My Experience at the Inaugural Strava Developers Summit
Getting honored with the Up & Coming App Award just six months after launching TrackTunes
Dave receiving the Up & Coming App Award on behalf of TrackTunes at Strava Developers Summit. Image courtesy of Strava
I'm still running on a high from the inaugural Strava Developers Summit in San Francisco this past October, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences since launching TrackTunes!
The stage at Strava HQ before things got started
Image courtesy of Strava
When the invitation landed in my inbox, I was honestly surprised and honored. TrackTunes only launched back in May 2025, so being included in this inaugural event felt pretty incredible.
Meeting the Developer Community
One of the best parts of the day was getting to meet other developers who are building with Strava's API. I got to chat with the folks behind some apps I genuinely admire:
- Roast My Strava - Because who doesn't love trolling their training?
- VeloViewer - Pretty much the gold standard for cycling data visualization
- Wandrer - For explorers who want to cover every street
It was genuinely inspiring to meet people who are as excited about this stuff as I am. We all come at it from different angles, some focused on gamification, others on detailed analytics, and me with the music effect - but there's definitely a shared passion for just making it all a bit more fun!
Ben Lowe from VeloViewer and Jim Chevalier from CityStrides during the gamification panel
Image courtesy of Strava
The Sessions
The morning had a few panel discussions scheduled that really highlighted how different developers are leveraging the Strava API in creative ways. Here's the full agenda:
Event Program
- ☕ Morning Connection: Coffee, breakfast, and networking with the Strava team and developer community
- 🎮 Gamified Exploring: How gamified experiences inspire exploration and adventure, featuring CityStrides founder Jim Chevalier and VeloViewer founder Ben Lowe
- 🚴 Inside the Wahoo Integration: How Wahoo devices integrate with Strava to elevate training and performance, with Wahoo CEO Gareth Joyce and pro cyclist Alison Tetrick
- 🏃 The Making of Runna: Behind the scenes of how Runna leveraged Strava's API to grow from launch to acquisition, featuring Runna CEO Dom Maskell and CTO Walter Holohan in conversation with Strava CEO Mike Martin
- 🏆 The Strava Developer App Awards: Recognizing standout integrations across the developer community
The Wahoo team explaining their integration with Strava
Image courtesy of Strava
The Wahoo integration session was really cool. It was neat to hear how a major hardware manufacturer thinks about API integration at scale. And the Runna session with their CEO and CTO talking about going from launch to acquisition was really inspiring. A truly amazing (and funny, honestly) startup story.
Runna's Dom Maskell and Walter Holohan in conversation with Strava CEO Mike Martin
Image courtesy of Strava
The Award (!!)
During the awards ceremony, they announced that TrackTunes received the 2025 Up & Coming App Award, which was just such an amazing thing to be recognized for. It's been an absolute whirlwind, and this recognition from Strava means so much.
The moment when they called TrackTunes for the award!
Image courtesy of Strava
The award up close - a beautiful memento of an incredible day
I only launched in May of this year. From "hey, wouldn't it be cool to see what music people run to" to receiving an award at Strava's headquarters in six months was NOT something I saw coming.
🙏 Huge Thanks
But this award isn't just about the code or the features - it's also about the community that's grown around TrackTunes. Everyone who's connected their accounts, shared their playlists, and given feedback on what they'd like to see next has helped to make this possible. So thank you!
Had to get a photo with the iconic Strava kudos fist at their HQ!
Image courtesy of Strava
What's Next
Coming away from the summit, I've felt really energized and full of ideas. Meeting other developers, hearing about their challenges and successes, and seeing what Strava has planned for the future of their platform - it got me really excited about where TrackTunes can go next.
I'm also just really grateful for the opportunity to have been there. The folks at Strava have built something special, not just with their platform but with their developer community. The fact that they brought folks together for this inaugural summit shows they're serious about supporting the apps and integrations that make their ecosystem richer.
Haven't Tried TrackTunes Yet?
If you're a runner or cyclist who listens to music during your workouts, TrackTunes can show you some pretty cool insights about what songs appear during your best performances. It's completely free to start, and you might be surprised by what you discover!
Connect Your AccountsLooking Forward
I'm already looking forward to the next opportunity to connect with the Strava team and the developer community. This Event reminded me that I'm not building in isolation, but that I'm part of a community of people trying to help athletes achieve their goals in different ways.
Here's to more innovation, more collaboration, and more opportunities to help athletes discover the soundtrack to their best performances. If you were at the summit, it was great meeting you! And if you weren't, hopefully I'll see you at the next one. 🎵🏃
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