Subversive

How AllTrails Crossed the Chasm to 1M+ Subscribers

• Phil Carter • Episode 2

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Ron Schneidermann is an entrepreneur who is passionate about building great companies that help people have healthy, authentic, real-world experiences. He is the former CEO of AllTrails, the world's largest and most trusted outdoor platform with a community of over 75 million trail-goers. In 2005, Ron cofounded Liftopia, the global leader in ski lift ticket bookings, and was Head of Growth at Yelp Reservations. Ron attended UCLA, earning his bachelor’s degree in Communications, and lives in Northern California with his wife Jenny, their three children, and their dog Sally.

Key Takeaways:

  • After launching in 2010 and establishing initial product/market fit among a loyal early adopter base of outdoor enthusiasts and search and rescue professionals, AllTrails pivoted to a much larger mainstream audience of casual hikers.
  • This pivot required AllTrails to change everything from its copy and creative to its user acquisition strategy, core product experience, and subscription price.
  • AllTrails leveraged SEO to drive cost-efficient organic growth, particularly for hyperlocal search queries related to local hiking trails, where content created by its user base gave the company a highly defensible competitive advantage.
  • More recently, AllTrails has expanded internationally using a playbook where it seeds new countries with manually curated trail guides and then leverages this content to attract early adopters and get its UGC-driven SEO flywheel going.
  • While AllTrails relies on AI to boost internal productivity, it has intentionally been slow to create consumer AI features until it recognizes a compelling use case that enhances its core value promise of helping people get outside.


Ron Schneidermann:


Phil Carter:


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