Searching for Meaning at a Biohacker Conference

My reflections from three days at Eudemonia Summit

A couple weeks ago, I went to a conference in Florida called Eudemonia Summit.

It self-described as “a three-day gathering to transform your health, led by the visionaries charting the future of wellness, longevity, and human potential.”

I was pumped I’d spent the last few months researching the biohacker & longevity space, which has been en vogue among VCs. And as part of that work, my colleague Brian and I wrote “The Longevity Land Grab.”

The essay’s main thesis was that, long-term, the most successful longevity companies will be the ones that drive real measurable health outcomes. So I was excited to try to meet those next companies at Eudemonia.

I also thought I might have a helpful personal perspective for the conference. I’m a pretty healthy guy, but I’m definitely not a biohacker. I have an Oura, but hate needles enough to not try Function. I try to cook, but also often settle for Cava. I work out, but not as much as Bryan Johnson. So if I’m closer to an average health-conscious consumer than a hardcore biohacker, I thought I might be a good judge of what consumer health applications could break out.

Well, here’s what stood out to me at the conference…

1. Tons of talk about phone addiction. So many speakers emphasized how bad screen time and social media are for us. We know this. But I found it really interesting that when cutting edge preventative blood tests and MRI scans are all the rage, something so obvious as phone addiction could be framed as a top priority for longevity.

2. Peptides, peptides, peptides. “Are you taking any peptides?” “Yeah BPC-157.” I swear I overheard this conversation in line for coffee on day one. I went to a great session on peptides with Nick Andrews. It’s a fascinating gray market. More and more consumers are trying peptides and seeing major benefits. But most peptides aren’t FDA approved. So many consumers are getting them through shady channels and without medical oversight.

3. Celebrity doctors took center stage. Throughout the weekend, people swarmed book signings and packed the main hall to see celebrity doctors like Peter Attia and Mark Hyman. Maybe my favorite moment was when Dave Asprey, an OG influencer-biohacker, started a session by taking shots at Peter Attia, a newer-age influencer who’d brand himself as less “biohacking” and more “health & wellness.” Asprey played a video of Attia saying humans don’t need to live until 120 – followed by a montage of people saying humans wouldn’t go to space or split an atom. Shots fired! Consumers say they care about science. But I think a trademark of this longevity movement is that consumers love to follow the science of mega-influencer doctors.

4. An insanely stimulating exhibition hall. As far as the eye could see, the exhibition hall had rows of booths marketing supplements, devices, and more. AG1 and Function had presences, but the vast majority of brands weren’t household names, and some screamed snake oil. (I did hear of one attendee who was handed a supplement and had to go to the hospital). I couldn’t believe how many brands were there, all claiming they’d boost your health.

But there was a problem… Of everything I saw, very little could drive real measurable health outcomes. Function, Viome, Oura and a wave of VC-backed startups have pushed the narrative that measuring and improving one’s health data is the holy grail for the longevity space. But meanwhile, the stuff that captured my and others’ attention at Eudemonia was hard to quantify in impact – whether phone usage, peptides, the power of celebrity, or most of the companies in the exhibition hall.

Didn’t anybody care about products that could drive real measurable health outcomes?

I felt a big “aha moment” when Andrew Huberman spoke. If you’re not familiar, Huberman is THE longevity influencer of the moment. If Bryan Johnson is the longevity movement’s Batman – calculating and polarizing – then Huberman is longevity’s Superman – widely beloved and authoritative. On the last day of the summit, Huberman gave a keynote interview in the main ballroom.

Towards the end, the host asked Huberman for one inspiring takeaway about human potential. Huberman said the following (paraphrased):

People put so much effort into their health: eating well, working out, doing diagnostics, and more. It’s a ton of work. But for reasons I can’t explain with biology, when humans acknowledge they’re not in control, and accept a higher power is in control (and that can be God, spirituality, or something else)... that’s when people improve their health outcomes and unlock their fullest potential.

Halfway through Huberman’s answer, people leaned forward in their seats. The room fell silent. I started recording on my phone (I’ll put the clip down below). And when Huberman finished, there was a huge round of applause. Two people texted me after saying “Did you hear the end of Huberman’s talk?” The moment felt special.

What in the world happened? I don’t think it was a room of evangelicals applauding Huberman for saying he believes in God. (Eudemonia is literally a pagan term from ancient Greek, which was also the entire conference’s aesthetic).

Here’s what I think happened. Many biohackers, longevity gurus, and hyper-health-conscious people use health optimization for a very existential purpose. Mortality is scary, but taking full control of your health offers a sense of control. Everyone at Eudemonia Summit had just spent the entire weekend inundated with action items to take control and improve their health even more. It was information overload. But when Huberman came in and said you’re ultimately not in control, it was a cathartic sigh of relief for everyone in the audience.

So… what’s my takeaway? When it comes to the longevity movement, people don’t just want products that drive measurable health outcomes. They don’t just want to see their Function data improve year over year. People want to feel in control and feel they’re working towards their health. That could be drinking an AG1, even if the effects are mostly placebo. That could be buying Bryan Johnson’s protocol, even if many items are cheaper elsewhere. That could be ordering a magnesium supplement blend, even if you only discovered it scrolling on TikTok at 1AM.

Contrary to what I initially thought, the breakout longevity companies won’t just be those that improve your biomarkers. They’ll be the companies that make people feel in control and feel rewarded for taking care of their health. It’s a much broader investment scope. But I think it’s a more realistic read of the market.

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