It’s been one year since I left the government laboratory where I spent nearly a decade in order to join the RunKeeper team, and I can say unequivocally it has been one of the best experiences of my life.
I’ve learned an incredible amount in the past 12 months—not just about data and analytics, but also about product, mobile development, user experience, marketing, business development, and fitness. I’ve had the opportunity to meet, speak, and work with many talented engineers, scientists, and designers, both at RunKeeper and throughout Boston’s very active and fast-growing start-up community.
Unsurprisingly, a health and fitness company is also great place to keep fit. In the year since joining Team RunKeeper, I’ve run 947 miles and biked 994 miles, ran my first marathon (and seven other races, besides), cut nearly a minute off my 5K pace, hiked the Presidential Traverse in a single day, and lost more than 20 pounds. Perhaps I would have done some of these things anyway if I was still at my old job, but I can’t help but feel that the fun, supportive, health-oriented work environment RunKeeper provides was a big factor.
It certainly helps that the past year has been such an exciting time for our company. We’ve gone from 23 million to 36 million users, added a bunch of great new features to the RunKeeper product, and launched a completely new app, Breeze. However, even if times get tough—as they inevitably do from time to time in the start-up world—I’m confident I will be able to rely on RunKeeper’s vision for the future, its commitment to improving the lives and fitness of its users, and the quality and generosity of its employees.
So, thanks to all my colleagues at RunKeeper for a great first year. Now on to the next one!
