Strava and Letterboxd Surge as Users Crave Social-Media Refuge
- Biking, reading and dining apps draw users seeking connection
- Niche apps take hold as alternative to larger online platforms
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Strava launched in 2009 as a niche website for cyclists to log mileage. During the pandemic, it blossomed into a mobile app serving more than 120 million athletes as worldwide lockdowns drove people outdoors.
Now that audience sees something else in Strava: a place to engage more easily with people over a common interest. Its growing appeal reflects a surge in affinity-based platforms — like Letterboxd for movie buffs and GoodReads for book lovers — that provide a refuge from social-media giants, while offering other businesses a new way to target consumers.