🧑‍💻 Breathe in, breathe out

BREATHWRK

Welcome to Startup Oriented, where we dig into startups worth noticing and pull out lessons worth keeping. Today, we’re talking about Breathwrk, an app that’s taken something as basic as breathing and turned it into a tool for better living. This isn’t just about one company, though - it’s about what makes a product click, how simple ideas can grow big, and why execution matters more than inspiration. Let’s dive in.

Think about the last time you were stressed. Maybe your heart was racing, or your mind wouldn’t settle. Now imagine someone hands you a way to fix that in five minutes, using nothing but your breath. That’s Breathwrk’s pitch. It’s an app that guides you through breathing exercises (short, science-backed routines) to calm you down, help you sleep, or sharpen your focus. It is a full-fledged business that simply works.

The story starts with Max Gomez and Addie Conner. Max had wrestled with depression and anxiety (according to this 2021 piece), and during therapy, he stumbled onto breathing techniques that changed things for him. He teamed up with Addie to build Breathwrk, betting that other people could use this too. They were right. Since launching, the app’s picked up ~ 2 million users and some venture capital cash (Bessemer Venture Partners, Sapphire Ventures, DCM Ventures), all with a team of about 18 people.

In a sea of wellness apps, Breathwrk cuts through because it’s immediate. You don’t need an hour of meditation or a yoga mat. You open it, breathe, and feel better. That’s the kind of simplicity that wins.

PRODUCT

So how does it work? Breathwrk gives you guided exercises, each tied to a goal. Want to relax? There’s a “Calm” routine. Trouble sleeping? Try “Sleep.” Need a jolt before a meeting? “Energy” has you covered. Most take just a few minutes, with visuals and sounds to keep you on track. It’s built for busy people, it’s easy enough for a beginner, and it’s useful enough to keep you coming back.

The business model is straightforward: freemium. You get a few exercises free, but the good stuff - over 100 tailored routines, classes, and coaching lives in Breathwrk Pro. That’s ~ $6 a month if you pay yearly, or $12 if you go month-to-month. It’s a classic play: give them a sample, then charge for the full meal. And it’s paying off - users rate it 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store.

Why do people stick with it? I believe it’s the wonderful onboarding flow that gets people hooked, but retention is in the results. One reviewer said it “helped with dissociation and anxiety to no end.” That’s not hype, that’s a product doing its job. The design helps too: clean, intuitive, tied into Apple Health for tracking.

Behind the app is a standard mobile tech stack. Many businesses prefer managing a single codebase using technologies like React Native when they support both iOS and Android - or at least they fall for the promise. But I believe Breathwrk went native, using SwiftUI for their iOS app.

STARTUP ARCHIVE

Let’s step away from our Breathwrk case study for a second, and dig into a classic: Paul Graham’s “Why to Not Not Start a Startup”. Based on talks from Startup School and Berkeley CS Undergrad Association, this essay is for anyone who’s ever made a list of reasons not to launch. Spoiler: PG thinks most of those reasons don’t hold water.

The barriers to starting a company are smaller than you think. Here’s what you need to know:

Key Insights

• Age Isn’t a Dealbreaker: The median founder is 27 - Sam Altman (we’re talking about the man behind Loopt; Sam wouldn’t become the OpenAI CEO until a decade later) was 19. Young or not, it’s about energy and perspective.

• Ideas Evolve: 70% of startups shift their focus within months. Start with something, then tweak it.

• Failure Fuels Growth: First attempts often flop, but that’s not the end—it’s a lesson. Many winners failed first.

• Family Can Work: Got dependents? Build a safety net (like savings from a side gig) before jumping in.

PG also puts it in perspective: entrepreneurship today is like the shift from farms to factories centuries ago—a natural next step.

Excuses vs. Reality

Here’s a snapshot of why people hesitate—and why Graham says you shouldn’t:

Take the Next Step

Paul Graham is not saying startups are for everyone - some thrive in structure, not chaos. But if you’re holding back out of fear, this essay’s a wake-up call. It might convince you to stop saying “not yet.” Read it, then ask yourself: Why not?

FIGURES

Numbers tell a story, so let’s look at Breathwrk’s. Growjo estimates their annual revenue at $2.9 million, with 18 employees. They’ve got around 2 million users, and that 4.8 overall App Store rating backs up their traction. In fact, they’ve received 80k App Store ratings in the last 12 months alone. Out of those, 71k were 5-star ratings.

Indeed, there are better KPIs to focus on. How many of their users pay? What’s their growth rate? Public data only goes so far. If 3% of users go Pro at $49 a year, that’s roughly $2.9 million, matching the estimate. Unfortunately, without hard stats, we’re sketching in the dark.

The picture’s clear enough though. Breathwrk’s making money, keeping users happy, and growing smart. That’s more than most startups can say.

START A STARTUP: YOUR TURN

Breathwrk took a simple idea and grew it into a business. Maybe you’ve got something like that rattling around in your head. If you do, here’s the deal: don’t wait for perfection. Build something small, test it, see if people care. That’s an MVP. It’s how you figure out if you’re onto something.

Need a hand? That’s where we come in. At Oriented Platforms, we build MVPs for startups: fast, solid, ready to launch. Whether it’s an app like Breathwrk or something wilder, we can help you get it out there. Check us out.

The point is, startups don’t start themselves. Breathwrk didn’t. Someone took a shot. Maybe it’s your turn.

@bgdnandrew, March 2025