Strava Growth Playbook
The social network for athletes.
Kudos
Billions
Strategy
Gamification
The Spark
Running and cycling are lonely sports.
The Growth Engine
Social Proof as a Performance Moat: Strava tacticaly built the 'Proof of Work' layer for the fitness world. Their growth engine is 'Competitive Socialization'—the 'Kudos' system and local 'Segment Leaderboards'. By making fitness achievements public and comparable, they turned a solitary activity into a social game. The catchphrase 'If it's not on Strava, it didn't happen' illustrates their psychological lock-in; they own the users' personal bests and social standing in their athletic community, making the platform the mandatory social hub for cyclists and runners globally.