6 ms·

Showing the power of startup women’s health brands, P&G buys This is L (YC S15)

67 points by pb 8y ago

FabioFleitas 8y ago
Congrats Talia and team! :)
todayiamme 8y ago
This article reminds me of the time when I told someone from the tech/rationality community that I was working for a consumer health tech startup that was focused on women's fertility and menstrual health. I was helping to design the UX of the product that had to do with the actual tracking of their cycles and their health. My friend had a reaction that was quite typical of most people I talked to, but it's one that I've kept around as an example of what not to do; is this, like, very, and truly, *the* best thing you can do with your time? like, back-of-the-envelope: what is the amount of money women spend on keeping track of their periods? like, the savy of them buys a $.5 notepad, and circles the dates? At the time I was shocked that he didn't even realise that this was a problem, but it was actually that lack of empathy that made me realise that a lot of people in the tech community don't actually think about some of the more germane problems facing the lives of 50.5% of the population --- it was quite eye-opening for me. Our schemas were so different that I found it quite difficult to explain why this mattered. Sure, I could go over the normal talking points - a) everyone's periods are different and they are often different every time, b) there are tons of possible complications and you can get into a world of hurt over the slightest variations in the hormonal cycle, their genetics, and the health of their ovaries, uterus, or even vagina, and c) it wasn't that easy to catch these while they were happening and women most often discovered issues the hard way. Ergo, giving women a map to their bodies - no matter who they are or where or how they were born - would give them a greater sense of control over their lives. But he - and a lot of other folks - just wouldn't get it. Maybe, finally, seeing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will get more people interested in these problems and talk to the women around them about it?
- fipple 8y ago
  You see this with everyone who has no exposure to a type of person. “How many people actually stand in LINE to buy sneakers?” “How many people are ACTUALLY going to vote for that clown?” Etc
- SolaceQuantum 8y ago
  I’ve made progress informing people quite plainly that, over time, the data of an irregular period is an early indicator of a number of life-changing health conditions. But I agree that people are most geared towards seeing that if something has monetary worth than it’s undeniable it has innate worth. Empathy doesn’t have to be engaged then.
  - news_to_me 8y ago
    > I agree that people are most geared towards seeing that if something has monetary worth than it’s undeniable it has innate worth I don't think that's true of most people, but I think it is a problem with the general tech and business community mindset.
- thegeomaster 8y ago
  To play devil's advocate: such dismissals are common to hear for all kinds of ideas/products. People are often not familiar or dismissive towards problems facing people other than them.
  - sprsimplestuff 8y ago
    I'd say op's point stands regardless
    - swebs 8y ago
      Ok, but he explicitly tried to frame it as men "lacking empathy" for women, when it's just another case of someone out of touch with the target demographic.
ameister14 8y ago
Good for them. I hope working for P&G enables them to do everything they are planning at scale.
bsder 8y ago
Quoting article: > "The combination of a non-technical, female founder operating in the consumer packaged goods market with a mission-driven company was an anomaly in the Silicon Valley of four years ago" Um, yes, it's an anomaly in Silicon Valley. However, go sit on the parking shuttle bus at MD&M West and just listen. Everyone is basically trying to find a marketing angle to sell the same undifferentiated consumer products.
ousta 8y ago
"The P&G acquisition of This is L., a startup retailer of period products and prophylactics, shows just how profitable investing in women’s healthcare brands and products can be." Elizabeth Holmes agrees.
- icebraining 8y ago
  That's not even wrong; Theranos wasn't a "women's healthcare brand", it was for any gender and sex.

67 points by pb 8y ago

Congrats Talia and team! :)

This article reminds me of the time when I told someone from the tech/rationality community that I was working for a consumer health tech startup that was focused on women's fertility and menstrual health. I was helping to design the UX of the product that had to do with the actual tracking of their cycles and their health. My friend had a reaction that was quite typical of most people I talked to, but it's one that I've kept around as an example of what not to do; is this, like, very, and truly, *the* best thing you can do with your time? like, back-of-the-envelope: what is the amount of money women spend on keeping track of their periods? like, the savy of them buys a $.5 notepad, and circles the dates? At the time I was shocked that he didn't even realise that this was a problem, but it was actually that lack of empathy that made me realise that a lot of people in the tech community don't actually think about some of the more germane problems facing the lives of 50.5% of the population --- it was quite eye-opening for me. Our schemas were so different that I found it quite difficult to explain why this mattered. Sure, I could go over the normal talking points - a) everyone's periods are different and they are often different every time, b) there are tons of possible complications and you can get into a world of hurt over the slightest variations in the hormonal cycle, their genetics, and the health of their ovaries, uterus, or even vagina, and c) it wasn't that easy to catch these while they were happening and women most often discovered issues the hard way. Ergo, giving women a map to their bodies - no matter who they are or where or how they were born - would give them a greater sense of control over their lives. But he - and a lot of other folks - just wouldn't get it. Maybe, finally, seeing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will get more people interested in these problems and talk to the women around them about it?

fipple 8y ago
You see this with everyone who has no exposure to a type of person. “How many people actually stand in LINE to buy sneakers?” “How many people are ACTUALLY going to vote for that clown?” Etc
SolaceQuantum 8y ago
I’ve made progress informing people quite plainly that, over time, the data of an irregular period is an early indicator of a number of life-changing health conditions. But I agree that people are most geared towards seeing that if something has monetary worth than it’s undeniable it has innate worth. Empathy doesn’t have to be engaged then.
- news_to_me 8y ago
  > I agree that people are most geared towards seeing that if something has monetary worth than it’s undeniable it has innate worth I don't think that's true of most people, but I think it is a problem with the general tech and business community mindset.
thegeomaster 8y ago
To play devil's advocate: such dismissals are common to hear for all kinds of ideas/products. People are often not familiar or dismissive towards problems facing people other than them.
- sprsimplestuff 8y ago
  I'd say op's point stands regardless
  - swebs 8y ago
    Ok, but he explicitly tried to frame it as men "lacking empathy" for women, when it's just another case of someone out of touch with the target demographic.

ameister14 8y ago

Good for them. I hope working for P&G enables them to do everything they are planning at scale.

bsder 8y ago

Quoting article: > "The combination of a non-technical, female founder operating in the consumer packaged goods market with a mission-driven company was an anomaly in the Silicon Valley of four years ago" Um, yes, it's an anomaly in Silicon Valley. However, go sit on the parking shuttle bus at MD&M West and just listen. Everyone is basically trying to find a marketing angle to sell the same undifferentiated consumer products.

ousta 8y ago

"The P&G acquisition of This is L., a startup retailer of period products and prophylactics, shows just how profitable investing in women’s healthcare brands and products can be." Elizabeth Holmes agrees.

icebraining 8y ago
That's not even wrong; Theranos wasn't a "women's healthcare brand", it was for any gender and sex.