Sweating Together : How Peloton Built a Billion Dollar Venture and Created Community in a Digital World

by David J. Miller

The ultimate front row look at the meteoric rise of Peloton, one of the hottest consumer and fitness brands in the world. In Sweating Together Miller brings readers directly into the center of the sweat soaked, adrenaline fueled, NYC phenomena that is Peloton and provides a first-hand account of the rise of one of the most important ventures of tomorrow's economy

Genres: Fitness

330 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2022

Reviews

[Molly Wynen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda fascinating, rather repetitive, and definitely more of a consumer memoir than analysis, but it definitely made me want a Peloton!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fall right in the demo for this book. I got my Peloton bike in March 2017 and have been a regular rider ever since. I have Peloton clothing, have visited the NY studio (the original), and use content across the platform (yoga, Pilates, meditation, strength, stretching). The author is a fan of the brand, and it shows in his sometimes overly glowing reviews of his experiences with all things Peloton (and the lack of real criticism). This book is a hybrid between a memoir and a business book. I was familiar with many aspects of Peloton’s history which are weaved in with lessons on branding, entrepreneurship, and the use of community to build rabid fans. The chapters focus on different aspects of the Peloton experience including community, members, the instructors, and the company’s global aspiration. The book was written before Peloton’s recent issues, so reading about how great the company is felt a bit ominous knowing the company’s struggles right now. There is a lot of material for a second book!

[Gwendolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thorough description of Peloton's early years. David Miller has a PhD and an MBA, and he's a researcher and professor of innovation, entrepreneurship, and startups. Miller brings all this expertise to the story of Peloton's meteoric rise, and he also brings his personal love of the company and its connected fitness products. As a fellow Peloton fanatic, I appreciated Miller's positive outlook on the company. Perhaps this isn't the most objective account, but I'm not really interested in hearing the negative side. This book is for fans who want to learn more about Peloton's strategy and principles. Miller's account ends around the time John Foley (Peloton founder and the company's first CEO) stepped down to be replaced by Barry McCarthy. Of course, a lot has happened since that change, so the book is becoming outdated quickly. Perhaps that's a good excuse for a sequel?

[Jessica Markulik · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 star, rounded up to 3. As a peloton fan, this book didn't explore anything I didn't already know about the company and it's history. Based on the tag line and the fact that the author mentions multiple times that he's an entrepreneur researcher, i expected it to dig deeper into consumerism, real world examples of other companies' attempts at success, and what sets peloton apart. Given recent events in the peloton world, it also would have been nice to have an afterword with speculations on the company's future.

[Dave Whitman · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the reviews, I knew what I was getting into with this book, but as a big Peloton fan and a brand marketer at heart who loves a good business book, I couldn’t resist.
While there were some interesting nuggets in the book, I found it a bit disjointed and repetitive, and it was clearly written by a superfan. I don’t mind a good fanboy story, but let’s not pretend this was even remotely trying to give an objective perspective on the company. The shine on Peloton’s star is definitely dimmer than what it was when this book was written, so I’d be interested to hear how the writer feels about the brand and company now.

[Karen Brophy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a card-carrying member of the Peloton cult (got my bike in 2017), I was excited about this book to understand the business and entrepreneurship analysis of the business. The perspective, however, seems to be from a fan boy rather than an academic. I also hadn't realized the timing of the publication relative to the pandemic and the ongoing struggles the company has had. Spoiler for those that don't know, the company has struggled mightily to find its footing post pandemic. I am hopeful about a second book for that perspective.

[Henry Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was disappointing and half-baked. There are a lot of lessons and interesting anecdotes to be shared from Peloton's history, but the author spent most of the book's first-half fanboying over specific instructors. Much of the page count was unnecessary detail on specific members or instructors, and repetitive stories about his rides. It felt like the author was stretching for content. Not only that, but the author did not genuinely engage with ANY of the downsides of the company, and simply waved them aside. I was hoping for more.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much of the information is outdated since this was published before the ouster of John Foley and the closure of many of the Peloton showrooms.

I have a Peloton bike and use the platform regularly, but I am not one of those that have developed friendships using it. Probably because I started using the platform on the onset of the pandemic, I didn’t get the intimate feel the platform had before.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept picking up and putting this book down. Now that I finally finished it, I know why. This book couldn’t decide whether it was a business book or a love letter to Peloton. I am a huge Peloton fan, so I appreciate the love and enjoyed the parts about the Peloton community - but even for me, the Peloton adoration got repetitive. It also feels very dated today, at the end of 2023.

[Dan McConkie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I just couldn't read any more of this. I'm not a Peloton fan but I am a cycling fan and use a competitor's platform. I was interested in reading about the company and how it started, how it grew, and what makes it so great. All of that was addressed in the first couple of chapters. After that, the author keeps expressing his love for the community. A lot. I'm serious, chapter after chapter of him saying that he has become friends with people around the country because of this online connection through Peloton. Over and over. Adnauseum.

What started out as interesting and even fascinating as he introduces the company and its start, became a chore to read.

[Erika *and her little dog too* · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a Peloton Addict (which I imagine most people reading this will be), probably nothing in here will be very surprising. Definitely a very thorough and informative look at Peloton, what makes it tick, and what keeps people coming back for more.