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Strava – new CEO appointed

11 December 2023
the5krunner

 

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Image|STRAVA

Strava’s credible, new CEO

Strava, a popular digital community for active individuals boasting over 120 million users, has appointed Michael Martin as its new Chief Executive Officer. Currently the general manager of YouTube Shopping, Martin brings nearly three decades of leadership experience from Fortune 100 brands such as Nike, Disney, and NBCUniversal. He will assume the role on January 2, 2024, and also join the Strava Board of Directors.

This announcement follows the decision of Michael Horvath, the co-founder of Strava, to step down after 15 years. During his tenure, the global Strava community grew from 50 million to over 120 million, the team expanded to over 400 employees globally, and the company operated profitably each year.

Michael Horvath expressed pride in Strava’s achievements, especially in the past four years, highlighting the subscription service’s development and the strengthening of the company’s foundation for future growth. Horvath will continue to support the transition as an Executive Advisor to the CEO.

Michael Martin, known for his extensive leadership in technology, media, and retail, particularly at Nike where he oversaw connected fitness products, expressed excitement about joining Strava. He recognizes the universal challenge of motivating people to be more active and is eager to contribute to Strava’s momentum and growth.

new Strava Messaging – Completely Pointless

Take Out

Martin’s appointment comes at a crucial time for Strava, just as the company claims to be experiencing accelerated growth.

Plans for 2024 include scaling the product offering, in-app Messaging rollout, and the upcoming Year In Sport global initiative.

Opinion

In my view, Strava might not be worth the money for most cyclists, even though many cyclists want to use it and almost feel they need to. The annual subscription fee has nearly doubled to about $/£/€100. If you only use Strava for basic functions like tracking your rides or monitoring favourite segments, it’s probably not worth more than $5-$20 per year. The unique features Strava offers, like social interactions, segments, and leaderboards, are valuable, but Garmin Connect provides similar features for free.

Strava partners with Garmin, but Garmin Connect essentially offers the same services without a fee. Many cyclists, including myself, use Strava mainly because it’s where our friends are.

It seems like we’re doing Strava a favour by using it and providing our data. If it were gone, it wouldn’t be a big leap for us to use WhatsApp, RideWithGPS or the apps from our bike computer manufacturers.

The cycling industry is undergoing significant changes, and Strava needs to explore ways to generate more revenue. While hosting ads is an option, it might not be enough. Strava could consider reintroducing an additional subscription tier for an ad-free experience, but this would require a significant shift in their business model.

Ultimately, if you appreciate a product like Strava, supporting it through either ads or membership fees is essential to prevent losing it altogether. The choice is yours.

Let’s see if Mr Martin can give us some more choices.

 

Last Updated on 24 January 2026 by the5krunner

My favourite kit and nutrition

  • Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach.
  • Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cable tidy at the stem. Essential for race day.
  • Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session.
  • Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters.
  • Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch.
  • Stryd — the footpod that brings running power to your Garmin. The single most useful running upgrade I have made.
  • Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes.

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