Episode #4: Ethan Agarwal, founder & CEO of Aaptiv

Today I'm joined by Ethan Agarwal. 

 

Ethan is the founder and CEO of Aaptiv. 

 

In today's episode, we talked to Ethan about building an executive team as a solo founder, how Aaptiv creates community among its users, and the role of personalization in the future of fitness. 

 

I had a great time chatting with Ethan and I hope you enjoy listening. 

 

Let's get into it.

 

More from Ethan & Aaptiv >> 

 

Aaptiv Founder and CEO Ethan Agarwal first thought of Aaptiv while working as a business consultant – tired, traveling, and 30 pounds overweight. During this time, he realized there was no product on the market that removed all of the barriers he and so many others were up against when trying to make fitness a priority.

 

He set out to transform the way everyone works out and founded Aaptiv in 2016. Three years later, the company – backed by leading venture capital firms and top companies including the Amazon Alexa Fund and Disney – is a leader in the digital health space with over 230,000 paying members who have taken more than 30 million Aaptiv classes.

 

Prior to launching Aaptiv, Ethan spent three years at McKinsey & Co, advising clients in the technology, media, and financial industries. He was previously an investor at LionEye Capital, a $2.5B AUM hedge fund, focused on a merger arbitrage strategy across energy, tech, and healthcare. Ethan began his career as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, focused on healthcare M&A.

 

Ethan holds bachelor's degrees in economics and political science from The Johns Hopkins University, with a minor in entrepreneurship. He earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Get in touch >> 

 

https://aaptiv.com/

 

https://www.instagram.com/aaptiv/

 

More from Fitt Insider >> 

 

Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. 

 

From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. 

 

Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.