Live on iOS and Android Monk, measured June 2025
Connected ice bath app shipped on iOS and Android with 40+ wearable integrations, for a founder with no in-house tech lead
Monk, connected consumer hardware. Technical leadership, 2.5 years, fractional. discovermonk.com
A smart ice bath needed an app that controlled the hardware, synced with Whoop, Oura, Garmin and Fitbit, and coached users from 10°C down to 3°C. I was the client-side technical lead, shaping the product, the integrations and the Shopify store, and steering the app to launch on both stores.
At a glance
- Client
- Monk, smart ice bath, London
- Role
- Lead technical consultant, fractional, December 2022 to June 2025
- Scope
- Partner selection, app delivery, Shopify site and technical architecture
- App
- Monk Cold Water Therapy Coach, live on the App Store and Google Play from November 2024
- Integrations
- 40+ wearables including Whoop, Oura, Garmin and Fitbit, plus control of the Monk ice bath
- Stack
- iOS and Android app, Shopify store, 40+ wearable integrations
The situation
Monk was building a connected physical product: a smart ice bath sold direct to consumers through a Shopify store, with a companion app that would control the tub, guide the user through cold exposure and track the effect on their health. The founding team had product and brand expertise but no technical lead. Without one, it is easy for scope to drift and for the app, the store and the hardware to become three separate projects rather than one product. Laura Fullerton brought me in to be the technical voice in the room.
What I did
Connected the hardware and the wearables. Worked on the bath connectivity, so the app could control the tub’s temperature, schedules and reminders. For health data, recommended Terra, a single API that connects Whoop, Oura, Garmin, Fitbit and 40 or more other wearables, rather than building each integration separately. That saved significant development time and let users see the effect of cold exposure on their HRV and sleep.
Shaped the product and the UX. Worked on the user journeys and interface design, including the guided acclimatisation programmes with breathwork and soundscapes that take a beginner from 10°C down to 3°C. The app also works with any body of cold water, so it acts as a customer acquisition channel for the hardware, not just a feature of it.
Managed the development partners. Wrote the brief and ran the selection for app and web development. When the project needed a different fit to get over the line, made the call to move to a second agency and managed the transition so momentum was not lost. Throughout, acted as product and technical owner on the client side: scope control, sprint reviews, acceptance testing and release on both iOS and Android.
Improved the Shopify store. Made changes to the store and reviewed the wider technical stack, so the app, the hardware and the store worked together as one product.
What made the difference
A founder does not need a full-time CTO to ship a connected product. They need someone who has done it before: who can write the brief, choose the right tools and partners, and make the call to change course when something is not working. That is a fractional role, and it is the shape of most of my engagements.
Laura Fullerton founder, Monk Read the testimonials “He's technically fantastic and brought so much expertise to Monk.”
If you are a founder without a technical lead and you have agencies to manage, this is the engagement to talk about.
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