Ep 02: Eric Min is co-founder and CEO of Zwift, the virtual cycling platform that’s revolutionized indoor cycling
If you want to cycle but can’t get outside, you don’t have to resort to the dusty old exercise bike in the corner of your garage anymore. Not since the advent of Zwift, an app for cyclists that makes indoor training fun. Using Zwift, you can explore different virtual worlds and reach your fitness goals with a global community, without leaving the house. Today’s guest is Eric Min, Co-Founder and CEO of Zwift, and he joins us on the show to talk about the evolution of the platform, how it is shaping the cycling industry, and what the future holds for this exciting hybridization of indoor cycling, gaming, and social networking. Eric starts with the story of how he left his career in fintech with an idea to build a more consumer-facing app, whittling down different ideas before landing on something that served his passion, cycling. We talk about the landscape of indoor cycling apps at the time of Zwift’s inception, and how the startup differentiated itself by focusing on community. Eric takes a deep dive into the user experience of Zwift and how it differs completely from other indoor cycling paradigms, highlighting features revolving around gamification such as world exploration, power-ups, and more. We chat a little bit about how the app can evolve and reduce friction to adoption even more by incorporating other maps based on real locations, streamlining hardware and integrations, and optimizing internal control features. So for all this and more about how Zwift is revolutionizing indoor cycling, be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
The story of how Eric left the tech finance world and founded Zwift with his partners.
The landscape of the indoor cycling world at the time of Zwift’s conception.
Zwift’s service of combining fitness, gaming, and community.
Opportunities as far as appealing to a cycling industry beyond road cycling.
Some of the main challenges to adopting Zwift and how it differs from Peloton.
Features and elements of gamification in Zwift and how it differs from a simulator.
The capital Zwift has raised and the resources that go into building new ‘worlds’.
The line between building new worlds and keeping them filled with participants.
Moments when it is better to ride maps in the game with fewer people.
Ways to optimize Zwift by adding additional controls and hardware.
How Zwift is integrating into and influencing brands like Peloton, Rapha, and Strava.
The evolution of the indoor cycling world and how the industry is catering to it.
How regulations are enforced for Zwift races through the Zwift Power platform.
Eric’s philosophy toward outdoor cycling and what types of routes he’ll still ride.
Metrics for Zwift’s growth in users and the limitations hardware poses to further expansion.
Leveling up in Zwift and the user who are using the platform competitively.
Tweetables:
“This is really early days in terms of connected fitness devices in every home.” — @werkdodger [0:11:00]
“If you want to combine fitness and gaming, where you can exercise with a community, which is global, that's what Zwift is.” — @werkdodger [0:11:32]
“We certainly have the resources to have a team large enough to do a map every month, but I'm not sure that would serve the community well.” — @werkdodger [0:23:56]
I think the indoor cycling community has a pretty big voice going forward, for sure.” — @werkdodger [0:36:46]