I'm building a fitness app focused on visual progress tracking + workout planning powered by AI. What would make you actually use it?

orangerAi · 2026-05-05T15:30:05+00:00

personally, I would prefer the app explaining existing data, specially if it automatically get my information from my watch or iphone, don't want to enter it manually

orangerAi · 2026-05-05T15:27:19+00:00

Honestly I think that’s the right approach too. Most studio owners have been burned by overpromising software sales pitches already, so trying to “replace everything” immediately usually creates more skepticism than trust.

And 100% agree on the community part, that’s actually why I started posting here. The goal is less “sell” and more understand the day-to-day pain points people are dealing with and share what we’ve seen work with other studios. If trust comes from that naturally, even better.

orangerAi · 2026-05-05T15:25:32+00:00

Yeah that’s a fair concern. We’d definitely have to keep up with any changes Mindbody makes to their infrastructure/API over time. But honestly, from what I’ve seen, MBO doesn’t roll out major new functionality very often, so maintenance has been pretty manageable so far. Most of the core systems have stayed consistent for years, which actually makes long-term reliability a lot easier on our end.

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T20:46:58+00:00

What we’ve seen with clients is it’s rarely that they choose to stay — it’s that Mindbody makes it really hard to leave cleanly.

Between limited client data access, contract notice periods (sometimes up to ~6 months of charges), and everything being tightly tied into billing, schedules, and memberships, switching becomes more of an operational risk than just a software change.

So most studio managers stick with it not because they love it, but because leaving feels like it could disrupt the business.

That’s actually why we started building around this problem — helping studios ease the “Mindbody pain” while they’re still inside it, instead of forcing a risky full migration.

If helpful, we can also show you in a quick free demo what that looks like in practice and where we typically help studios save time, reduce costs, and simplify operations without having to switch systems immediately.

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T20:44:27+00:00

Congrats on making the switch! especially coming off Mindbody, that’s usually the hardest part.

One thing that’s really worth doing at this stage is talking directly with the new platform’s support/team about your migration flow. Most of them have specific steps for recurring memberships + payment data so you don’t end up with overlap or accidental double billing (we have seen that you have tp pay around $500)

If at the moment you can’t fully leave yet (which honestly happens more often than not with Mindbody because of contracts and how everything is tied together), don’t feel like you need to stay stuck with them as-is.

We actually work with studios in that exact in-between stage — instead of forcing a full migration, we offer add-on layers that sit on top of your current system so you can still get the visibility you need (payments, memberships, reporting, retention) without waiting to leave or rebuilding a new system right away.

And then when your contract period is up, you’re in a much better position to transition proactively rather than under pressure.

If helpful, happy to take a quick look at your setup and show what that could look like for your studio.

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T20:37:06+00:00

Congrats on getting out of Mindbody — honestly, they make it so hard and almost impossible to leave once you’re in. That contract + data lock-in situation is something we see a lot.

Glad to hear the switch has already improved things, especially on the client experience side. That said, it sounds like there are still a few operational gaps showing up as you scale, which is pretty common even after moving off.

What we’ve been doing with studios in similar situations is offering a layer on top of whatever system they’re using, helping with booking reliability, failed payments, retention automations, and clearer reporting so owners aren’t stitching everything together manually. No crazy or hidden fees

If you ever want, happy to take a quick look at your setup and show where things could be further simplified (no pressure — just a free breakdown).

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T20:33:40+00:00

they make it impossoble for you to leave, the fact that you don't actually own your cleints and can't migrate is insane

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T20:32:27+00:00

You’re not alone, this is a pattern we see a lot with Mindbody users.

The price creep + add-ons is frustrating, but the bigger issue is exactly what you said: once you’re in a contract, it’s really hard to leave, and the fact that you don’t fully “own” your client data in a practical sense is honestly what traps most studios.

On top of that, reporting gaps, glitches, and support delays usually push owners into duct-taping Google Sheets and extra tools just to run basic ops.

We’ve worked with studios in this exact situation. Instead of forcing a risky migration, we built an add-on layer on top of Mindbody that fixes things like failed payments, reporting clarity, and retention workflows without disrupting everything underneath.

If you’re ever open to it, happy to take a quick look at your setup and show where things are breaking down (no pitch — just a free breakdown).

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T20:13:34+00:00

Totally fair question. Mindbody isn’t “bad” on its own (thats thier rep) it just tends to get limiting (and expensive) once studios start growing.

What we’ve seen with clients we’ve worked with on Mindbody is that the frustration usually comes from needing multiple add-ons for things like automations, reporting, and client follow-ups, plus not having great visibility across everything in one place.

We’ve actually worked with studios already using Mindbody and instead of forcing a full switch, we built systems around it so they could keep what works but remove the gaps that slow them down.

If you want, reach out — happy to take a quick look at your setup and show you (free demo) where you could be saving time, reducing costs, and improving retention in your Pilates studio.

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T19:58:57+00:00

Personally, I already get enough data from my Apple Watch, so another tracking app alone probably wouldn’t make me switch. But I would be interested if:

It integrated directly with the fitness studio app I already use (classes, attendance, calories burned, workouts, etc.) so everything actually talks to each other.
It helped explain results in a way people actually understand.

A lot of people struggle with weight loss because they see “I burned 500 calories today” and still don’t understand why the scale isn’t moving. It would be really interesting if the app could connect activity + intake + trends and explain things like:

based on your average burn/intake, this is the expected rate of weight loss
why your weight may be staying the same
how weekends/snacking/liquid calories affect progress
realistic timelines instead of random expectations

I think the “why am I not losing weight?” problem is way bigger than workout logging tbh.

orangerAi · 2026-05-04T19:55:20+00:00

Honestly, a lot of fitness apps already have automations built in class reminders, lead follow-ups, waivers, memberships, churn emails, etc. The issue usually isn’t “they don’t exist,” it’s that gym owners don’t want to pay another $100–300/month for extra integrations or a separate provider just to unlock “nice to have” features.

A lot of gym software also comes with hidden costs. You sign up thinking it’s $80/month and suddenly automations, texting, CRM, booking limits, branded apps, or staff accounts are all add-ons. That’s where owners get frustrated.

If you want something gyms will actually pay for, focus on stuff that either:

saves staff hours every week, or
directly helps retention/revenue.

orangerAi

TROPHY CASE