The Rebooting Show Inside Outside's media-as-flywheel strategy
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Mar 17, 2026 Robin Thurston, media and product executive who scaled MapMyFitness and now leads Outside, explains how he fused magazines with mapping apps, SaaS and events to build a media-as-flywheel. He discusses combining content, utility and commerce. He walks through technical integration, revenue shifts to subscriptions and SaaS, and the creation of Outside Days to grow and diversify the audience.
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MapMyFitness Sold To Give Under Armour A Digital Front Door
- Robin sold MapMyFitness to Under Armour to give that apparel brand an instant digital footprint and e‑commerce personalization.
- He used run data to trigger tailored e‑commerce emails that drove higher transaction ROAS.
Media That Forces People Outside
- Outdoor content uniquely drives immediate offline action from readers into activities like hiking, running, or booking trips.
- Robin Thurston explains mapping apps and fitness trackers let Outside move readers from inspiration to real-world activation and bookings.
Shift From Ads To Recurring Revenue
- Build recurring revenue and reduce reliance on advertising by adding subscriptions, SaaS, events, and single sign-on.
- Outside implemented single sign-on, a new CMS, and a bundle to convert users and centralize monetization.