How vertical SaaS companies win in the fitness industry

For many software companies, growth often means casting a wide net—building a product that works for as many users as possible. But ABC Fitness has taken a different path. By focusing exclusively on the fitness industry, the company has built a platform that serves everyone from solo personal trainers to multi-location gyms, providing the tools, insights, and support they need to grow their businesses.

This post continues our blog series based on conversations from a Fintech Takes podcast series, hosted by Alex Johnson and Pipe CEO Luke Voiles, joined by ABC Fitness CMO Lacey Ford.

Tailoring go-to-market to each segment

Not all fitness operators buy software in the same way. Multi-site gyms require consultative, enterprise-style sales, while solo personal trainers gravitate toward product-led, self-serve solutions. Lacey describes the distinction:

“A multi-site franchise is going to need a very different buying approach and buyer journey, consultative enterprise style versus our personal trainer or coach segment, which is a PLG motion. They want things instantly. It has to be app-based.” 

This segmentation allows ABC Fitness to design go-to-market motions that match each operator’s needs. Quick implementations build trust, and over time, customers expand into additional services, locations, or features, creating a compounding growth effect. Partnerships with platforms like MyFitnessPal or eGym further extend the ecosystem, making the software more valuable to operators at every stage.

Luke emphasizes the flexibility of ABC’s approach:

“You can serve an individual that starts out as a sole prop personal trainer that then goes and rents some space and opens their first location and starts getting more clientele. And if they want to start franchising it or doing other stuff, you guys can grow up with them all the way to the top.”

Retention as a growth engine

Retention is a major factor in revenue, but it’s also a strategic lever in SaaS. Maintaining strong customer relationships allows companies like ABC Fitness to gather actionable insights and develop new features.

“Retention compounds growth. We work with some of the largest and most complex operators in the industry. Having leading customer service and support is just table stakes…Some of our best product ideas and most impactful features come directly from open conversations and dialogues with our customers.” - Lacey

Data insights specific to the fitness vertical also give ABC an advantage over horizontal SaaS providers. By understanding how trainers and gyms operate, the company can offer actionable recommendations to help operators scale efficiently.

“When you know a vertical space, when you can narrow and say, ‘Hey, trainers like you in these geos are doing XYZ to grow their business and you could do this, this, that, and the other,’ there’s so much knowledge you can bring to help people actually scale their small businesses.” - Luke

Adding value beyond software

ABC Fitness goes beyond delivering software. For personal trainers and coaches, the company provides educational resources, such as Trainerize University, which teaches operators how to acquire clients and run a business.

“Giving people the education on how to run a business and enabling them to do so…is one kind of easy example I can think of.” - Lacey

For larger operators, ABC facilitates roundtable events that allow VIP customers to exchange ideas, share insights, and learn from each other’s experiences. This combination of product, education, and community empowers operators to create their own business vision rather than simply adopting a franchise model.

Experimentation and cross-functional collaboration

Innovation at ABC Fitness is built into the company’s culture. Hackathons, small-scale tests, and iterative experimentation allow teams to explore new ideas quickly, as Lacey explains:

“Experimentation is part of our DNA…making it very easy to spin up a test. It can be one variable…If it’s winning, double down and see what else you can do.”

Cross-functional alignment ensures that insights from marketing, sales, product, and customer success are shared and acted upon.

“Alignment isn’t just about org charts…it’s about making sure our customer is still at the center so that when we close, we can close the loop appropriately.”

Voiles adds that hiring leaders with high EQ and a deep customer focus makes cross-functional collaboration almost effortless.

AI: Accelerating personalization and decision-making

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how ABC Fitness approaches marketing, personalization, and operational efficiency. 

“The first big shift is around the time to draft…now you have a starting point and can accelerate and make sure that it is appropriate in terms of insights and creative judgment…The second big shift is mass personalization at scale…The third is prediction and action loops, you can surface signals and react to them.” - Lacey

AI also holds promise for helping trainers manage administrative tasks, enabling them to spend more time with clients and create a team-like experience.

“AI tools that make the personal trainer’s time get saved and help them spend more time with their customers…It’ll be pretty amazing to leverage those tools to make it feel like your personal trainer has a team of four supporting them as they’re running your software.” - Luke 

Conclusion

The conversation underscores that success in vertical SaaS requires more than a tailored product. It demands deep customer understanding, retention-focused operations, and a culture of experimentation and collaboration. ABC Fitness demonstrates how these principles allow operators—from solo trainers to multi-location gym chains—to grow and thrive in the rapidly evolving fitness industry.

You can listen to the full podcast episode here for the complete conversation with Lacey Ford, Alex Johnson, and Luke Voiles.