Tech's Blind Spot: Ignoring the Aging Revolution
Overlooked Opportunities and the Urgent Need for Innovation in Aging
I've long been captivated by what’s being called 'the seminal event' of the 21st century. It’s not global warming. It's the largest demographic shift in history, the transition to having the largest population over 60 than ever before.
I've been astounded by how little investment and innovation is going into creating a better future for a population of this size and economic influence. Technology can play a big role in filling gaps in our health system to create a better future for adults in America and abroad.
If this topic strikes a chord, please reach out; I’d love to connect with anyone exploring or looking to build in this space.
We are living amidst one of the largest population shifts in human history. In the US alone, adults transitioning into older age (65+) will make up the largest demographic in the US, representing 80M people (or 1 in every 5 Americans) by 2035.
Despite over 80% of adults aspiring to age at home, there are daunting issues standing in the way of maintaining their independence and quality of life as they age…
High levels of inactivity. By age 65, only 15% of adults meet the CDC’s physical activity guidelines.
Inadequate levels of strength. Lack of strength and balance is the primary cause of falls amongst adults 65+, which affect one out of four Americans each year, is the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries, and results in over $50B of medical costs per year.
Skyrocketing obesity and chronic disease. Over 60% of Americans over 50 were overweight or obese in 2020 (a 32% increase in the past 30 years). Nearly 95% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition.
Increasing loneliness. More than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, both of which are correlated with poor diet, inactivity, and elevated risk of depression, anxiety, and heart disease.
People’s inability to maintain their independence is going to have a massive ripple effect on our world, with major implications to our society (loneliness, increased family caregiving demands), economy (rising health costs, lost productivity), healthcare system (stress on our already overwhelmed care system), and the lives of aging adults (loss of autonomy, ability to get dressed, and decreased quality of life from not being able to enjoy the activities they love).
“The rapidly aging worldwide population will affect us more than global warming…it’s the seminal event of the 21st century.” - Andrew Carle, founding director of the program in senior housing administration at George Mason University
Neglected by Innovation
As a technologist, investor, and designer, I’m amazed at how proportionally small the amount of investment and innovation that’s happening in this space (especially relative to sexier trends like AI, blockchain, and web3).
This population deserves products and services that are purpose-built for their life stage, tech savviness, and context of use. From web browsers to password managers to banking and healthcare services, I’m surprised how overlooked this audience is by technology.
In 2021, investment in companies focused on the aging population represented 0.1% of total VC investment. Aside from the sheer size of the demographic, there are some pretty compelling reasons Silicon Valley should care more. Older adults…
have the highest levels of disposable income (70% of US disposable income is owned by those 55 and older)
have the highest levels of free time, and
have increasing levels of interest in investing in their health.
Gaps in Our Care System
During my time at Omada Health, I spent a lot of time in the homes of people across the US who were struggling with obesity, interviewing them about their environment, health history, habits, and goals, trying to understand how to help them improve their health and behaviors. The learnings that stick with me from those interviews speak aptly to both the current gaps in our healthcare system and how we might “meet people where they are” to create a better support structure for healthy aging:
Most people have good intentions and genuinely want to improve their health
But they’re also overwhelmed with the amount of information out there
And struggle to determine what’s credible and applicable to them
They often lack clear, pointed, expert guidance, available as life happens (which just isn’t what our health system is built to incentivize or reimburse)
Reasons to be Optimistic
While many people assume that maintaining your health and strength as you age is a hopelessly uphill battle, there is no shortage of research highlighting that you can maintain (and even improve) your physical health as you age. Peter Attia’s recent book is a great summation of scientifically backed approaches and habits to do just that. A study published in 2022 showed that as little as four 1-minute bursts of “lifestyle physical activity” can lead to a 30% reduction in cardiovascular risk and cancer. And there’s no shortage of inspiring stories in the news about people like Richard Morgan, who, at 93, has the physical fitness of a 40-year-old.
“Exercise is by far the most potent longevity 'drug'. No other intervention does nearly as much to prolong our lifespan and preserve our cognitive and physical function. But most people don't do nearly enough.” - Peter Attia
What’s missing is the adaptation of clinical best practices into terms, approaches, and accountability that speak to the unique nuances of each individual. This is an opportunity that technology, in particular AI and large language models, is perfectly suited to solve with truly personalized, proactive, and always accessible care and guidance that integrates comfortably with the flow of people's everyday lives.
This inflection point carries with it a host of exciting opportunities and questions that I’m actively exploring, including:
Access to trusted expertise: How can we provide every person with hyper-personalized, always-available access to clinical expertise throughout the flow of their daily lives (physical therapy, mental health, strength and conditioning, sleep coaching, nutrition)?
Social connectivity: How can technology better understand the people in our lives and help us create connection, accountability, and motivation in our health behavior?
Motivation: How can we build models that learn each person’s motivational levers and optimize the product experience to make the most effective use of them?
Wearable data sensemaking: How can we help people better understand and contextualize the reams of data they’re collecting in a way that’s easy to understand and grounded in their unique goals and lifestyle?
I’m excited and optimistic about the role technology can play in filling gaps in our current healthcare system. With more focused attention and innovation, we can shift the trajectory of our population health issues and empower older adults to maintain, and even improve, their quality of life as they age.
If you’re passionate about this intersection of aging, AI, and behavior change and are currently building or looking to build a company in this space, I’d love to connect and hear your thoughts and comments.
Huge thanks to Ellen Morello, Jenn Masamitsu, Mitra Lohrasbpour, Andy Sparks, Katie Dill, Justin Wang, and Kevin Hsu for helpful input and guidance.
I’m Patrick Weiss, a startup founder, designer, and startup advisor for Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, and 8VC. I’ve spent the last 14 years building products at the intersection of data and behavior change for startups and Fortune 500 companies (Chase, Gatorade, Disney, and others). Before starting my last company, I spent four years at Omada Health building products to help people at risk of or managing diabetes learn about and improve their diet, activity, sleep, and stress. You can find more of my writing about health and behavior change on my website.
👏👏 great breakdown of the massive opportunity! Excited to see where this leads you (and of course let me know if I can help in any way)!