> To create a recurring revenue stream from the tests, Wojcicki has pivoted to subscriptions. As media companies launched streaming “+” channels, Wojcicki rolled out 23andMe+, offering personalized health reports, lifestyle advice and unspecified “new reports and features as discoveries are made” for an initial $229, with annual renewals of $69.
I was a heavy believer of 23andMe until this point. I answered all of the available research questions, which was a thing that took absolutely hours and was filled with semi-invasive medical questions. I did this under the premise that I would hopefully be helping research and I felt really rewarded having completed all of them. Then, they dropped the + bombshell and I felt really rugpulled. I paid them for genotyping on their v4 and v5 platforms -- so I paid twice, I referred friends, I bought people kits, I helped research...and now I was being asked to pay a subscription for what I was promised to begin with? Eesh.
I think the fundamental issue is that when the FDA stepped in and told 23andMe to cut back on their reporting that they really hit a roadblock. Promethease always gave better results than 23andMe, but when that happened it commoditized genotyping fully. Just download your data from any provider and use a third-party tool and you're set.
Fast forward to 2024 and they're stuck with a platform that's semi-limited and they haven't delivered on any of the research deliverables that many people wanted in the first place. The idea of getting new genetic reports monthly was appealing and simply never materialized. It's no surprise people aren't hot on this as a business -- but what is surprising is that they were completely passed by startups like Nebula Genomics in offering whole-genome sequencing and competitive data access. I think the stored data they have is their only advantage, but they don't seem to know how to leverage it.