About this Video

• Video Title: 175. The Evolution of Wearable Technology with Will Ahmed, Founder & CEO of WHOOP
• Channel: Fitt Insider
• Speakers: Joe Vaner, Will Ahmed
• Duration: 00:42:12

Introduction

This Fitt Insider podcast episode features an interview with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP. The conversation centers on the evolution of wearable technology, specifically WHOOP's journey from activity tracking to comprehensive health monitoring, and its potential role in the future of healthcare.

Key Takeaways

• WHOOP's Current State: The company is healthy and growing, expanding beyond its initial focus on fitness enthusiasts to a broader health-conscious market. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this expansion.
• WHOOP's Research and Development: WHOOP leverages its extensive user data for research, leading to discoveries like the predictive nature of respiratory rate in COVID-19 and the potential of HRV to predict childbirth. This research directly informs new features and functionality in the WHOOP app.
• Predictive and Preventative Recommendations: WHOOP is moving toward more personalized, predictive recommendations, leveraging data to offer insights beyond simple activity tracking. The goal is to guide users toward healthier behaviors.
• Growth and Retention Strategies: In uncertain economic times, WHOOP focuses on strengthening relationships with existing members by providing valuable new features and maintaining open communication. The subscription model encourages continuous engagement and reduces churn.
• WHOOP's Product Diversification: WHOOP is expanding its product line to offer more customizable and discreet wearable options, catering to a wider range of users and activities. This includes options for those who cannot wear devices on their wrists.

According to Will Ahmed, WHOOP is releasing some of its biggest features ever in the next few months. Two key features are mentioned: one incorporates push technology to provide deep analysis of weightlifting, an area previously underserved by wearables; the other is kept undisclosed, described only as a “whole new category” for WHOOP. No further details on how these features will specifically integrate push technology beyond the weightlifting analysis are provided.

The transcript mentions that there have been various observations in WHOOP data that were considered too early to build features around. Will Ahmed specifically cites observations related to the effects of certain supplements and diets (e.g., paleo, keto) as examples. The reason given is that these have highly variable effects on different individuals, making it premature to create generalized recommendations based on the data at that time. The ongoing research on these areas suggests that more data and analysis are needed before actionable features can be developed.