This techie's virtual fitness platform sees no slowdown despite lockdown

Pune-based Fittr is a lean start-up that has built strong IT infra and robust internal systems which have helped it thrive when many of its peers are in trouble

The prolonged lockdown has affected several businesses and sectors in the country, large and small, but there are several others that have thrived in this environment. It could be because of the unique value proposition they offer, the sectors they focus on and the innovations they have brought to the table in the quickest possible time. One such firm is Fittr, a Pune-based fitness app which claims to have fared quite well through the lockdown with the simple but effective use of technology. 

"Mainstream businesses tend to invest heavily in infrastructure. As we’ve seen with other players in the fitness industry, unmanageable overhead costs were a major reason behind their financial woes post-lockdown. Fittr is a lean start-up and we’ve concentrated more on building a strong IT infrastructure and robust internal systems which have helped us ride the tide," says Jitendra Chouksey, founder of Fittr. 

This is significant, if one considers the general gloomy scenario among fitness brands - Gold's Gym filed for bankruptcy in the US in May. Around the same time, health and fitness start-up cure.fit announced a big round of layoffs and salary cuts. 

Fittr on the other hand, raised a pre series A round of funding wrth $2 million from Sequoia Capital Surge in April. The story of Chouksey is also quite interesting and fascinating. 

"Like so many people in the country, I got introduced to fitness because of movies," says Chouksey. Like many software engineers, Chouksey idolised Hrithik Roshan, but ended up working at companies like L&T, Mphasis and IBM. However, unlike his peers, Chouksey channelised his hobby into building a technology-focused fitness platform called Fittr. 

After completing engineering, he moved to Bengaluru and then to Pune. Around the same time, he started educating himself and even got certified as a sports nutrition specialist. He also discovered that people around him were glued to junk food, and took it upon himself to change that. 

"I started a WhatsApp group where I gave free fitness and nutrition advice to the members. It was just a small group of about 4-5 people. At the start of the week, usually Sunday, I would ask them for their weight and body measurements. I’d then give them a diet plan and workout plan for the week and tell them to adhere to them. The only thing I insisted on was consistency," he Chauksey recalls. 

Around the same time, he started a Facebook group to reach a wider audience, which continued between 2015 and 2018. Somewhere along the way, encouraged by the response and growing Facebook community, Chauksey realised the potential of the idea and launched SQUATS India with an initial seed fund of just Rs 90,000, along with 5 of his friends. 

It rebranded to Fittr which today claims to be one of the world’s largest online fitness communities with over 850,000 members across various platforms.

"Initially, everything was on excel worksheets and it worked fine. But we knew that if we truly wanted to grow, we’d have to build our own platform," says Chouksey. The rebranded app which was launched in September 2018, provides an average person with all the tools that he/she would need to take charge of their health and get fitter.

It works on a freemium model, and also provides curated recommendations for healthy eating, gyms and other fitness-related products and services. "Since inception, our primary source of revenue has been through client enrolments with Fittr Coaches. These enrolments have continued to happen despite the lockdown. Our business model is unique in that the client and coach don’t meet in person. All coaching is carried out online through the Fittr app. That’s why Fittr has managed to seamlessly adapt to the remote work culture and hasn’t been nearly as badly affected by the lockdown," says Chouksey. 

According to the founder, business model is robust and has helped Fittr notch $13 million in aggregate gross revenue since inception with zero ad spends and marketing. While he does expect some slowdown in discretionary spends from members due to the ongoing pandemic, Chouksey is also confident that Fittr's 200 online coaches will find an audience for their workouts irrespective of the lockdown. 

At the end of the day, what Chouksey is most passionate about is fitness - physically, mentally and emotionally. Unsurprisingly though, the top concern most people on the platform have are obesity and resultant health issues. 

"We’ve notched up a few million views on YouTube for our weekly videos. The transformation stories where we highlight before and after photos with an accompanying story are also quite popular. This content features members of the Fittr community who discovered the community, used the tools and transformed their lives. It serves as motivation for people and shows them what they could accomplish if they don’t give up," he adds. 

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