MySwimPro’s Q1 2019 deck serves as a bridge between their established success in the swimming vertical and a planned expansion into the triathlon market. The company leverages significant social proof, specifically its selection as the 2016 Apple Watch App of the Year and a feature in a Tim Cook keynote. While the deck demonstrates strong historical growth (12% monthly average through 2018), the core of the pitch is a forward-looking expansion into a 'Triathlon Training App' to capture a high-income demographic ($126k average income for USA Triathlon athletes). The deck is notable for its inc…
Key takeaways
- The company achieved high-profile validation by being named the Best Apple Watch App of 2016 and featured in a Tim Cook keynote (Slide 10).
- Historical subscriber growth from 2017-2018 averaged 12% per month, though projections for 2019-2020 show varying scenarios between 5% and 10% (Slide 7).
- The product portfolio spans multiple wearable ecosystems including Apple Watch, Android Wear, Fitbit, and Garmin (Slide 4).
- Expansion into triathlons targets a demographic with an average income of $126k and an annual fitness expenditure of $1k-$3k (Slide 13).
- The management team includes a 3x USMS National Champion CEO and a 3x Olympian advisor (Slide 16).
- User acquisition is supported by a large top-of-funnel audience, including 750k total downloads and a 300k-person email list (Appendix 3).
- Monetization is primarily subscription-based at $119.99/year or $19.99/month, though survey data suggests 42% of users prefer a 'Pay Per Plan' model (Slide 4, Appendix 6).
- The deck explicitly addresses equity crowdfunding mechanics, noting a previous $130k raise from 137 investors on Wefunder (Slide 19).
Executive Summary and Brand Positioning
Slide 1: Title Slide
The deck opens with a high-action visual of a swimmer, establishing the brand's core focus immediately. The tagline, 'Empowering aquatic prowess across the globe!', positions the company as a performance-oriented fitness platform. The slide is dated Q1 2019, setting the context for the metrics and projections that follow.
Slide 4: Product Portfolio
This slide illustrates the cross-platform nature of the service. It showcases the mobile app on iPhone and Android alongside its presence on major wearable devices: Apple Watch, Android Wear, Fitbit, and Garmin. The pricing is clearly stated as a subscription model: $119.99 per year or $19.99 per month. A secondary product, 'Triathlon Tracker,' is listed at $9.99. The inclusion of the 'Best of 2016' App Store badge provides early social proof of product quality.
Growth Metrics and Projections
Slide 7: Subscriber Growth
MySwimPro uses a standard historical-vs-projection chart to demonstrate traction. The historical data from 2017 to 2018 shows a 'Historical Average' growth of 12% per month. The projection side of the chart is divided into three tiers: High Growth (10%/month), Moderate Growth (8% in 2019, 6% in 2020), and Slow Growth (5%/month). By visualizing these paths, the company attempts to show a range of outcomes, with the high-growth path aiming for approximately 64,500 subscribers by the end of the period. The chart effectively shows that even the 'slow' growth path represents significant scaling from their early 2017 starting point.
Validation and Social Proof
Slide 10: App of the Year
This is a critical 'credibility' slide. It documents three major milestones: being the world's first swimming app on Apple Watch featured in a Tim Cook keynote (September 7, 2016), being named 'Best Apple Watch App of 2016' by Apple, and being named 'App of the Day' in July 2018. The visual evidence—a screenshot of the App Store and a photo of Tim Cook on stage—serves to de-risk the investment by showing that the product has been vetted and promoted by the primary platform owner (Apple).
Market Expansion Strategy
Slide 13: Triathlon Training App
This slide marks the transition from a swimming-only focus to a multi-sport (swim, bike, run) platform. The 'Need' section identifies a gap for a mobile-first coaching experience for beginner triathletes, citing competitors like Training Peaks and Trainer Road. The 'Opportunity' section focuses on the high-value demographic: USA Triathlon athletes with an average income of $126k. The timeline indicates that the company spent Q4 2018 on discovery and planned to launch an MVP Beta in March 2019, with full scale-up intended for Spring 2020.
Team and Governance
Slide 16: Management Team
The team slide emphasizes a mix of athletic achievement and technical pedigree. CEO Fares Ksebati is highlighted as a 3x USMS National Champion, providing domain expertise. The engineering team (Adam Oxner, Michael Allon, Ben Hendricks) brings experience from major tech firms including Apple, Google, LinkedIn, and Expedia. The inclusion of Peter Vanderkaay, a 3x Olympian and 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Co-Captain, as an advisor adds significant prestige and industry connections.
Investor Relations and Crowdfunding
Slide 19: FAQs
This slide is specifically tailored for an equity crowdfunding campaign. It defines equity crowdfunding versus traditional crowdfunding and explains the use of the Wefunder platform. It notes that MySwimPro previously raised $130k from 137 investors in 2017. The FAQ also addresses liquidity, stating that a return on investment is likely only through an acquisition or IPO, and warns investors about the lack of a liquid secondary market for private shares.
Appendix and Data Deep-Dives
Appendix 3: Global Audience
This slide provides a breakdown of the top-of-funnel metrics. It lists the Top 10 countries by downloads, led by the US, UK, and Canada. The 'Growth Statistics' section reports 750k total downloads (growing at 30k/month) and a 300k-person email list (growing at 15k/month). These figures suggest a strong organic reach that can be converted into paid subscribers.
Appendix 6: Subscriber Survey
The final slide shown provides market research data to support the triathlon expansion. It shows that 34% of interested users are looking at Olympic-distance triathlons, followed by Sprint (25%) and Half Ironman (20%). Crucially, the payment preference chart shows that while subscriptions are the core model, 42% of respondents prefer a 'Pay Per Plan' model, which may inform future pricing strategies.
What MySwimPro Does Well
Platform Validation: The deck leans heavily and effectively on its relationship with Apple. Being featured in a keynote and winning 'App of the Year' are rare accolades that immediately separate a startup from thousands of other fitness apps. This validation is used as a foundation for all other claims.
Demographic Targeting: The expansion into triathlons is backed by clear economic data. By highlighting the $126k average income of triathletes, the company makes a compelling case for why this specific expansion will lead to higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and a more sustainable subscription business.
Transparency in Projections: Rather than offering a single 'hockey stick' graph, Slide 7 provides three different growth scenarios. This level of realism is often appreciated by sophisticated investors as it shows the founders have considered different market conditions and execution levels.
What is Missing from the Deck
Unit Economics: While the deck mentions subscription prices and total downloads, it lacks specific data on Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV). Without these, it is difficult to assess the actual profitability of the growth shown on Slide 7.
Churn and Retention: For a subscription business, retention is the most important metric. The deck does not provide data on how long the average user stays subscribed or what the monthly churn rate is. High growth in downloads is less meaningful if the 'leaky bucket' of churn is not addressed.
Competitive Landscape: Slide 13 mentions a few competitors in the triathlon space, but there is no dedicated slide comparing MySwimPro’s features, pricing, or performance against incumbents like Strava or specialized coaching platforms.
Founder Takeaways
Use Social Proof Early: If you have won awards or been featured by major platforms (Apple, Google, TechCrunch), make those logos and screenshots prominent. MySwimPro uses Slide 10 to effectively 'prove' their product quality before asking for expansion capital.
Survey Your Users: The inclusion of Appendix 6 shows that the founders are listening to their audience. Using survey data to justify a product roadmap (moving into triathlons) and a pricing model (pay-per-plan) makes the strategy feel data-driven rather than intuitive.
Tailor the Deck to the Funding Source: Because this was an equity crowdfunding deck, the inclusion of an FAQ (Slide 19) was essential. It addresses the specific concerns of retail investors (liquidity, platform mechanics) that a traditional VC deck might skip. Founders should always adjust their 'Ask' and 'FAQ' slides based on who is sitting across the table.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary revenue model for MySwimPro?
- According to slide 4, the primary revenue model is a subscription service priced at $119.99 per year or $19.99 per month. They also list a 'Triathlon Tracker' app for a one-time price of $9.99. Interestingly, Appendix 6 shows that 42% of surveyed users prefer a 'Pay Per Plan' model, suggesting potential future shifts in monetization.
- How does the company justify its expansion into the triathlon market?
- Slide 13 outlines the 'Need' for a personalized multi-sport coaching experience similar to their swimming app. They highlight the attractive demographics of triathlon athletes, noting an average income of $126k and that 40% of Ironman-distance athletes currently purchase training plans or hire coaches, representing a significant market opportunity.
- What is the current scale of the MySwimPro user base?
- As of the Q1 2019 deck, Appendix 3 reports 750,000 total downloads with a growth rate of 30,000 new downloads per month. Their digital reach includes a 300,000-person email list and a combined social media following of over 200,000 across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
- Who are the key members of the leadership team?
- The team (Slide 16) is led by CEO Fares Ksebati, a 3x USMS National Champion. The technical side is managed by CTO Adam Oxner (formerly of Expedia) and Android Lead Michael Allon (formerly of Target). The team also features Ben Hendricks, an iOS engineer with experience at Apple and Google, and 3x Olympian Peter Vanderkaay as an advisor.
- What are the company's growth projections for 2019 and 2020?
- Slide 7 presents three growth scenarios. The 'High Growth' scenario projects 10% monthly growth, reaching approximately 64,500 subscribers by early 2021. The 'Moderate' scenario assumes 8% growth in 2019 and 6% in 2020, while the 'Slow' scenario assumes a flat 5% monthly growth rate.
