Shubham Joshi
Train True

CLIENT PROJECT · ONGOING

Train True, fitness coaching app, from zero to launch

From zero to launch

My roleProduct owner, go-to-market lead and delivery lead, running strategy, product, build and launch end to end.

Commercial details and results are not shown.

At a glance

LabelCLIENT PROJECT · ONGOING
My roleProduct owner, go-to-market lead and delivery lead, running strategy, product, build and launch end to end.
Client descriptorAn independent fitness coach. Commercial details and results are not shown. I can talk through my decisions and approach in an interview.
StackReact Native (Expo), TypeScript, Supabase, Vercel
TaglineA free app, a paid offer and a hard launch date.
PositioningTwo tracks, one funnel: the coach's personal brand (philosophy and mindset, mostly organic) and the app (organic first, paid ads for part of the volume). Growing one does not depend on the other. Claims stay at training and lifestyle guidance, with no medical promises until legal review.
  1. 01

    The problem

    A fitness coach wanted marketing to start immediately, but the native app couldn't ship for about five months. That left nothing for a lead to try and nothing to keep clients engaged.

  2. 02

    The move

    Ship a free web app first, and start marketing the day it goes live. The full native app follows later.

  3. 03

    The goal

    Every paying client has to come from our marketing, and clients from the coach's existing contacts don't count. That rule makes attribution non-negotiable: every enquiry carries a recorded source, so every client is traceable to our work.

Positioning

Personal brandThe appOne funnel

Two tracks, one funnel: the coach's personal brand (philosophy and mindset, mostly organic) and the app (organic first, paid ads for part of the volume). Growing one does not depend on the other. Claims stay at training and lifestyle guidance, with no medical promises until legal review.

The offer

Free

Free app

  • The app is free: check-in and check-out, training plans, meal plans, calendar, streaks and progress photos.
Paid

Paid coaching package

  • A paid coaching package is sold through our sales conversation and delivered by the coach.
  • We run the sales conversation. The coach handles payment, refunds and onboarding.
  • Because payments stay with the coach, there was no in-app billing or store billing to build for launch.

Most marketers own one link of the growth chain. I own all of it.

Offer, message, channel, conversion, activation and retention, plus the product decisions behind them.

My background is filmmaking and scriptwriting, so I write copy that holds attention. My founder instinct means I treat every channel as something that must pay back.

Every stage has an owner, a metric and a decision it drives. Pick one.

The funnel · 9 steps
StepWhat happenedOwnerMetricDecision it drives
1. AwarenessWhat happenedOrganic content and paid ads on two tracks: personal brand and product.OwnerUsMetricPaid vs organic split against planDecision it drivesRebalance spend
2. WebsiteWhat happenedThe coach's site promotes the paid coaching package subtly and is open to anyone.OwnerUsMetric—Decision it drives—
3. EnquiryWhat happenedEvery enquiry carries a recorded source, so every client is traceable to our work.OwnerUsMetricEnquiries by sourceDecision it drivesWhere next week's effort and ad budget go
4. Sales conversationWhat happenedRun by our side, working from scripts the coach provides.OwnerUsMetricPaid cost per clientDecision it drivesPause, rework or scale an ad set
5. PaymentWhat happenedCollected by the coach. Payments stay with the coach by design.OwnerCoachMetric—Decision it drives—
6. OnboardingWhat happenedHandled by the coach from the first session onward.OwnerCoachMetric—Decision it drives—
7. App sign-upWhat happenedThe free app is the welcome gift. Sign-up and a richer onboarding questionnaire.OwnerUsMetricSign-up to confirmed email; onboarding completionDecision it drivesFix email delivery and copy; shorten or reorder questions
8. ActivationWhat happenedFirst workout or check-in within 7 days.OwnerUsMetric7-day activationDecision it drivesChange first-run screens and reminders
9. Retention and referralsWhat happenedStreaks, calendar and progress photos give people a reason to return and a shareable before-and-after story.OwnerUsMetricDay-7 and day-30 retention; streak length and photo adds per userDecision it drivesImprove streaks, calendar prompts and plans; double down on loops that work

The funnel · 9 steps

Awareness

OwnerUs
What happened
Organic content and paid ads on two tracks: personal brand and product.
Metric
Paid vs organic split against plan
Decision it drives
Rebalance spend

Roadmap

Launch plan: three phases, two checkpoints

Three phases, in order. A checkpoint between them has to pass before the next phase starts.

  • Phase
  • Checkpoint: a go/no-go test before the next phase

Build and check it

Going liveThe free web app is open

The full app

  1. Build and check it

    Done

    What
    Security, sign-up and legal checks before launch
    To move on
    Passed. Launch checks passed

  2. The free web app is open

    Going live

    We are here

    What
    Free and open to everyone. Marketing starts on launch day.
    To move on
    Pending. Client-acquisition target, measured at native launch

  3. The full app

    Later

    What
    Full app for clients

The free web app is open

We are here

What
Free and open to everyone. Marketing starts on launch day.
To move on
Pending. Client-acquisition target, measured at native launch

Growth decisions that shaped the product (filterable cards)

9 shown

  • When to ship

    Options
    Wait for the native app, or ship an interim app
    Chosen
    Free interim web app
    Why
    Marketing starts now instead of waiting for the native app, and every lead has something to try
    Tags
    Growth, Scope

  • Where it runs

    Options
    Store apps, or web only
    Chosen
    Web only at first
    Why
    No store review delay, no install step, and a link anyone can share
    Tags
    Growth, Scope

  • Who can sign up

    Options
    Invite-only for paying clients, or open to everyone
    Chosen
    Open and free for everyone
    Why
    Usage data and engagement patterns before the main launch. I built invite-only first, then reversed it when it proved a poor fit for a free growth app.
    Tags
    Growth

  • Social sign-in

    Options
    Google, Apple, X and Meta at launch, or later
    Chosen
    Later
    Why
    Each needs approvals or a paid developer account, which put the launch date at risk. The code stays ready behind a switch.
    Tags
    Scope

  • Pricing of the app

    Options
    A separate subscription, or bundled
    Chosen
    Bundled as a free add-on
    Why
    One price to explain, and payments stay with the coach
    Tags
    Growth, Product

  • Retention mechanics

    Options
    Plain tracking, or habit loops
    Chosen
    Calendar, daily streak, daily progress photos
    Why
    A reason to return daily, and a shareable before-and-after story through a before-and-after view
    Tags
    Growth, Product

  • Onboarding

    Options
    A short form, or a richer questionnaire
    Chosen
    A richer, redesigned questionnaire with a date-of-birth wheel
    Why
    Better personalisation, and answers that follow the account to a new phone
    Tags
    Product

  • Product claims

    Options
    "Mini hospital" promise, or training guidance
    Chosen
    Training and lifestyle guidance
    Why
    Avoids medical claims before legal review
    Tags
    Trust

  • Analytics

    Options
    Session replay and heat maps, or event-only
    Chosen
    Event-only, with no health values (planned, not yet built)
    Why
    Health screens must never be recorded
    Tags
    Trust

Trust built in as a growth lever

The app holds health answers and progress photos, so trust is part of conversion. One leak or one confusing consent screen would cost more than any ad budget could win back.

  • Separate consent for health answers and photos (specified, to be built once the wording is approved).
  • One-step account deletion that removes the account, answers, calendar and stored photos (written and tested in code; a live throwaway-user test is a launch gate).
  • Private storage and owner-only data access, with trainer access from a server-side role table.
  • Data hosted in a region matched to the audience.
  • Branded email delivery on the brand's own domain, so confirmation emails don't land in spam.
  • Privacy-safe, event-only analytics: no health data, no session recording, behind a user opt-in (planned).

Run like a product team of one

  • The scope moved several times before launch: marketing to start earlier, a free interim app, web only, open sign-up. I turned each change into a written decision and re-based the plan every time.
  • Every change passed type checks, linting, automated tests, secret scanning and real-device testing. Passing tests grew from 72 to 118 in a week.
  • Every database change was reviewed line by line, with read-only checks before and verification queries after.
  • I directed AI-assisted development and kept every decision touching money, data or reputation in human hands.

Measurement framework (set before launch)

Each metric is tied to a decision it will change. This is the framework, not a set of results.

MetricWhat it tells usDecision it drives
MetricEnquiries by sourceWhat it tells usWhich content and channels bring real leadsDecision it drivesWhere the next week's effort and ad budget go
MetricPaid cost per clientWhat it tells usWhether paid ads acquire clients efficientlyDecision it drivesPause, rework or scale an ad set
MetricSign-up to confirmed emailWhat it tells usWhether sign-up and email steps leak usersDecision it drivesFix email delivery and copy
MetricOnboarding completionWhat it tells usWhether the questionnaire is too long or intrusiveDecision it drivesShorten or reorder questions
Metric7-day activationWhat it tells usWhether new users find value fastDecision it drivesChange first-run screens and reminders
MetricDay-7 and day-30 retentionWhat it tells usWhether the habit sticksDecision it drivesImprove streaks, calendar prompts and plans
MetricStreak length and photo adds per userWhat it tells usWhich mechanics drive return visitsDecision it drivesDouble down on the loops that work
MetricAccount deletionsWhat it tells usTrust problems or poor fitDecision it drivesReview consent wording and onboarding
MetricPaid and organic split against planWhat it tells usWhether the mix holdsDecision it drivesRebalance spend

What this shows for a growth or GTM role

SkillEvidence
SkillGTM strategyEvidenceTwo tracks, one funnel, one clear plan in the client deck
SkillOffer designEvidenceA free app bundled with a paid coaching package, with sales, payment and delivery roles split
SkillFunnel and attributionEvidenceA rule that existing contacts don't count, so every enquiry needs a recorded source
SkillChannel mix and budgetEvidenceA paid and organic mix, with a derived ceiling for paid cost per client
SkillProduct-led growthEvidenceA free app as the conversion and retention asset, habit loops, open sign-up to learn from real usage
SkillExperiment and measurementEvidenceA metric chain from enquiry to day-30 retention, each tied to a decision
SkillTrade-offs under a deadlineEvidenceSocial sign-in, video library and plan builder deferred to hold the launch date
SkillRisk and complianceEvidenceClaims discipline, consent design, deletion and privacy pages for health data
SkillScope managementEvidenceA scope that moved several times, handled through written decisions and re-based plans
Skill0-to-1 product developmentEvidenceProduct, security, legal and launch operations led end to end

Give me a target.

I'll build the offer, the funnel and the product around it. Open to Growth Marketing and Go-to-Market Lead roles. Remote-ready, open to relocation.

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