How Stryde went from beta to production in under 12 weeks
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A solution from beta to production in less than 12 weeks.

Stryde is a connected fitness company using tech to bring a premium home workout right into customers’ homes. Stryde’s founder, Pavlo Chikosh, called on Polymaths to create a software solution from scratch. It needed to work with the existing product hardware, seamlessly integrate business processes, and delight the customer with an engaging user experience – all without the need for babysitting. How did we do it? Our START™ team provided a step-by-step path to fruition – all in less than 3 months.

The Customer

The Stryde customer wants it all – a wide range of workouts, a choice of instructors and instruction styles, and a variety of competitive and non-competitive modes. The gap in the market was clear. There was plenty of single-use, walled-garden style subscriptions available. But nothing like Stryde, which allowed customers to design their own fitness experience inclusively and affordably.

The Challenge

Stryde had assembled a team of the best, including a German industrial designer briefed with building the sensor-laden bike, plus a team of engineers responsible for the large-screen Android companion tablet. They needed a software partner with a deep understanding of how these elements could fit together and the ability to integrate physical and digital experiences seamlessly.

How we helped

START™ is our step-by-step MVP (minimum viable product) development program, nurturing new ideas from ideation to launch. With START™, we ask the essential questions, then act on the answers: optimizing at every opportunity with Cloud-native solutions that are scalable, adaptable and fast to deploy.

We worked with Stryde to determine the set of features required in an MVP.

We identified the ideal customer experience for Stryde users and then worked backward to realize it. We created a website to showcase the bike, integrated with Shopify for payments, eCommerce, and fulfillment, with an account profile function to reduce friction and keep users engaged.

We created a seamless and simple user experience. Customers could log in using their existing purchase account credentials. Once logged in, the app design is intuitive, with a real-time progress meter, leaderboard, and gamified elements to keep riders engaged, plus a post-workout survey to capture user feedback. The tablet also runs a wide range of approved apps, like Netflix and browser-based streaming services.

We created a robust, purpose-built, and scalable backend, using serverless Cloud-native architecture to maximize ROI. This included a CMS for bespoke content, customer tracking, analytics, and performance tuning.

We configured Stryde’s technical stack with React Native and React for the tablet app, customer web portal, and CRM portal to incorporate a seamless upgrade path, with 100% control retained. We configured the backend with Serverless AWS Native Cloud: it’s fast to market, cost-effective, and scalable. Over four months, we executed iterative design sprints with the client wherein they defined the customer journey for both tablet and web, created clickable design mockups for client sign-off, and oversaw detailed user testing prior to build. By design, our team’s skill set spans both software and hardware, so we were able to handle any unforeseen complications that arose as the prototype progressed from a cycling simulation to actual hardware without losing any momentum toward the MVP completion date.

We sat with Stryde in iterative design sprints to define the customer journey, design mockups, and user testing. Our team’s software expertise kept the process smooth and rapid.

"We believe in a deep co-development ethos when partnering with clients..."

We believe in a deep co-development ethos when partnering with clients so we can jointly arrive at the best solution. We are really fast when the client has clarity of vision, trusts our alignment with that vision, and enables us to execute against it using our efficient tools and processes.

Visar Gashi, CEO of Polymaths

"Upon hitting some of the technical unknowns when dealing with hardware..."

Upon hitting some of the technical unknowns when dealing with hardware, 99% of other dev shops who are only web or app developers would have thrown in the towel, whereas, Polymath Labs rose to the occasion to complete the necessary low-level sensor engineering to keep us on track for release.

Pavlo Chikosh,Stryde CEO/Founder

The Results

Thanks to the serverless Cloud-native architecture we developed, Stryde grew from beta testing to full production without needing backend alterations. On launch, Stryde outsold its initial run. From there, growth has been rapid, with an aggressive projected trajectory for 2021. Our role post-launch has been intentionally minimal: we helped the Stryde team recruit an internal product, design and engineering department and transitioned code, notes and processes over to them. Today, they’re flying solo – positioned for both independence and success.

Successful launch and growth

Stryde positioned for independence

Cloud Native expertise delivers high ROI

Contact Us

At Polymaths, we have established a track record of game-changing partnerships with everyone from small startups to established businesses, and our engineering expertise and business savvy have brought five startups to market in the last three years. If our illustration of Stryde’s electric transformation into an elite industry competitor has inspired you to find a trusted engineering partner, take the first step forward with Polymaths START™ by clicking here and reaching out.