December 7th 2022
Response to Gentler Streak being awarded App Of the Year
“When we found out we were stunned, speechless and in a way still are. I don’t think it has sunk in yet what we have achieved in this short amount of time. For a small independent team of four this came as a huge shock, a positive one obviously. :) We see it as an extraordinary confirmation of our work, our vision, our relevance in time and place, and are super happy our message and philosophy is now being spread across the globe. There’s still so much we want to and will bring to life, and we are looking forward to every minute of it. I think it’s safe to say we are just getting started. ” Katarina Lotric, co-founder & CEO
What is a Gentler Streak?
It is a workout and fitness tracker that stimulates a self-compassionate approach to active life, where recovery is as important as intensity. It is our response to the toxic competitive culture that managed to spread into everyday sports as well. Instead of chasing outside goals, validation, endlessly closing rings, doing 10.000 steps a day, … we invite you to turn inwards - to understand what your body really needs and to then support it (instead of exhausting it) with a suitable action, cultivating a realistic and lasting fitness habit. Our goal is to make a healthier lifestyle more accessible, bring it closer to the broader public: you don't have to be a fitness nerd or a health enthusiast for the app to make sense; it is done with a regular person in mind so that anyone can benefit from it.
How did it start?
We launched our AW app in February this year, iPhone app in Sept 2021 but the seed was planted sooner. In 2018 Andrej Mihelic, co-founder designer, overtrained while preparing for the triathlon. That same summer Katarina Lotric, co-founder CEO, experienced burnout, also partly due to improper activity levels - due to an injury she was left without her then main coping mechanism, running, for six months. They were looking for a solution to help them stay within healthy activity levels individually, but found nothing, so Andrej started working on concepts and prototypes in his free time. It wasn't until the beginning of 2021, when the four now known as Gentler Stories decided to work full-time on the project, that things started to take off. After testing many apps, endless team discussions, talks with experts/potential users, they established app grounds > they wanted an app that is science-based, personalized, motivating, welcoming, kind, informative, great to look at and smooth to use, and always protecting your privacy.
Who is behind Gentler Streak?
Gentler Stories LLC are the creators of Gentler Streak. This women-led bootstrapped startup was founded in February 2021 by 4 iOS seniors with vast complementary backgrounds in the mobile app ecosystem. Katarina Lotrič (CEO), Jasna Krmelj (CTO) and Luka Orešnik (senior developer) are all Apple Entrepreneur Camp Alumni. Andrej Mihelič (UI/UX product designer) is a Y Combinator alumnus. In a world chasing the "faster, higher, stronger" premise, while burning out collectively, they differentiate themselves by offering a sustainable alternative: "gentler." Their mission is to grow a global gentler community dedicated to raising awareness about harmful lifestyle routines and providing tools to transform them into healthier habits. Gentler Streak, officially launched 17th of February 2021, is their first product, addressing sustainable physical routines.