PACE - AI Running Coach App

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BACKGROUND

PACE is a pioneering mobile application designed for runners of all levels who have a training goal. Aimed at catering to the needs of busy athletes, PACE’s adaptive technology utilizes artificial intelligence to not only serve the athlete, but also scale the reach of a coach. PACE empower users to train for their running goals while seamlessly integrating their training into their daily lives, adjusting the plan as they train.

PACE stands out by utilizing real coaches instead of generic automation. With 5 expert coaches on board, athletes receive a personalized training experience akin to working directly with a professional coach. Coaches create tailored plans and provide real feedback, while PACE's AI recalibrates programs if workouts are missed. This accountability ensures smooth transitions without overwhelming athletes. PACE's adaptability and professional coaches keep athletes motivated, empowered, and on track.

This case study is meant to provide a broad overview of how my team and I brought PACE from an idea to launch.

Note: All branding design was done by our wonderful consultants at Panamera.

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We make personalized and adaptive technology accessible to all athletes pursuing fitness goals.

TARGET AUDIENCE

PACE is designed specifically for busy athletes who yearn for a way to incorporate training into their already jam-packed routines. These individuals recognize the importance of physical fitness but struggle to find a balance between their professional, personal, and athletic commitments. PACE provides them with a comprehensive tool that adapts to their schedule, allowing them to maximize their training potential without compromising other aspects of their lives.

USER RESEARCH

Our beta test group provided insights that were invaluable to bringing PACE to life. We learned what was most important to our audience - a plan they trust and feedback on their performance after each workout. This led me to deprioritize things like sending workouts to the athlete’s watch and put the highest emphasis on creating a trustworthy UX with feedback that felt personalized.

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ONBOARDING COACHES

After extensive landscape analysis, it was clear that using an AI bot to generate training was not a successful solution for creating effective adaptive training. A unique differentiator of PACE is that we partnered with real coaches and integrated their training methodologies and personas into our tech. This gave our user experience a more personal touch and a heightened sense of accountability for our athletes. Our team understood the importance of selecting a diverse and dynamic group of coaches for our platform. They needed to bring credibility, a range of perspectives, and unique personalities to enhance the user experience. After careful consideration, we handpicked a lineup of coaches who perfectly embody the spirit of PACE. Their expertise and distinct styles align seamlessly with our brand, ensuring that runners of all backgrounds feel welcome and motivated.

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…LET’S BUILD THIS THING

SMART GOALS

Specific: Launch PACE, a run coaching app, with 5 coaches available on the platform.

Measurable: Have a minimum of 500 users sign up for the app within the first month after launch.

Achievable: Develop and test all core features, including personalized training plans, distance tracking, and pace monitoring, to ensure a seamless user experience.

Relevant: Ensure that the initial version of PACE meets the needs of busy athletes by offering adaptive training programming that accommodates their schedules and automatically adjusts plans if a workout is missed.

Time-bound: Complete the development, testing, and submission processes to the App and Play Stores within a six-month timeframe, targeting a launch date that aligns with the start of the new year, capitalizing on increased user interest and engagement.

PRIORITIZATION USING MODIFIED RICE SCORING AND STORY MAPPING

My team worked together to determine exactly what we would include in our initial launch. Using data, the competitive landscape and user feedback, I ran story mapping sessions to get all of our ideas on the table.

With our ideas mapped, I used modified RICE scoring to quickly identify the highest and lowest priority items. By simply using impact and effort at this stage, we could easily prioritize our map. If I couldn’t make a determination based on impact and effort, then I would look to reach and confidence. More often than not, I find the decision can be made based on impact, effort, and intuition. 

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ROADMAP

The team aligned on the plan and over the next few sprints, we highlighted risks and derailments that arose as we worked toward delivery. Since the team had been brought in early in the discovery phase, the developers had a clear understanding of what was needed for PACE and could jump in enthusiastically when planning the delivery of each epic.

MILESTONES

In addition to product milestones, our marketing and design teams set milestones for ensuring our brand and go-to-market strategies were on target. I worked closely with each team to stay aligned on timeline, goals, and brand coherence. By working collaboratively across teams and keeping stakeholders up to speed along the way, our team was able to push through to hit each of our milestones, even as we encountered hiccups or set backs.

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LAUNCH

Through continuous monitoring and refinement, PACE has achieved substantial user engagement, positive feedback, and growth in both user acquisition and conversion rates. The first few months after launch showed us the value of our coach’s marketing efforts and that we nailed our target audience. We continue to collect user feedback and monitor our highest impact metrics of acquisition, retention, and engagement.

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As Peaksware, our parent company, evaluated the direction and strategy of it’s brands, they decided that the effort and cost to continue maintaining and evolving PACE was no longer possible. While PACE was seeing initial success in adoption and retention, Peaksware decided to kill PACE to focus on it’s other brands.