Funnels | Research | Round 2

Lutke: what we recommend, and why (draft for Josh + Ryan, before Saturday)

Josh-CC 2026-10-16. Built from: research/SYNTHESIS.md (round 1), round2/ANSWERS.md, funnels/ANALYSIS.md (12 proven competitors walked as a buyer), raw/analytics (his IG/YouTube insights + tools pull), his 2 voice notes. For each decision: 1st choice, 2nd choice, why, pros, cons. These are our picks to discuss, not final. He decides with us Saturday.

The one thing that matters most: about 2,900 people commented "PRACTICE" (May-Jul). Only 73 ever got the DM. 26 gave an email. 2 paid in Sep-Oct. Interest is not the problem. Everything after the comment is.

0. Order of work

1st: Fix the broken path first, then build new things.

• Why: his best reels already drive thousands of comments. Each broken step throws that away. Fixing is cheap and fast.
• Pros: quick wins before any new build; uses traffic he already has.
• Cons: fixes alone won't sell well without a real freebie and a bridge to the paid offer.

2nd: Build the new funnel first and replace the old one in one go.

• Pros: one clean launch.
• Cons: weeks of comments wasted meanwhile.

Fix list (from the tools pull + buyer walk):

1. Make sure EVERY "Comment PRACTICE" reel triggers the DM (2,900 comments vs 73 DMs).
2. DM must link onward to The Practice / waitlist (today it gives the workout and stops).
3. Kill the 3 duplicate waitlist emails. Remove "September 28th". One date everywhere (IG bio, Linktree, emails).
4. Put a buy link in every enrollment email (November email has none).
5. One FORTIFIED automation, not two. One Practice page (EverFit), retire Mighty Networks. Fix the quiz (knee answer sends a shoulder email, preview URL, missing shoulder page).
6. Rotate his Systeme API key (exposed in ManyChat).

1. Who he's for

1st: Former athletes, 30s to 50s, whose body isn't what it used to be (old injuries flaring, stiff, can't play like before). Men and women.

• Why: his own words ("somebody who used to move more than they do", "the authority over the demographic of people that is me"); his IG audience is 56% aged 35-54 and 46% women; his story (college soccer, groin injury comeback) is the proof.
• Pros: matches his story, his content and his real follower ages. Nobody among 12 proven competitors says it plainly at $20.
• Cons: Reddit ex-athlete voices skew younger; we don't know if his 15 members fit. Say "former athletes", never "retired athletes" (nobody calls themselves that).

2nd: Anyone 35-55 with nagging aches who wants to stay active (drop the athlete label).

• Pros: bigger pool; fits dads, weekend tennis, new parents (his examples).
• Cons: crowded (JTM, Jeremy Scott, Prehab); loses his strongest hook.

2. The freebie (what the comment gets you)

1st: One real Practice session as a ~20-minute follow-along video, with swaps for knee / hip / back / shoulder and a simple "how much is enough" rule.

• Why: the #1 question everywhere is "how much is too much, which swap is safe for me". Proven brands that give a real slice of the paid thing: GMB (free 20-min follow-along, 217K), Theory of Motion (one sample week, 1.4M, same $19.99), JTM (10-workout PDF, 1M). His best YouTube videos were follow-alongs. His reels already promise "a free workout".
• Pros: shows exactly what he sells; answers the top fear; cheap to make (film on a Thursday).
• Cons: free workouts are everywhere, so it must visibly show his injury lens (the swaps) or it blends in.

2nd: A short self-check ("what did you play, what bugs you") that points to a matching starter session.

• Why: ATG and Prehab (2.6M, 1.4M) route this way; matches his "placement test" method.
• Pros: feels personal; segments people for emails.
• Cons: The Practice is one program for everyone, so it promises personalization he doesn't sell; pulls in serious injuries he says it's not for; more to build. Prehab's 22-screen version is a cautionary tale.

Not recommended: a free 3-day challenge. 0 of 12 proven competitors use one as the freebie. That was Robbie's audience, not his.

3. The comment CTA

1st: Name the thing, the size and who it's for. e.g. "Comment PRACTICE and I'll send you a free 20-minute session for former athletes with cranky knees, hips or backs." Same promise in caption, bio, DM and landing page.

• Why: every proven competitor's keyword names a concrete thing (GMB "20-minute follow-along", E3 "GUIDE"); his currently says just "a free workout" and changed 3 times since May.
• Pros: free to change today; clearer promise means more of the right people.
• Cons: none real.

2nd: Keep "a free workout" wording, fix only the flow.

• Cons: vague promise, lower intent.

4. The bridge (free to paid)

1st: Video plays on the thank-you page with a short Practice pitch right under it, then ~5 short emails over ~10 days, ending in a first-month offer.

• Why: GMB puts the pitch under the free video; Theory of Motion and ATG use a first-month discount (50% off). His current path has no bridge at all (DM stops, 0 email clicks).
• Pros: catches people while they're warm; emails answer the objections we found (free on YouTube, "will it fit my injury", "will I stick with it", "who actually coaches me").
• Cons: needs writing + Systeme setup; emails must sound like him (calm teacher, "your workout is waiting for you").

2nd: DM button straight to the EverFit buy page.

• Pros: simplest.
• Cons: cold jump from free to paid; no nurture for people not ready.

5. Enrollment model

1st: Always open, with one shared start day each month (join anytime, everyone starts the next program on the 1st).

• Why: all 12 proven brands sell their core offer any day; closed doors only appear on high-ticket cohorts. His own note: windows "lose people interested mid-month". Keeps his "everyone starts together" feel.
• Pros: no lost buyers between windows; still gives a monthly moment to push.
• Cons: loses some deadline urgency; he likes windows (his call).

2nd: Keep monthly windows, but add a real waitlist email sequence between them.

• Pros: keeps urgency he likes.
• Cons: every window is a mini-launch for a one-man show; buyers who are ready mid-month wait or leave.

6. Offer, price, what's included

1st: Keep $19.99/mo. Add a 7-day trial OR 50% off month one, and an annual plan. Stop listing DMs / live call / form checks as headline features; keep them as "bonus" and make the product richer (gym + home versions or a few swaps).

• Why: $19-25 is where 5 of 9 proven subscription brands sit; 7 of 9 use a trial or first-month discount; annual plans are the norm. His human features are barely used (0 community posts since July, 2 form-check videos ever), so they aren't what people buy, but they'd eat his time at 100 members.
• Pros: lowers the risk to try; protects his time; competes on product, not on access he can't scale.
• Cons: EverFit trial support unknown; trimming promises needs careful wording for current members.

2nd: Two tiers: $19.99 self-guided + $39-49 coached (form checks, DMs).

• Why: ATG ($19 / $49.50) and Luka ($39) split this way.
• Pros: more revenue per serious member; protects his time.
• Cons: more to sell and manage now; usage data says few would buy coaching yet. Better as a later step.

7. Proof

1st: Get Practice-member proof in the next 30 days: 5-question form to the 15 members, ask the 7 who cancelled why, and a day-1 vs day-28 retest at the next start day. Label in-person testimonials as in-person.

• Why: none of his testimonials mention an injury, an ex-athlete, or a number; all 3 videos are in-person clients.
• Pros: real, specific proof for the exact buyer.
• Cons: takes a month; small numbers.

2nd: Use his own story (groin comeback) + his best in-person testimonials now, clearly labeled.

• Pros: available today.
• Cons: weaker for an online $20 program.

8. Retention (keep the people who join)

1st: Week-1 onboarding: a "start here" message, first workout booked on the start day, a weekly check-in thread he answers in one sitting, and his "dimmer not a switch" minimum week for busy weeks.

• Why: the first 4 weeks predict who stays; 7 cancellations with no reasons, 4 overdue invoices, a dead community.
• Pros: low time cost; uses his own philosophy.
• Cons: needs him to show up weekly.

2nd: Monthly retest + leaderboard only.

• Cons: less personal; doesn't fix the silent drop-off.

Still unknown (ask Saturday)

1. Why only 73 DMs from ~2,900 comments (automation off? added late?).
2. Who the 15 members are, and why the 7 left.
3. Gym, home, or both? Can EverFit do trials / annual?
4. Is he open to always-open with a monthly start day?
5. Where's the injury line for the free session ("see a PT first" wording he's comfortable with)?