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Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

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Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#81

Post by vancanwin »

treis wrote: post #64
treis wrote: post #58

Wow, I played around with this more. An active 6' 195 lb man gets the exact same recommendation as 5' 50,000 lb (Yes, fifty thousand pound) woman. You're not actually doing any analysis or customization are you?

Nope, it posts the answers to the survey to: https://vp9eae2gvh.execute-api.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/test/... which responds: "Hello from Lambda" At which point it shows me my "recommended" packages which are supposedly "tailored to my body". Picking one of those sends me to a payment screen. This isn't shady or false advertising. This is an out and out scam.

We definitely notice this feature is lacking in the customer flow. We have a dosage generator in our backend that our customer received but we will push that feature to be more transparent in our metabolic assessment.

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#82

Post by dictum »

hestajex wrote: post #71
dictum wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Edit: deleted)

I thought name calling wasn't allowed, where's the warning for this user?

My intent isn't name calling. I saw treis's comment and thought it fitting not in the literal terms, but in spirit: that you can communicate issues without personal attacks.

I still agree with that comment and stand by the message I wanted to send, but I see how my reply fosters a culture of attacks, so I'm removing it.

(To treis, if you didn't see it - it was a link to a comment you once made)

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#83

Post by kayhi »

Supplements feel like one small step above homeopathy

I've interacted with hundreds of elite level athletes who are always looking for an edge. These athletes do not depend on supplements and many avoid them. I would expect these athletes to be on the cutting edge and results to trickle over to 'normal' people. If these athletes who are more in-tune with their bodies than most are avoiding supplements than am not seeing a lot of upside for the average person. If you are deficient or have a medical condition then sure, but the focus should be on healthy eating. Supplements are not going make up for eating poorly and likely just results in expensive urine or placebo effect for most people.

It's hard to debate since everyone is using anecdotal evidence.

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#84

Post by minfitzgerald »

treis wrote: post #58

Wow, I played around with this more. An active 6' 195 lb man gets the exact same recommendation as 5' 50,000 lb (Yes, fifty thousand pound) woman. You're not actually doing any analysis or customization are you?

Thanks treis. We currently do this offline in our lab, and it's not viewable directly online after the questionnaire just yet. Our customers have been informed of their specific dosage customization and given us feedback that it might be nice to see it online too (though this wasn't the highest need for them). For your specific question - we can't look up your submission data without an identifiable email address you've signed with, but baselining only with the height and weight provided, the 195lb man should be taking 3900 IU of Vitamin D3 vs. 1,000,000 IU of vitamin D3 for the 50,000lb woman, for example. We tailor the dosages across the other vitamins, minerals, and supplements as well.

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#85

Post by neilk »

vancanwin wrote: post #5
noisefridge wrote: post #3

Pardon my skepticism, but the whole "supplement" industry seems incredibly bogus. Yes, there might be some benefits from little tweaks to our nutritional profile. But is this a priority compared to the massive benefits one gets from simply cutting out refined sugar, refined carbs, and other junk foods, and doing moderate exercise? The idea of a supplement tailored to the individual seems to a) vastly overestimate wha…

I truly understand the skepticism especially when starting this company. That's why we are putting standards and QA processes to make sure our vitamins are pure and not filled with 99% fillers as most vitamins do. We are targeting people who have taken a step towards reducing their refine sugar, carbs, and proper exercise. Our customers typically work out and eat healthy, but are finding that supplementation is worki…

It sounds like you are admitting that you're filling a gap in the market: specifically, "body hackers" who will put anything in their bodies as long as it sounds edgy and new. And that you don't have any research to back any of this up?

You're doing the usual handwavey thing, which is to say that you know that it's not a good product today, but somehow you're going to take the profits from selling the unproven thing today, and do something better later, maybe...?

That might be borderline acceptable if you're doing a software startup but sounds horribly cavalier for someone pushing a health product.

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#86

Post by dang »

hestajex wrote: post #74
grzm wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please don't be nasty. If you disagree with OP's idea, that's great. Just don't call OP or the idea BS. Let the market decide--it's ultimately smarter than you (or me).

You mean the same market the decided Justin Bieber is a good musician? The same market that allowed Hillary and Trump to pass the primaries?

Please don't post off-topic flamebait to HN threads.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#87

Post by trevyn »

vancanwin wrote: post #26
trevyn wrote: post #21

Here's an obvious question that you seem to have utterly utterly failed to answer: WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU ACTUALLY OFFERING TO SEND ME.

A month subscription of liquid supplements that is adjusted base on your body composition. Our supplements are adjusted base on your weight, height, age, and gender. And so far, no two orders are the same. It will eventually once we get more orders.

I think the FDA would consider that an insufficient description.

You may also be running afoul of FTC truth-in-advertising law, since you are making claims but not disclosing actual ingredients.

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#88

Post by treis »

minfitzgerald wrote: post #84
treis wrote: post #58

Wow, I played around with this more. An active 6' 195 lb man gets the exact same recommendation as 5' 50,000 lb (Yes, fifty thousand pound) woman. You're not actually doing any analysis or customization are you?

Thanks treis. We currently do this offline in our lab, and it's not viewable directly online after the questionnaire just yet. Our customers have been informed of their specific dosage customization and given us feedback that it might be nice to see it online too (though this wasn't the highest need for them). For your specific question - we can't look up your submission data without an identifiable email address you…

Is changing dosage based on body size the only customization you are doing?

Re: Launch HN: Nutrigene (YC W18) – Tailor-made liquid supplements using health data

#90

Post by trevyn »

dang wrote: post #42
trevyn wrote: post #21

Here's an obvious question that you seem to have utterly utterly failed to answer: WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU ACTUALLY OFFERING TO SEND ME.

Please don't use uppercase for emphasis. It's basically yelling, and the site guidelines ask you not to: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html .

I'm sorry. I am angry.
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