Iterate Weekly - Issue 56
This week we're looking at longevity practices of billionaires, writing 750 words each morning, renting gear with Tulu, Amazon Prime spreads across the internet, and the "Live Wild or Die" podcast!
Welcome to issue 56 of Iterate Weekly!
Just a reminder that you can always reply to this email or leave a comment on the web version. I read all of them, and I appreciate the feedback, questions, and insights from all of you.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
Billionaires Don’t Want to Get Old
This may come as no surprise, but billionaires are looking for ways to reverse the signs of aging.
Father time may be undefeated, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t want to try to extend their time on this earth. Just last week I was writing about developments in the creation of a “virtual afterlife” but let’s look at how some wealthy folks are looking to live longer in their physical bodies.
The Future Party cites a study that claims “The anti-aging industry is expected to grow to over $64 billion by 2026, a 45% increase from 2020.” While this money will eventually be spent by folks from all different walks of life, the early adopters in this space seem to be those who are extremely wealthy.
The idea is to approach your health with a “longevity mindset”. This may seem healthy and normal. But when does it go too far? Should people be more concerned about the length of their lives or the quality of their lives? There certainly is a trade-off.
I’m curious to see how/when/or if things like gene therapy and reprogramming will trickle down from the wealthy to the masses.
Would you be able to put a dollar amount on your longevity?
🎓 Education/Art
750Words.com
I want to give a huge shout out to 750words.com and its creator (and former neighbor of mine) Buster Benson.
If you’re not familiar with the site, it’s a place for people to create digital “morning pages” or free-writing entries.
The benefits of this practice are far-reaching. I’ve done both hand-written and digitally typed morning pages over the years and I find the process to be amazing. It essentially lets you dump all of the thoughts out of your brain when you first wake up. Then your mind is free and clear to begin the day.
Sometimes you’ll just type nonsense of stream-of-consciousness thoughts, but I’ve also found myself coming up with some pretty useful ideas as well. My horrible chicken scratch handwriting can be hard to decipher, so I love how easy 750words.com makes it to organize and revisit your thoughts if you need to.
If you’re not engaging in some sort of free-writing practice on a regular basis, you should absolutely give it a try. Either grab a blank notebook and pen, or check out a free trial of the 750words product (I also feel that it’s absolutely worth the subscription cost and I applaud helping independent creators like Buster Benson!)
♻️ Health & Environment
Tulu Lets You Easily Rent From Neighbors
The sharing economy isn’t going anywhere. I’ve always been a big fan of renting rather than buying products that you need for a specific use.
I’ve seen several companies built on this premise (Spinlister and Turo come to mind first) and a new company called Tulu is now looking to get into the game.
Tulu just raised their Series A funding and they’re looking to expand their service that sets up kiosks in apartment buildings and dorms that allow tenants to share products. Right now they reach more than 50,000 people across 15 cities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and Israel since launch in 2019.
As someone who has lived in dorm rooms and tiny apartments, I just love this idea. I’d definitely rent a vacuum or drill rather than buy it if it were conveniently located in the lobby of my building. Bikes, scooters, and printers are other easy things to share but the possibilities are really endless in this space.
It’s clear that the ideas of ownership are shifting. More and more people want access to these items when they need them, but don’t want the ownership constraints of storage, repairs, and general loss of value over time.
What would you be willing to rent from Tulu?
🛍 Grab Bag
Amazon’s Buy With Prime Button
As if Amazon wasn’t powerful enough, they’re looking to increase the amount of products eligible for their Prime shipping benefits. They’re now launching a “Buy with Prime” button for almost anyone to add to their own e-commerce setup.
The idea here is to compete with services like Shopify that allow small businesses to easily setup a storefront. And it allows consumers to experience the peace of mind they get when buying items with Amazon Prime benefits (free 2-day shipping, easy returns, etc.) even if they’re buying from a non-Amazon digital storefront.
On one hand, this should really empower small businesses to supercharge their sales while piggybacking off the logistical wizardry of Amazon’s fulfillment services. And it should give consumers better shipping options when supporting independent businesses.
But yes, this is still a giant corporation making a ton of money. Shipping items through the “Buy with Prime” service gives Amazon insight into your data and sales figures. There is no saying that they won’t copy your product and sell a better, cheaper, faster version of it too.
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for this setup on any digital storefronts that I come across. Say what you will about Amazon’s practices, but it’s clear that they consider themselves a growing provider of logistical services rather than just an online retailer.
💬 Quote of the Week
“Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”
- John Muir
🎧Content Recommendation
Live Wild or Die Podcast
I’ve been recommending fitness products from the folks at monkii.co for a long time. If you’re looking to break away from traditional gym workouts and do some wild exercises at home or in the great outdoors, they have a product for you. I actually just received some of their latest gear and will likely be writing a full review shortly
But co-founder Dan Vinson is also shaping himself into a pretty decent podcaster and content creator. I’ve watched his “Live Wild or Die” podcast evolve (iterate!) and improve over the years, and I highly recommend it.
He sometimes has guests, but has been doing more audio essays and thought pieces about fitness, getting into nature, and the challenges of fulfilling Kickstarter projects during a pandemic. He’s also recently been testing out some actual audio recording while hiking through the wilderness which is an intimate and refreshing change from the overly produced studio sound that we’re used to in the podcast world.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!