[pygorex]

They must have had some other differentiator. Looking at the product's home page it looks like they had support from Nike and several well known football clubs to promote and legitimize the app:

http://iamplayr.com/

Now, obviously, they still had to build a compelling product and plan & execute a marketing strategy. They needed to be ready to succeed. Most people don't have a personal or professional network that includes access to decision-makers in large, influential organizations. Even so they still need to be prepared for that opportunity if and when their network expands.