Advanced MMA users were dropping off early because the app forced them through beginner content, Audio Workouts re-engaged them by letting experienced fighters train immediately, hands-free.

The problem

The app’s onboarding and core loop were designed primarily for beginners.
While this worked well for new users, it created friction for experienced MMA athletes.

What was happening:

• Pro and advanced users had to complete basic stages first

• Early sessions felt boring and restrictive

• Some users churned before reaching advanced content

Why this mattered to the business:

• High-intent users (advanced fighters) were leaving early

• The product positioned itself unintentionally as “only for beginners”

• Retention and lifetime value were capped by a narrow audience

Product goal

Design a feature that:

• Lets experienced users train immediately

• Fits naturally into the existing core loop

• Expands the app’s audience from beginners only → all skill levels

• Increases early engagement and retention

My role

Product Designer (feature owner)
I worked closely with PMs, engineers, and AI/ML stakeholders to:

• Shape the feature concept

• Design the end-to-end user flow

• Define UX requirements for generation, playback, and saving

• Balance user needs with business and technical constraints

Key insight

Advanced users don’t want guidance, they want control and speed.

Unlike beginners, they:

• Already know techniques

• Often train alone

• Want flexible, hands-free sessions they can start instantly

This insight reframed the solution:

The feature shouldn’t teach, it should enable training.

Why Audio Workouts?

Audio workouts had existed before, but were removed when the product focused purely on beginners.

We decided to re-introduce them with a different role:

• Not as the main learning method

• But as a fast, flexible training mode for advanced users

This aligned with:

• Solo training habits

• Real-world MMA routines

• Hands-free usage during intense workouts