Hey everyone,

I launched my running app Pacing back in early October (https://pacing.run). Got my first users by being early to support the HR feature from AirPods Pro 3 and posting on Reddit, which brought in a handful of lifetime purchases and monthly subscribers. That felt promising (and probably quite lucky), but before I pour more effort into marketing, I think I need to fix retention.

The numbers from the last two months tell a clear story—I've attached screenshots below if you want to dig into the details. Onboarding completion is decent (80%+ through the early steps), but only about 15% of people who start onboarding ever complete a workout. Week 1 retention sits around 10-18%, then drops close to zero. The paywall is where things fall off (72% → 53%), but adding a no-commitment trial massively did improve completions (before it was much lower like down to 20-30%).

I've recently added calendar sync and run reminders, but it's too early to see impact. The bigger structural issue is that there's no login—it's anonymous through RevenueCat. I can't email users who churn, can't ask what went wrong, can't nudge them back.

My questions:

1. Is the anonymous login my biggest problem? Should making it possible to reach users be my top priority, even if it adds friction?

2. Are these numbers just the reality of running apps? Let's be honest—most people who download a running app aren't going to become consistent runners. 

3. What would you actually prioritise? More aggressive onboarding? Better motivation features? Or accept that fitness apps have brutal retention and focus on acquisition instead?

Would appreciate any advice !