Pathways

Sandip Sekhon was a successful internet entrepreneur who had built GoGetFunding.com into one of the largest fundraising sites. But years of tirelessly working on the site caught up with him: chronic pain in both arms from Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Despite years of treatments and two invasive surgeries, nothing worked—until he met a physiotherapist with knowledge of pain science. She explained that his nervous system had become "overprotective and sensitized," and he needed to train his brain and body away from pain using evidence-based mind-body techniques. Within two months of practicing these techniques, he was 100% pain-free. The realization hit him hard: millions of people battled chronic pain and would never find relief without a complete approach. "There was nothing like that out there," he recalls.

Sandip decided an app would be the most accessible format for Pathways. He spent three months developing the MVP while creating content for the pain therapy program. The first version on Unity 3D was basic but "good enough to gauge the response from potential customers." When he ran Facebook ads, a handful of users paid for premium content. Even better, reviews came in from people like someone who wrote: "I've had years of back and neck pain that stopped me working. 6 weeks into this program and I'm having my first pain free moments." He knew he had something worth pursuing.

But the technical journey became a minefield. Realizing Unity 3D wasn't ideal, he switched to React Native and hired a new team. After eight months and thousands of pounds wasted, they failed to deliver. Devastated but motivated, Sandip found another team that recovered Pathways over three months, releasing a stable but basic React Native app. Not satisfied, he and his team spent another nine months developing and creating content. Finally, in 2020, they released what he calls "our best version yet"—with video programs, exercise libraries, masterclasses, innovative pain tracking, and hundreds of challenges.

Facebook ads proved effective early on, driving enough traffic to validate the concept. By September 2020, he'd grown to $5k/month MRR through the freemium model with a money-back guarantee. App subscribers were growing organically, and revenue grew alongside. What was encouraging: real people were experiencing real relief.

Facebook ads worked initially to test product-market fit. The biggest failure was hiring the first React Native team "somewhat rushed"—it set him back nearly a year. On reflection, he'd recommend starting as a web-app to reach market faster and cheaper, though the cross-platform apps give Pathways a competitive moat now.

The real learning curve was marketing itself. "You can no longer create something, publish a few articles, and hope to gain traffic," he observed. Google and Facebook dynamics had changed. Instead, he pivoted to content: in-depth blog posts on pain science, pillar pages on pain management techniques, and plans for a YouTube channel. This content-driven approach was just starting to compound as of the interview.

Pathways is profitable on subscription revenue ($5k/month) but not yet breaking even on development and marketing spend. The next 12-18 months include ambitious features: patient-doctor connect, doctor dashboards, in-app social features, VR relaxation experiences, and tripling the user base. Medical trials are now a priority to quantify impact. Sandip remains entirely focused on making Pathways "undoubtedly the best digital pain product."