Founder Health — Peering into my blood

Do you know if you & your partners are healthy? Like…really know? If it’s not a definite yes, you should take a look at thriva.co (£10 off with this link)

My finger selfie — post blood test

Okay I’ve got a bit of a twitter storm brewing, but stay with me. I want to talk about my experience with a product — so unfortunately no juicy gossip etc.

Before we start let’s look at the fact. I’m 27. My diet is on some days great and some days bad. I’d like to blame that on founder life but that wouldn’t be fair. For the last month I’ve been Keto so I guess you would judge my diet is currently pretty good.

On a good week I exercise 3 times, on a bad week I exercise no times. More recently I’ve been hitting the ‘bad’ weeks. For a founder of a fitness startup that is pretty bad. In fact just this morning we (founders) had a discussion about it and this is going to change.

We can’t blame being founders for poor habits. In fact being founders makes good habits a must. There’s an enormous business case for us being healthy.

Anyhoo so yup that’s where I am at the moment. But it’s not always been like that. It’s been worse. Last year with my first startup I pretty much eat toast for an entire year.

No joke. Toast = low personal burn rate = higher chance of early startup success.

Since I’ve put my body through hell for all this time. I have been wondering what is going on inside my body.

Am I healthy? Am I at risk of having a heart attack any second? How could I know?

I have been the GP on unrelated notes throughout the year, but was told I couldn’t have a blood test unless there was an immediate symptom that would warrant the need for it.

Well as a founder I don’t like uncertainty. I don’t like to kick the can down the road. I want to know. I want to act on what I know.

Well — enter @thrivahealth .

I get this beautiful kit. And I’m told to take a sample of my own blood. Are you kidding me?
Oh — did I mention I have a horrific fear of blood and needles (that somehow doesn’t stop me from watching the walking dead).

Well anyway after having the kit for a little while. I decide to man up and sample my own blood.
TRUST ME. It was nothing. There was something about being in control that I loved. I got a huge adrenaline kick. It’s like you’re on the edge of exploring an area of the planet that no one has ever seen before.

I mailed my kit off on Monday…THIS WEEK. Monday.

It is now Wednesday and I got my results in a beautifully digestible format online.
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Kudos to @thrivahealth for the design of their platform.

Well what are the results? Dr Bussman (my diagnostician) tells me my LDL levels are too high and what to do to fix them.

Thanks Dr Bussmann!

Not only are they too high, but I have a freaking number. And a range. I now know where I am, where I should be, what risk are posed if I don’t change it, how to change it and…..how to measure it!

My Cholesterol readings — I also got Liver and Kidney readings

You know the saying “How much is too much”. Well too much is different for every person, and I now know what my personal ‘too much’ is thanks to @thrivahealth.

I think every founder needs to take a look in the mirror today and ask themselves “Am I healthy?”
If you don’t know — Take a test with @thrivahealth. Do it for the future you are betting on. Do it for your co-founders, and investors and customers.

Don’t continue to not know. Trust me — @thrivahealth’s stuff is pretty freaking awesome. Out.
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On an added thought. VC’s should require these tests to ensure their investments stay healthy.