer-driven innovation. He reveals the story behind his decision to leave Under Armour and pursue content-based subscription models, leading to the creation of Outside. The podcast also delves into the challenges of competing against attention-grabbing tech giants like TikTok and Twitter, as Thurston explains the need to develop compelling reward mechanisms that encourage outdoor activities and improve overall health. 00:00 - Introduction 00:13 - Different API Integrations 03:58 - Robin's Background in Cycling 06:13 - Robin's Career in Finance 07:25 - The Beginning of MapMyFitness 09:42 - Launching Early in the App Store 10:33 - Realizing the Potential of Mobile Apps 11:54 - Being Featured in the App Store and Distribution 15:55 - Kevin's Attention to Detail and Storytelling 17:46 - Differences in Culture: From MapMyFitness to Under Armour 19:19 - Launching Health Box and Connected Shoe Hover 20:11 - Competing for Resources in Big Companies 21:00 - Friction Between Technology and Clothing Company Cultures 22:14 - Robin's Clear Vision for Outside 23:16 - The Story Behind Acquiring Outside 23:35 - Building the Complete Picture of Health with Under Armour Record 24:27 - Considering a Billion Dollar Subscription Business with Content 26:16 - Robin's Idea to Unify Fragmented Publications Under One Umbrella 27:57 - Reaching Out to Larry Burke, Founder of Outside Magazine 29:18 - Convincing Entrepreneurs to Join the Unified Vision 31:18 - Pitching Entrepreneurs vs. Pitching Investors 33:09 - The Long-term Partnership Aspect of Acquiring Companies 33:39 - Differences in Raising Funds for the First Time and with Onset 34:02 - Lessons Learned from Pitching to Investors 34:58 - Importance of Knowing When to Move On in Sales 35:54 - Maintaining Optimism Amidst Rejections 36:11 - Role of Cycling & Childhood in Resilience 37:03 - Overcoming Difficulties & Building Outside 37:47 - Creating a Seamless Experience for Consumers 38:58 - The Journey from Inspiration to Participation 40:31 - Addressing the Global Health Crisis 41:48 - The Importance of Connection to the Planet 43:13 - Competing with Indoor Time and Building Reward Mechanisms 47:15 - The Importance of Outdoor Time and Mental Health 48:48 - The Role of Intermediaries and Restricting Social Media Usage 49:42 - Building Solutions to Counterbalance Negative Impacts 50:27 - Discussing Potential Rewards for Spending Time Outdoors 51:15 - Pokemon Go: Gamification to Encourage Physical Activity 52:18 - Rewarding Users with NFTs 52:37 - Outside's Future in 5 Years 53:57 - Wearables and Outside's Connection 54:24 - The Future of Wearables 56:09 - Integrated Personalized Healthcare 57:15 - Revolutionizing Health through Data 58:42 - Measuring Biomarkers Dynamically 59:32 - Understanding Body Chemistry 01:00:29 - Breaking Olympic Records through Efficiency and Knowledge 01:01:11 - Closing Remarks and Collaboration The Site ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ►https://blog.tryterra.co/podcast/home Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi Linkedin ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi

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