How to build a fitness app that's built different
The tech and the product choices behind Steddy
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In a world with millions of apps it’s hard to stand out. However, Steddy - brought to life by Raffi Chilingaryan - is making waves in the fitness app space. We dive deep into the Steddy story to learn how the app started, how it’s built, and where it’s going.
From Public Policy to Fitness Tech
Raffi Chilingaryan began his career in public health analysis, but started to feel disconnected from the people he was trying to help. In 2021, after teaching himself to code for a year, he took a leap and left his job to jump full time into the world of app development. Raffi noticed that exercise didn't get the love it deserved in public health talks and seriously believed that getting off the couch and moving around could make a big difference in people's health.
The Birth of Steddy: From Personal Habit to an App
The origin story of Steddy is personal. When he found it tough to stick to a regular fitness routine, Raffi started making notes on his phone about what he planned to do every day. Little did he know that this simple habit would turn into a full-blown app that changes how people behave. As he continued to rely on his notes app, Raffi asked himself how he could make the design more useful for the long term, and began designing additional features that would supercharge his minimal notes app habit.
The Tech Behind Steddy
Steddy's is built on React Native and Firebase. Raffi was a self-taught programmer and decided to go with the natural extension of what he learned in an online JavaScript course. He knew he wanted to make a fitness app that was easy to use on phones, so he learned how build with React Native.
Raffi has since teamed up with some experts from Italy and Austria who knew React Native inside out. The Steddy team now leverages Expo, Reanimated, and Skia, and other tools to create a buttery smooth experience.
Fun fact: one of the lead engineers in Italy was someone Raffi had followed on YouTube tutorials when he first learned React Native years ago.
How’s Steddy Different?
Steddy's secret sauce is its simplicity and effectiveness. At the heart of the app is the "check-in" feature. It's super straightforward - you log your daily workouts and rate how hard you went on a scale from “light” to "intense." The app then takes this data and generates deep insights, charts, and statistics without requiring any extra input. What makes Steddy special is that it's all about how much effort you're putting in, not just numbers like weight or distance. It is designed to be your go-to place for tracking your fitness journey without any fuss.
Simple and Minimal Design
One thing that sets Steddy apart is its minimalistic design. Raffi realized that a lot of fitness apps were jam-packed with features that made your head spin. Steddy is a calm, zen-like space that lets you focus on your workout plans without any distractions. It’s built to be a notes app for fitness.
What's Next: Making Behavior Change Happen
Steddy's long-term plan is all about getting better at helping people change their habits. Raffi has some amazing stories from users who've had success, but he dreams of Steddy doing even more like integrating with your data on diet and sleep, offering on-the-go learning, and adding social features for extra motivation.
In a nutshell, Steddy wants to be the ultimate fitness buddy that meets you where you are in your journey. It's got the tools and inspiration to make lasting changes happen.
If you're curious about Steddy and how it's shaking up fitness, just search "STEDDY" in your App Store to find it or go to www.steddy.health.
And to stay in the loop with what Raffi Chilingaryan is up to, follow him on Twitter at @raffichill.
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