Working out how to launch an app
Learnings from new fitness app and 2020 Accelerator team, Fitcus
Accelerator team, Fitcus, launched its app on the Apple App Store last week. We chatted with the team to find out what new muscles they flexed, the hoops they had to jump through, and how they worked it out.
Fitcus makes you fitter, faster without hurting yourself.
It’s a fitness app that goes beyond just providing workout routines; it turns your smartphone into a personal trainer and corrects your form in real-time while you workout. Using artificial intelligence and a smartphone camera to analyse your movement, Fitcus can ensure your technique is always correct, saving you from potential injury and also helping to improve your performance.
The app is super simple to use — all you have to do is simply select a workout, place your phone on the ground and then step in front of the screen to activate your personal trainer. With your body in full view of the camera Fitcus detects your joints and provides customised feedback on your movement.
Say you’re doing squats and your chest comes too far forward putting strain on your lower back, Fitcus will notify you straight away, advise you how to correct it and let you know when you’re finally in the correct position.
The first time we launched on the app store we were rejected 8 times.
Apple has very strict guidelines on what is allowed on the app store, meaning that everything about your app needs to be in order, from privacy policies to legal agreements or you face your app being rejected. . However, Apple provides really clear feedback with suggestions on how to fix the problem.
Hot tip: carefully read through Apples “App Store Review Guidelines” before submitting an app to the app store.
Always focus on what you want to learn and just launch the MVP required to get that learning.
Whilst Fitcus will ultimately have a huge library of exercises, we needed to ensure people would actually use the AI coach. To test this adoption we launched Fitcus with only a few exercises with the plan to increase this number… However, looking back we realised we could have launched earlier with less exercises and that way we could have been testing and learning much sooner.
Define the success criteria/goals before launch
Write down and review them multiple times. In our case, we were 80% on the mark but for one important metric, however, we crucially forgot to add a date for when it needed to be achieved.
Be driven by data
Remember when launching a new product, you are testing a hypothesis, so make sure to start with what data you will need to prove this, Ensure you know exactly what data to measure, and how to measure it, as even small errors can cause big discrepancies later on. Review and test often.
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid to change your direction based on new learning from data. Always share how this new data has changed or reinforced your thinking with your Co-Founder. This will really accelerate learning for both of you.
Daily standup
Weekly planning is your best friend and by setting clear goals (release or business) you have won half the battle. But remember, even with the best of plans, things will come out of left field that you’ll need to resolve. Don’t let this derail you — stay calm, work as a team and solve things together.
You can download Fitcus on the Apple App Store now!
