Most fitness apps are built to track everything. That's exactly why people stop using them.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Zoe Pineau, co-founder of Fitly AI, about how she lost 150 pounds through macro tracking, spent six years building a traditional fitness app that didn’t break through, and then rebuilt from scratch in one month using AI.
We explore why friction kills fitness habits before they start, and how a chat-based agent changes that equation.
This episode is for female founders, women in tech, and health tech entrepreneurs who want to understand how AI is reshaping user experience, and for anyone building in a saturated market where being better is no longer enough.
What you’ll learn in this episode
- Why macro tracking is mathematically reliable but practically abandoned by most people
- How Fitly AI lets users log an entire workout and meal in a single sentence, removing the admin burden that kills consistency
- Why “better” is not a differentiator in a saturated market, and what to build instead
- How Zoe used her own transformation as proof of concept when pitching investors
- Why apps are disappearing and what the age of agents means for founders building in this space
- How a 30-day momentum report keeps founders motivated and investors informed
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 Introduction to Fitly AI and Personal Journey
05:45 Transformative Weight Loss Experience
08:47 Mindset Shift and Habit Formation
11:32 Understanding Weight Loss as a Mathematical Process
14:11 The Importance of Macro Tracking
16:55 Innovating Fitness Apps with AI
19:47 Simplifying User Experience in Fitness Tracking
22:53 Building Fitly AI: Lessons Learned
25:31 The Impact of AI on App Development
28:25 Leveraging AI for Business Insights
30:33 The Role of Prior Experience in AI Utilization
32:30 Data Privacy and Security in AI Applications
35:02 Collaborative Development: A Team Approach to App Building
37:17 Navigating the Fundraising Landscape
39:22 Addressing Competition: Lifestyle Changes vs. Quick Fixes
42:18 Motivation and Consistency in Fitness Tracking
45:13 The Future of Fitness Apps: Integrating AI Agents
47:55 Building a Funding Coach AI for Female Founders
Connect with Zoe Pineau and Fitly AI
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-pineau-850588105/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoepineau
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thezoepineau
Website: https://www.fitly.chat
Show notes of the episode
Blog: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/06/25/episode-158/
Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/womendisruptingtech/p/episode-158?r=2v0lts&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
About Women Disrupting Tech
Every week, Women Disrupting Tech covers the decisions, patterns, and structural realities that female founders and investors in HealthTech, FinTech, ClimateTech, and AI rarely discuss in public but run into every time they meet. Follow Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube to get it in your feed.
