Insights
Real numbers for gym founders.
Every Founder Notes episode is published here in full, so you can read it, cite it and come back to it. Plus original data on what opening and running a gym in Australia actually costs.
Founder Note 01 · Leasing
The Seven Numbers I Would Want Before Signing a Gym Lease
The lease is the decision that kills gyms before they open. All-in occupancy cost, the fit-out quote for that exact shell, break-even members at your real price, the months to get there, cash left after the fit-out, the make-good cap and the incentive you should have asked for.
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Founder Note 02 · Startup costs
What It Really Costs to Open a Gym in Australia
The honest 2026 cost bands for a personal training studio, a functional or boutique gym and a full commercial room. Where the money actually goes, the five levers that decide your number, and why the budget that matters is the one left after opening day.
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Original data · Equipment
What Australian Gyms Actually Spend on Equipment
Original data from 256 commercial gym fit-out projects supplied between September 2024 and August 2026. The median, the full distribution, what moves a project up the bands, and an honest methodology on what these figures do and do not cover.
Read the data →More coming
Every guest episode will be published here as a full transcript, starting with the first founder conversations in late September. Follow the show so you know when they land.