Hi guys,
I have an idea for an App and wanted to run it by you guys at TheRodinhoods to get your thoughts and inputs. Your advice would be greatly appreciated – and please give me your true opinion, whether you think this App is totally crap or whether you think it’s a game changer.
Elevator pitch:
The “Get It” app (working name) will help gym members get easier access to the services and classes offered at gyms & sports clubs.
2 minute pitch:
Gyms are crowded usually in the mornings and the evenings. Those are the times when most of the machines, classes, massage tables are occupied and members have to physically stand in line or write their name on a white board and wait for their number to come about or take a token to ensure their spot in a class. The Get It app will use location tracking and allow members to book their place once they are in the premises without having to wait for a token or hover around a machine.
Birth of the idea:
I’m a member of the national sports club of India (NSCI) in Mumbai. The gym there runs a spinning class in the morning. One day I was working out at the gym and a friend of mine, who was there for the spinning class, was complaining about how there are more people coming for the class than the number of cycles and so many have to turn back without doing the class.
They were using a system where the instructor handed a token on a first come first service basis – but that was not running successfully as people that arrived before the instructor did not benefit and also class goers were taking tokens for their friends who were arriving late.
This led to the birth of the idea for the Get It app in my mind. The thought was how to use technology to solve this issue.
And I believe this solution can be used in other areas also – to book a treadmill at the gym, a massage session, to book the courts to play tennis/squash/badminton etc.
How it will work:
Members of the sports club download the app and sign in. They can use the same app across multiple gyms & sports clubs that sign up with us (So Arjun who is a member at Golds Gym at Nepeansea road and NSCI can access services at both club using the same profile – The club has to give him a kind of OTP which allows him to log into their services on the app).
The sports club (lets assume NSCI) also downloads a “Service provider” version of the app which allows them to grant permission, monitor data, etc on the app.
When Arjun reaches NSCI at 6.30 am he logs into the App and using the location tracking option (or using the Wi-Fi of NSCI – to prove that he is at the location) he signs up for the spinning class, which starts at 7 am. He also sees that the treadmill is free so blocks a treadmill for himself from 6.40 am to 7 am. All this before he has even changed into his gym shoes.
NSCI can set different rules for how the services can be blocked by their members.
Neerja is hard at work at the office and wants to get a relaxing massage at the end of the day. She opens the App and sees that there is a slot open at 5.30 that evening and she blocks the same for herself.
This can also be used as a scheduler – so training sessions with personal trainers/coaches, etc or meetings with nutritionists can also be lined up using this.
Also, on the business side – clubs like NSCI can keep a tab on the usage of their equipment in real time, remotely. Plus, the app will collect data on the fitness habits of the members which can be used by the company. Plus we can tie up with other fitness apps to share information (or something on those lines).
Note: – What happens in the case that an NSCI member wants to use the treadmill if it is free but he isn’t on Get It? we can have him block the treadmill on the NSCI computer which will be located at the gym.
Need your help with:
A) What do you think of this idea? Would this work? Is it too niche an idea?
B) Is there a way to simplify this further?
C) I’m not a Tech guy, so my knowledge of the nuts and bolts of technology is very poor – so please guide me if there are some technologies that exist that can make this App work even better.
D) Are there any apps out there that are already providing this kind of service?
Thanks in advance for your valuable comments and suggestions.
cheers,
Sumiit
No more of this waiting: