5HT #124: glasses as the new wearable, a historic demographic shift, and 3 more

A startup called Legato just came out of stealth with $12M and a product I find suuuuper interesting: hearing aids built into stylish glasses. 🦻

Founded by two Bose vets, Legato is set to launch this fall, and reps say they’ll “cost a fraction” of traditional hearing aids. They may even be eligible for vision insurance when purchased through an eye care clinic. 

Cost is one thing, but I think the most convincing thing here is making hearing aids basically invisible 🫥. A LOT of people avoid wearing hearing aids (even people who really need them) because they feel embarrassed, so this could be a total game-changer. 

I’m also saying this as someone who has recently been feeling self-conscious about my hearing. Midlife hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of dementia 🧠, so I’ve been paying particular attention to this. (I actually had an audiogram last week at Austin ENT, and while my hearing turns out to be totally fine… I’m glad I set the baseline.)

Zooming out, I think glasses will be the next big wearable form factor. 😎

And it’s not just because of where glasses sit, how much data they can collect, or how much they can help you. It’s because 4B people (!) already put them on their faces every morning and think nothing of it. That’s a major hoop you don’t have to jump through when introducing a new form factor. 

Meta and EssilorLuxottica have already sold millions of smart glasses that can film highlights, translate menus, and give cooking instructions. Beyond convenience and novelty, there are also numerous health applications—in clinical settings and beyond. 

Meta is positioning its glasses as an accessibility tool for people with mobility disabilities, while other brands are developing glasses to support people with dementia and blindness. And, again, adoption basically gets to skip a step. 

Personally, I’m lucky to have good vision (at least for now), so I’ve never worn glasses. (Though, yes, there was a moment in middle school where I reallyyy wanted to because I thought glasses would be cool and make me look like my man crush, Henry Cavill 🤓. Luckily, that moment has passed.)

I never thought I’d wear a ring like Oura or “band” (are we sure it’s not a bracelet?) like WHOOP. Then I did. I also don’t think I’d wear the pendant OpenAI is rumored to be developing, which reportedly resembles an iPod Shuffle worn around your neck (necklace??)… but I probably will. But no one would have to convince me to wear glasses if that turns out to be the move. (Okay, maybe the moment hasn’t passed.)

Yes, any discussion about smart glasses has to include privacy. Like anything, I think it’ll come down to trade-offs. Maybe we’ll eventually operate under the assumption that anyone wearing smart glasses could be recording unless they’re visibly turned off. Maybe we’ll become comfortable with them in the same way we’ve become comfortable with bots joining our Zoom calls. Maybe. 🤷‍♂️ 

Ultimately, I do think the benefits could be immense enough that most people accept the trade-offs.

Bottom line: Glasses are promising contenders in the wearable race. Maybe I’ll finally wear some after all.

After years of increasing screen time, brands are embracing digital minimalism. From kid landlines ☎️ (all the rage at my kiddos’ school) to screen-free digital cameras 📷, brands are betting on retro designs that ditch the screen. (I’d even argue WHOOP made a similar bet with its screenless band, too.)

One of my fave analog concepts so far was shared by a 5HTer in our Slack channel—a prototype for a mini fax machine that prints your text messages. Genius, and I want 10 of them.

For the first time in history, adults 65 and older outnumber children age five and younger worldwide, according to a new report by the U.S. Census,

On one hand, more people surviving into old age is a good thing 👍. It reflects decades of progress in medicine, public health, and preventive care. Buuut it also means society has to support a larger, aging population both personally AND economically. 

For health co builders, that means there are going to be enormous opportunities to help people live healthier for longer and to address everything this shift will strain, from caregiving to Medicare enrollment to disease management to AI companions, you name it.

CMS just announced ICHRA is being changed to “CHOICE,” and I am INTO IT. I 1000% agree with friend Chris Ellis (CEO of Thatch) that CHOICE (short for Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense) actually captures the benefit to the consumer and is way easier to remember. 

I can’t stress enough how much naming matters in consumer health.

Just look at HSAs. In a world where everyone complains about health insurance (valid), you’d think more people would be embracing the HSA. (Or maybe they’re just waiting for my idea for a souped-up version to come to fruition.) 

There are plenty of reasons adoption remains low (I’ve ranted about all of them), but I’d argue one of the reasons is because “HSA” is a truly terrible name. It’s not helpful, not clarifying, not sexy. It sounds unapproachable and confusing—which it is. 🙄

Imagine if the name felt more like a benefit, not another thing to manage. Or if it sounded like a program designed to solve a problem instead of another financial instrument. Even “Health Spending Account” makes it slightly better. 🤏

Naming matters for representation, too. Take PMOS. The move from PCOS to PMOS was huge because it more accurately reflects the complex condition, rather than making it sound like a localized issue. Shifting the name will ultimately help change how the condition is diagnosed and treated. 

And it’s not just acronyms, either! I thought about how important all of this is when naming my CPG brand. I knew I wanted the name to accomplish a lot. Fixie Dust is both a nod to the brand story (aka my wife and my shared obsession with mythological creatures 🧚) and the form factor (I wrote about why I made it a powder here). It’s also a nod to Pixy Stix from my 90s youth. Nostalgia ftw! 

All that to say, whether it’s a health benefit, a supplement, a condition, or a treatment, a name can shape how something is understood, remembered, and embraced.

And hey, CHOICE and PMOS are names that have been changed. So if you’ve got a name that simply isn’t working, take this as a sign. (And feel free to hit reply if you need a brainstorming partner.)

Can we take a second for my new desk setup????

Anyone who works from home knows how clutch it is to redo your workspace. It’s basically the adult equivalent of rearranging your bedroom furniture as a kid and feeling like a brand-new person.

And I’m feeling reallyyyy good about this new setup. I genuinely think it’s helping me stay more sharp and focused. (Okay, Fixie Dust is definitely helping, too.)

So, here’s everything on my Costco Tresanti Gellar standing desk (my ride or die for yearsss) that’s keeping me at the top of my game:

But wait, there's more! I added everything I’m using in my office that doesn’t get a spot on my desk to my updated productivity protocol.

3 other healthyish things I’m into right now: 

Most clicked last week: This JAMA article on AI > physicians. I think we’ve touched on something sensitive here. 👀

👋 Who are you again? I’m Derek Flanzraich, and I’m in the business of healthyish. I founded two venture-backed startups–Greatist (👍) and Ness (👎)—and helped dozens of brands you know grow including Ro, GoodRx, Midi, BetterHelp, and LMNT. I now run Healthyish Content, plus a few other healthyish things (like Fixie Dust, launching this fall).

Every Thursday, I share what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s next in consumer health. (Disclosure: I invest in and advise companies in this space—when I cover one, I'll say so.) I sometimes add affiliate links, but they influence my picks zero.

See something smart, strange, or seriously overhyped? Hit reply, I respond to every email.