Plug-ins let Strava users restore chronological timeline on Chrome and Firefox

davel wrote:

It's surely ripe for a rival to challenge it..?

You know, I've been thinking the same. But who'd do it? No one is going to come in to the market now without the prospect of making a buck or two. 

The thing about this digital world is that we all came to expect everything for free. People don't buy newspapers because it's all online now (and don't the press rue the day when they started giving it all away). We don't buy photos because we either take them ourselves or steal them online. For a while, we stopped buying music and movies until Apple and then Netflix found a way to convince us to put our hands in our pockets once more.

In Strava's case - what's the proportion of users that stump up for 'Premium'? Other than the regular free trials they keep offering, I'd guess recurring subscriptions are pitifully low. 

The model for future digital success (whatever business you're in) is subscription - no ads - and the option to pare down to deliver precisely the service you want.

Until enough of the population get used to this idea, it's going to largely be ads and 'one size fits all' (which actually fits no one).

simonmb wrote:

davel wrote:

It's surely ripe for a rival to challenge it..?

You know, I've been thinking the same. But who'd do it? No one is going to come in to the market now without the prospect of making a buck or two. 

The thing about this digital world is that we all came to expect everything for free. People don't buy newspapers because it's all online now (and don't the press rue the day when they started giving it all away). We don't buy photos because we either take them ourselves or steal them online. For a while, we stopped buying music and movies until Apple and then Netflix found a way to convince us to put our hands in our pockets once more.

In Strava's case - what's the proportion of users that stump up for 'Premium'? Other than the regular free trials they keep offering, I'd guess recurring subscriptions are pitifully low. 

The model for future digital success (whatever business you're in) is subscription - no ads - and the option to pare down to deliver precisely the service you want.

Until enough of the population get used to this idea, it's going to largely be ads and 'one size fits all' (which actually fits no one).

 

... or a proper Premium model, although I'm skeptical about that, too.

Eg. for years Strava have paid lip service to considering loads of its forum posts, which suggested tracking fitness for running in addition to cycling, and other stuff that people use plug-ins for. They only recently introduced that, and then it didn't seem to work properly.

They didn't want to invest a bit to keep current subscribers happy, seemingly intent on recruiting Instagram folk and preparing for another version that its current users don't really want, but presumably is more lucrative, or has more of an economic future.

I get the financial bind that sites of a certain size find themselves in, but Strava ignoring its users so much has left me hoping it dies on its arse. Just waiting for a suitable, ready-made replacement to take its place

Simon wrote:

 No one is going to come in to the market now without the prospect of making a buck or two. 

... Which I gather Strava doesn't, at least not yet, so no surprise that they will shake things up a bit.

ricardito wrote:

Simon wrote:

 No one is going to come in to the market now without the prospect of making a buck or two. 

... Which I gather Strava doesn't, at least not yet, so no surprise that they will shake things up a bit.

Strava makes bank. They just prefer to spend it on shitty videos and in-app articles that get in the way on your feed.

simonmb wrote:

The thing about this digital world is that we all came to expect everything for free. People don't buy newspapers because it's all online now (and don't the press rue the day when they started giving it all away). We don't buy photos because we either take them ourselves or steal them online. For a while, we stopped buying music and movies until Apple and then Netflix found a way to convince us to put our hands in our pockets once more.

In Strava's case - what's the proportion of users that stump up for 'Premium'? Other than the regular free trials they keep offering, I'd guess recurring subscriptions are pitifully low. 

The model for future digital success (whatever business you're in) is subscription - no ads - and the option to pare down to deliver precisely the service you want.

Until enough of the population get used to this idea, it's going to largely be ads and 'one size fits all' (which actually fits no one).

Strava's business model isn't based on selling Premium subscriptions. Their product is the huge amounts of data its users generate, which government agencies, local authorities, transport planners, etc., are more than willing to pay for. Strava Metro is their real business model. They're focusing more on the social side of things because it gives new users and some existing users a compelling reason to keep uploading data, adding value to their product.

Leviathan wrote:

There are some people raging about these changes. I use Strava to record rides. I follow one other person who rides maybe one a week. [...]

I agree, but there are people out there with strange Strava habits. From what I've read, they care a little too much about who gets how many kudos. Somehow there was much complaining about rides missing the opportunity to accumulate kudos based on the time of the day when the ride was recorded, etc.

In my experience, the number of kudos depends almost entirely on how many followers you have. Some unremarkable 10 mile rides get dozens of kudos, while gruelling 100 mile rides in the mountains get 4. So it's all a rather pointless popularity contest.

n_g wrote:

Leviathan wrote:

There are some people raging about these changes. I use Strava to record rides. I follow one other person who rides maybe one a week. [...]

I agree, but there are people out there with strange Strava habits. From what I've read, they care a little too much about who gets how many kudos. Somehow there was much complaining about rides missing the opportunity to accumulate kudos based on the time of the day when the ride was recorded, etc.

In my experience, the number of kudos depends almost entirely on how many followers you have. Some unremarkable 10 mile rides get dozens of kudos, while gruelling 100 mile rides in the mountains get 4. So it's all a rather pointless popularity contest.

Stranger still some people have friends and are genuinely interested in their progress.

Strava doesn't give two shits about it's users, it's become too big and, like almost every other company around, has forgotten its values and isn't interested in listening to the people who built it up.

The algorithm timeline is awful on every single social media platform that has adopted it (all of them now it seems) and it's ruined Strava too. Just look on the forum and see how many premium subscribers have cancelled their accounts. The forum responses from them are a joke too.

Leviathan wrote:

There are some people raging about these changes. I use Strava to record rides. I follow one other person who rides maybe one a week. My activity feed still appears in normal order because it is mostly my own rides. I could clog my feed up with random people but why bother? The very people complaining that Strava is not a social platform are the ones who are following dozens of people and using it as a social platform.

Yeah....most people have more than one person that they follow.

J90 wrote:

Strava doesn't give two shits about it's users, it's become too big and, like almost every other company around, has forgotten its values and isn't interested in listening to the people who built it up. The algorithm timeline is awful on every single social media platform that has adopted it (all of them now it seems) and it's ruined Strava too. Just look on the forum and see how many premium subscribers have cancelled their accounts. The forum responses from them are a joke too.

Strava may well have it's own agenda to raise money, after all we all know it doesn't make much; but its core function is just the same as always; recording your ride. "Ruined" is the kind of flake out language of sullen teenagers. Its free for most people, so you get what you are given. Can you see those ads there? >

Sure, complain if you don't like something, but please stow the hyperbole.

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept" - The Architect.

Leviathan wrote:

J90 wrote:

Strava doesn't give two shits about it's users, it's become too big and, like almost every other company around, has forgotten its values and isn't interested in listening to the people who built it up. The algorithm timeline is awful on every single social media platform that has adopted it (all of them now it seems) and it's ruined Strava too. Just look on the forum and see how many premium subscribers have cancelled their accounts. The forum responses from them are a joke too.

Strava may well have it's own agenda to raise money, after all we all know it doesn't make much; but its core function is just the same as always; recording your ride. "Ruined" is the kind of flake out language of sullen teenagers. Its free for most people, so you get what you are given. Can you see those ads there? >

Sure, complain if you don't like something, but please stow the hyperbole.

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept" - The Architect.

How do you know whether someone else's use of an app has been ruined or not, Mr OneStravaFriend?

Quoting a Matrix character, and from not even the one half-decent film, isn't exactly aiding your argument.