ZOZOFIT

At ZOZO, we've always believed that technology should empower people — not overwhelm them. With ZOZOFIT, we took that belief into the world of personal fitness and wellness, where understanding your body's transformation has traditionally relied on guesswork and inconsistent measures like weight alone.

What if you could see real progress — in 3D detail — from the comfort of your home?

That question became the catalyst for ZOZOFIT. We set out to create an experience that gives you a deeper, clearer, and more motivating view of your body transformation journey.

Since its launch — built on millions of user scans and insights — ZOZOFIT continues to grow and innovate. Our mission is to make precise body tracking technology accessible, intuitive, and impactful for people at all levels of their fitness journey.

We're proud to offer a tool that doesn't just track change — it visualises progress, supports healthier habits, and redefines how you see your body.

Start your journey with ZOZOFIT today. See the real results — because progress isn't just a number on the scale. It's your commitment, your strength, and your story.

Ryan's path to ZOZO wasn't a straight climb through familiar tech roles—it was a search for something that felt meaningful. After seven years at Cactus Lab, two years at Trade Me, and a short stint at Xero, Ryan had the résumé of someone progressing neatly through the industry. But internally, he felt something was missing. The work was fine, the teams were capable, yet the products didn't spark any real excitement.

That changed when ZOZO recruited him as a Senior iOS Engineer. What he found there was different from anything he'd experienced before: a small, flat, highly technical team where engineering—not management—drove decisions. No account managers filtering requirements, no arbitrary deadlines, no layers of coordination overhead. Just people who understood the work, solving real problems together.

The shift wasn't just about structure—it was about purpose. ZOZOFIT, an app that transforms smartphone video into detailed 3D body scans, immediately resonated with Ryan. After years of building accounting tools he had no personal connection to, he finally found a product that felt both engaging and tangible. Compared to double-entry bookkeeping, a rotating 3D mesh of your own body is undeniably cool.

When Ryan joined, ZOZOFIT had been in development for about a year. He helped push the first version across the line—an app focused primarily on generating precise body measurements for custom-tailored clothing. The launch at the end of 2021, initially limited to the US, marked a major milestone: ZOZO New Zealand's first independently developed product.

Beyond the technical accomplishment, the design set the product apart. The sleek, futuristic mesh representation of the user's body became one of its defining features. “That visual appeal sets us apart from competitors,” Ryan notes. Even his son had opinions—after watching Ryan put on the fitted black scanning suit, he dubbed it the “lady suit,” offering a brutally honest review only a child could deliver.

Since launch, ZOZOFIT's purpose has evolved. The app is no longer just about body measurements—it's about helping people understand and track real physical change as they pursue health and fitness goals. Users can now monitor how their body shifts over time, not just in weight but in shape and proportion.

“The product primarily aims to help users on a weight loss journey,” Ryan explains. The app also includes a food journal for tracking calories and macronutrients.

Even though the core features remain the same: accurate scanning, compelling visualisation, and meaningful progress tracking, continuous iteration on the product and design is a big part of why Ryan has stayed with ZOZO for more than four years. And unlike ZOZO's other scanning technologies, ZOZOFIT stands alone as a full, dedicated app with its own identity and user base.

ZOZOFIT is built across four countries: iOS and most engineering in New Zealand, Android engineering in Japan, backend work transitioning to Vietnam, and the business team in the US. Coordinating all of this requires navigating time zones—but New Zealand's placement between Asia and America makes it surprisingly workable.

More interesting than the geography, though, are the cultural differences in how teams build software. Japanese engineering brings a craftsman's mindset—methodical, precise, and focused on long-term reliability. Western engineering culture emphasizes speed and iteration. ZOZOFIT finds its balance through a hybrid approach, blending craftsmanship with agility.

The cross-cultural experience has been an unexpected but welcome part of the job for Ryan. He's traveled to meet international colleagues—and in one particularly memorable introduction to the Android team, met them for the first time in a Japanese onsen. It's not exactly a standard team-building exercise, but it's a story he won't forget.

ZOZOFIT began by targeting a single market—the United States. From there, expansion moved to Canada and other regions where fitness culture made the product a natural fit. The next frontier is Europe, though complex privacy regulations like GDPR introduce additional hurdles. “Data privacy is essential,” Ryan notes, especially for something as personal as body measurement data.

Japan is also a key market on the horizon. ZOZO is already a well-known brand there, giving the product a major advantage in recognition and consumer trust. But high familiarity brings high expectations, so thoughtful adaptation will be key.

What started as a small New Zealand-led effort now involves more than 50 people worldwide—from sales and marketing to backend and customer support—turning ZOZOFIT into a truly global product.

Over 4.5 years, Ryan's role has shifted from pure engineering to leadership and delegation. He's candid about the learning curve. “I've learned the importance of trusting the team and avoiding micromanagement,” he says. Letting go of hands-on control and giving others space to solve problems in their own way is something he's still practicing.

It helps that the engineering team is full of what Ryan describes as “brilliant” people—diverse in skills, high in talent, and constantly teaching one another. After spending much of his early career bouncing between contracts, Ryan found something different at ZOZO: a place to grow alongside colleagues he respects.

He also recognises that ZOZOFIT may need more structure as it scales. While he's enjoyed the lean engineering culture of the past few years, he sees the value that thoughtful processes and middle management can offer—coordinating meetings, supporting cross-team work, and lifting operational load from engineers.

The most rewarding part of working on ZOZOFIT, however, isn't the technical challenge or the global collaboration—it's the real-world impact on users. Seeing positive reviews, watching daily active users grow, and knowing that the tool genuinely helps people on their fitness journeys is deeply motivating.