While Twitter struggles to push through features to entice new users and please investors, the company’s former CEO is heading to new pastures.
Dick Costolo has kept relatively quiet since his departure from the company in June 2015 — he was later replaced by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey in October.
That all changed this morning, when Costolo took to Twitter to divulge the big projects he has in the pipeline. Foremost, was his statement that he is launching a fitness startup with Bryan Oki (co-founder of corporate fitness software company Fitify, and former CrossFit employee).
Although he did not reveal his new venture’s title, Costolo claimed that the “software platform …reimagines the path to personal fitness.” Referring to the data metrics provided by fitness wearables, he added: “This platform will go beyond measurement to motivate and drive improvement and make personal transformation fun and social.”
https://twitter.com/dickc/status/689454657832226816
It is unclear how Costolo’s new fitness software will be presented to consumers; will it be an app, a subscription service, a fitness consultation forum, or all three? Costolo’s revelation that it will involve fitness professionals extending their expertise to users indicates a training and guidance element. Additionally, his statement that it will exist within an industry of “connected devices” means it could potentially integrate user fitness data (after all, as wearables become ubiquitous, it would be silly not to).
Despite being catered toward fitness service providers, Oki’s Fitify software could play a major part in the creation of the new platform. Fitify’s fitness scheduler currently offers multiple calendars, automatic payments, the ability to share messages, photos, and videos, and multi-device compatibility.
Costolo’s series of tweets also saw the former Twitter CEO mention that he has found time to join venture capital firm Index Ventures. The role will see him invest in new companies as the firm’s venture partner.
