Nearly half of workers globally (about 48%) report struggling with burnout symptoms in their jobs. Some studies suggest this share may be even higher in certain groups, often accompanied by reduced physical activity and increased anxiety.
It was this lived reality that led Ukrainian Victoria Repa to found BetterMe in 2017 after experiencing burnout herself. Nearly a decade later, amid war, burnout, and chronic stress, millions of users worldwide use the app.
For The Recursive, Repa reflects on spotting a gap in the digital wellness market and rethinking what success looks like when technology meets crisis.
A gap in everyday wellness
“When I left my job in media analytics at a tech company, I was physically exhausted and mentally drained,” Repa recalls. “I sat at my desk, ate poorly, and felt like I was constantly working at the limit of my abilities.”
At the same time, she noticed a recurring theme online. “Everywhere I looked on social media, people around the world were asking the same question: ‘How can I quickly and realistically improve my health?’ They weren’t asking for more articles or motivational quotes; they wanted simple, practical advice that would fit into their busy lives.”
That insight became the foundation of BetterMe. “I wanted to turn the chaos of health and wellness information into something clear, accessible, and practical for real people.”
The first iteration was intentionally minimal: a Facebook community, followed by an MVP offering short video workouts and meal plans in a single scroll.
“There were no complicated menus — one scroll, one action.” The response was immediate: 100,000 downloads in ten days, and by 2018, BetterMe had become the most popular health and fitness app in the US.
Simplicity as a growth strategy
BetterMe’s early traction came from a deliberate focus on users’ real expectations, says Victoria Repa. The core audience, busy women aged 25 to 55, didn’t want complexity.
“They wanted something like ‘press play and get started.’ So our principle became: simplicity equals success.”
That focus helped BetterMe reach 10 million downloads in its first year. Still, experimentation played a major role. “During the first two years, we tested a wide range of features… Most of these experiments weren’t scalable, but they taught us what our users really needed.” Her takeaway remains unchanged: “95% testing, 5% success.”
By 2019, BetterMe consolidated its strongest features into a single app, and in 2020 established a dedicated UX research team to connect data with lived experience. “This helped us go beyond optimization and achieve true empathy,” she adds.
In the early stages of their growth, paid user acquisition was the most effective channel. Repa shares that “performance marketing gave us the predictability we needed to move fast. We focused heavily on testing, improving, and scaling campaigns that delivered real value, which helped us quickly understand which messages and features truly resonated with users.”
Over time, however, the approach evolved. “Today, our strategy is far more diverse and multi-channel, reflecting a broader view of growth”. Organic reach, influencer collaborations, content localization, and brand storytelling now play a much bigger role in how the brand connects with audiences and build long-term momentum.
When war redefines leadership
Before February 2022, Repa admits her focus was largely on growth metrics. “However, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine completely changed my priorities. My attention shifted from numbers to people, both our team and clients.”
The first months of the invasion demanded more than operational resilience. “Supporting and relocating our team required great logistical precision and emotional intelligence,” Repa says. BetterMe relocated employees, supported families, and opened free access to its health and mental well-being programs for Ukrainians.
Since February 24, 2022, more than 3 million Ukrainians have used BetterMe’s mental health tools to manage stress, anxiety, sleep issues, and daily routines. “When the war began, we realized that health is not just about habits, but also about vital support.”
The company continues collaborating with NGOs, including WHO and UNICEF offices, and has launched targeted initiatives — from mental health tools developed with the First Lady of Ukraine’s initiatives to rehabilitation programs for people with amputations.
“These programs are designed to help people… stay active and receive support, easing the burden on physical therapy systems and increasing user autonomy at home,” shares Repa.
Redefining success in wartime mental health
BetterMe tracks consistency, mood self-assessments, and anxiety reduction over time. Yet qualitative feedback matters most. “A single message from a user saying that our tools helped them regain a sense of control carries more weight than any metrics on a dashboard.”
“In a crisis,” she adds, “success is not about optimization, but about emotional resilience and continuity of life.”
Repa challenges the idea that social impact and commercial success exist in opposition. “They can be entirely interconnected,” says Repa.
BetterMe’s strategy centers on accessibility and personalization, from chair workouts and recovery programs to stress management tools for high-pressure jobs. “We are conquering the market by creating niche, localized, and inclusive content that directly appeals to people who are often excluded from traditional wellness platforms.”
That inclusivity, she argues, builds trust, and trust fuels sustainable growth.
Looking back, Victoria admits her expectations were very different at the beginning. “I used to think the biggest obstacles would be market competition or product growth,” she reflects. “But I learned that the real challenge is maintaining emotional stability, especially when you’re responsible for the trust, energy, and work of other people.”
AI, data, and the human factor
AI plays a growing role at BetterMe, but always with limits. “In the age of artificial intelligence, experience and authenticity have become more important than ever,” Repa explains. Features like AI Calorie Tracker and Cycle Tracker help scale personalization, while coaches remain central to interpretation and support. “Preventive health should be adaptive, not prescriptive,” she emphasizes.
Looking ahead, AI aims to help BetterMe move from reactive care to predictive wellness, while ethics and trust remain non-negotiable. “When it comes to wellness, people want not only smart technology but also to feel seen, supported, and understood.”
“One of the most misunderstood aspects of leadership in times of crisis is that product decisions are only half of the equation,” Repa reflects. “The other half is energy — emotional, physical, and mental — and it begins with the founder.”
When markets shake and plans fall apart, Repa’s message is clear: products don’t hold companies together, people do. “Founders often focus only on the product roadmap or finances during a crisis, but they forget that it is their presence, stability, and energy that hold the team together. When leaders become a reliable support, the company becomes capable of withstanding anything.”
