BYU grads Evan Jensen and Carter Ferguson are trying to get people back in the gym—with a little help from a digital monkey.
"I've had a notes app on my phone since I was like 12 years old of like five companies I could do one day," Jensen said.
The pair has always been business savvy and would often discuss business ideas together.
Jensen and Ferguson met at BYU, where they would meet outside of work and discuss business ideas.
"We met initially when we were working a job together at BYU. In 2023, we were both working for the College of Family Health and Social Sciences. We became really good friends in that time," Ferguson said.
That friendship allowed the duo to begin working on a unique workout app.
"About five years ago, I got really into lifting when I started going to BYU. There's this opportunity, I think, to really create something that's really fun and that a lot of people could use," Jensen said.
That opportunity turned into Jensen and Ferguson's workout app called Pactive.
"Pactive came about because we wanted to combine making commitments. So 'pacts,' with, you know, being active," Jensen said.
During the development process, Jensen and Ferguson went through thousands of names before picking Pactive.
"Two months in, Pactive.com became available. And we both were like, 'We have to buy that right now,'" Jensen said.
The app has various features, all of which support the mission statement of the brand.
"There's a social feed. There's the pacts. There's the AI coach that helps you build workouts. And then the analytics tab," Jensen said.
The app also includes a digital monkey companion, which can be upgraded by logging progress.
"As you log your workouts and get experience and level up your monkey, you get little rewards and points," Jensen said.
Jensen also mentioned the importance of consistency.
"I think what people need more than to just track their workouts is they need a reason to keep coming back," Jensen said.
Jensen and Ferguson work extensively with artificial intelligence, leveling up consumers' in-app experiences.
"This is what the final product should kind of look like. Can you help us to code this and to design this and to kind of be a partner on this?" Jensen said.
Not only did the duo pour their free time into the project, they developed Pactive while working full time.
"Somewhere between 500 and 1,000 hours, I mean, we were working every night after work," Jensen said.
Pactive is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.
"You have to take a step forward because otherwise it just lives in your Notes app, like, and it doesn't go anywhere," Jensen said.
Find out more about the Pactive app here.