Future.co’s Rise: Personal Training Reinvented for the Digital Age

The Idea

Future.co began with a simple idea: merge personalized fitness coaching with the convenience of technology. Rishi Mandal, a former product manager at Google, and Justin Santamaria, an ex-Apple engineer who helped build iMessage, both saw an opportunity to combine wearables with expert human guidance. They realized that while fitness apps could track steps and calories, they lacked the personal touch of real coaching. Their solution? Build an app that would pair users with professional coaches who monitor their progress in real-time through Apple Watch data, offering personalized workouts and constant feedback.

By bringing personal training to users’ phones and integrating it with wearables, Mandal and Santamaria envisioned a scalable way to deliver elite fitness coaching that felt just as personal as in-person sessions. It was a bold idea to solve a problem many people face: staying motivated and accountable in their fitness journey.

Challenges

Future.co faced three major challenges during the early days:

• Gaining trust in remote fitness: In the early stages, convincing customers that remote fitness coaching could be just as effective as in-person sessions was a challenge. The founders had to build credibility for a new model of fitness that most users were unfamiliar with.
• Recruiting top-tier coaches: Another significant challenge was attracting high-quality coaches to work in a remote environment. Many trainers were accustomed to face-to-face interactions. The founders had to create a seamless digital experience that replicated the personal connection of in-person training.
• Balancing scalability and personalization: Building a scalable tech platform without losing the personal touch that made the product unique required constant refinement. The team needed to balance automated insights with human coaching. This ensured users felt they were receiving truly customized plans.

Industry Context

The fitness tech space has exploded post-pandemic, with companies like Peloton, Tonal, and Mirror leading the charge. Future.co stood out by offering a more human-centric approach, relying on real trainers rather than algorithm-driven workouts. The market was highly competitive, with numerous apps trying to capitalize on the hybrid model of digital fitness and personalized coaching. Future.co entered this landscape offering a hybrid model—combining tech and human expertise—that set it apart from other fully automated platforms.

Founders

Rishi Mandal previously worked at Google and Postmates, where his startup Sosh was acquired. His background in building user-centric products helped shape Future’s mission to tackle America’s fitness and health crisis.

Justin Santamaria led key iPhone innovations like iMessage and FaceTime during his tenure at Apple, bringing significant technical expertise to the development of the Future app.

Product

Future.co connects users with personal coaches through its app. Here’s how it works:

• Apple Watch integration: Users wear an Apple Watch that tracks metrics like heart rate, steps, and calories burned. This data is fed to the coach in real-time.
• Personalized coaching: Coaches provide daily guidance, adjusting workout plans based on performance data, all communicated through the app.
• Constant feedback: Users communicate with their coach via chat, receiving daily support and motivation.
• Tailored workout plans: The app offers custom workout plans designed to fit the user’s goals, fitness level, and preferences.

USP

Future. co’s key differentiator is human-centered coaching backed by real-time tech. Unlike other fitness apps that rely solely on algorithms, Future.co pairs each user with a real coach. The coach uses data insights to make continuous adjustments. This blend of tech and human expertise allows users to receive personalized feedback and support, helping them stay motivated and accountable.

Competitors

Future.co operates in a competitive space, facing challenges from other fitness and tech-driven platforms like:

• Peloton: Known for its live and on-demand classes, but lacks the one-on-one personal coaching Future offers.
• Mirror: A home fitness device offering live classes but without personalized coaching.
• Trainerize: A remote fitness platform allowing trainers to manage clients, but doesn’t have the same deep integration with wearables and real-time data.
• Tempo: A home fitness solution that uses AI to guide workouts but focuses more on strength training than personalized coaching.

Build

The founders built the initial version of Future using a lean, agile development model. Leveraging Justin Santamaria’s experience at Apple, they designed the platform with Apple Watch integration as a core feature from the start. Within six months, they launched a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that offered basic tracking and coaching functionality. As user feedback rolled in, the team rapidly iterated on the design, adding features like real-time chat, workout customization, and more detailed performance tracking.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to build a basic product with minimal funds, here’s “How to Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) on a Budget”.

Implementation

To get the product into users’ hands, the founders used their network to onboard early adopters, particularly from the fitness and tech communities. Partnering with Apple early on to integrate the Apple Watch created a seamless experience that helped build trust among users. Future’s implementation strategy focused on high-touch customer service, ensuring every user felt valued and supported. This helped drive strong word-of-mouth growth.

Growth

Since its founding, Future has secured over $110 million in funding, including a Series C round led by SC Holdings and Trustbridge Partners. The app grew strongly, especially during the pandemic, as more consumers sought at-home fitness solutions. Future aimed to surpass $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by 2023(Business of Business)(Built In SF).

Pricing

Future’s pricing model is straightforward: users pay per month for personalized coaching. The price includes an Apple Watch, which is used to track workouts and provide feedback in real-time. While the price is higher than many fitness apps, the value proposition lies in the one-on-one attention from professional trainers.

Key Takeaways

• Accountability drives engagement: Future’s model emphasizes accountability, pairing users with real coaches to help keep them motivated.
• Tech-enhanced fitness: By integrating the Apple Watch, Future combines the convenience of digital fitness with personalized, real-time feedback.
• High cost, high value: Though more expensive than many other fitness apps, Future delivers value through personalized attention from professional trainers.
• Scalable personalization: Future is pioneering a model that scales human interaction, leveraging tech to enhance but not replace personal engagement.

If you’re wondering what processes will help you scale successfully, here’s our guide on “How to Build a Scalable Infrastructure for Long-Term Growth”.

Future.co’s journey shows how combining human expertise with cutting-edge technology can disrupt established industries like fitness. With Rishi Mandal and Justin Santamaria at the helm, Future has built a scalable business offering personalized fitness coaching to thousands of users. As the fitness landscape continues to evolve, Future is well-positioned to lead the charge in remote training. It provides a blend of tech-driven insights and human accountability that’s hard to beat!