We’re kicking off our latest series on Health Tech by exploring the rise of Big Data, wearable tech, and what it means to be “enlightened” by a product. 

Often, enlightenment is understood in a spiritual sense; in the age of wearable health tech and personalized digital products, enlightenment is emerging by empowering users with real-time information about their health. Of course, there’s a catch. With more visibility also comes more risk, and product leaders have to consider how their products impact how a person responds to health issues.  

Christian & Meghan explore these themes and more in our Health Tech series kick-off ahead of episodes featuring the leaders behind innovative health products, including: 

• Aagya Mathur, co-founder & CEO of Aavia, a hormone health brand
• David Flinner, co-founder of the glucose monitoring app Levels
• Elizabeth Burstein, CEO & co-founder of the virtual neurology clinic Neura Health that helps users manage chronic headaches and migraines
• Frank Bach, a lead product designer at the widely popular mindfulness app Headspace

Takeaways

• Users want not only control of their data; they want insights. 
• App ecosystems are forming around modern health tech.
• Health tech brands must balance being sensitive and bold to earn trust.

Things To Listen For

• [1:30] Themes we observed while making the Health Tech series 
• [2:10] Exploring Big Data and the rise of wearable tech 
• [3:00] How Christian & Meghan use (or don’t use) health tech
• [3:15] How companies are learning to build new products by leveraging data 
• [3:30] The evolution of Fitbit as the origin of wearable tech 
• [4:20] How wearable health tech influences the decisions we make 
• [4:45] The risk of health tech creating “obsessions” with personal health
• [5:20] The health tech Christian uses to inform his life 
• [6:40] The health tech Meghan uses to inform her life 
• [7:30] Age differences and how that influences interest in health tech
• [7:40] How modern health tech is introducing “real-time tracking”
• [8:20] How health tech empowers not only the user but also companies 
• [10:15] The implications of “product ecosystems” in health tech
• [12:10] The balance between enlightening users & creating solutions  
• [13:40] The intersection of community and personal health 
• [14:00] People-facing health tech vs. industry-facing health tech
• [15:10] An exploration of the diversity challenge in clinical trials 
• [16:30] How building health products for people affects brand
• [18:50] The difference between enlightening people and asking them to share
• [20:20] How to balance being “sensitive & bold” in your health tech brand
• [22:30] Why it matters to lead health product communities with vulnerability
• [25:30] Why people are more interested in learning from their data