Yes and apps are a middle ground for many people between their own lack of resolve and the major investment in time and often money that finding a group or trainer represent. Pretty awesome segmentation! You'd be amazed at how many adult runners start out on beginner apps / programs like it and join a running group, to give an example from another market. What apps are missing is a way to capture value from that platform way of thinking. (I understand localization is hard and very labour intensive thus far away from an apps core.)

Did you go to a university? If so, do you think you got more out of "throwing money" at professors than you would have just trying to figure out [physical chemistry | architectural design | machine learning] yourself?