WHOOP CEO defends premium pricing: ‘It’s a coach, not everyone wants a coach in their life’

In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, CEO Will Ahmed defended the company’s pricing, emphasising the wearable’s role as a coaching tool for performance optimisation.

“Well, I certainly think WHOOP is a premium product. It’s a high-performance product, and WHOOP is a tool, a coach, and not everyone wants a coach in their life,” Ahmed said.

This stance comes as the wearables industry sees a surge in more affordable options, raising questions about the device’s market positioning and long-term strategy.

Ahmed justified the pricing — set at AED919 annually or AED1,539 for 2 years — by highlighting WHOOP’s technological capabilities.

“The technology collects the most data of any product on the market. It’s also the most accurate data of any product on the market,” he claimed. This assertion positions WHOOP as a leader in data collection and accuracy among wearables, a bold statement in an increasingly competitive field.

The company’s journey began with a focus on elite athletes, with early adopters including LeBron James and Michael Phelps. However, since launching a consumer membership programme in 2018, the company has expanded its target audience to include a broader range of high-performing individuals, from executives to first responders.

Despite this expansion, WHOOP maintains its premium brand image. “We work with the very top performing people in the world, whether it’s professional athletes, whether it’s world leaders, Fortune 500 CEOs, Navy Seals… so our brand is anchored in the best of the best,” Ahmed explained.

“Every category has a premium product, and WHOOP is the premier wearable.”

Ahmed hinted at upcoming software updates, promising “new capabilities that people have been asking for, and that may really surprise people.”

However, specific details were kept under wraps. It is yet to be seen how these updates might further justify its premium pricing.