The best health technology is the one that makes you need it less, according to a 67-year-old marathon runner who stopped tracking his progress on a phone app. The founder of RawFoodiest, who has finished eight marathons and runs without a watch, argues that many consumer health products operate on the same addictive model as social media. Success is measured by daily active users and streaks, but health works in the opposite direction; a healthier person should need less help over time, not more.
The Tools Watch, They Don’t Teach
When the writer began running at age 50, a phone app served as a set of training wheels, showing distance and pace. Eventually, the data stopped teaching the runner and began watching him. A slow morning felt like a failure, even though it was just a slow morning. Once the device was turned off, enjoyment returned. The writer now listens to his body, which had been sending signals all along.
Three principles are suggested for building self-reliant health tech. First, design for graduation by building an exit into the product from day one. A good language app is proud when a user can speak without it, and health tech should be the same. Second, teach the signal, not just the number. A metric on a screen is only useful if it helps people understand what they feel. The goal is a user who can read their own body when the device is in a drawer. Third, reduce decisions, do not add them. Every notification is a decision, and tired, busy people do not need more inputs; they need fewer.
At 50, the writer ran on empty after thirty years in the diamond and jewellery business. He had low energy and no idea how to get it back. In 2009, he made two major changes: he started running and switched to a 100% plant-based raw food lifestyle. He also kept his medical records and made them public. Today, 21 years of his own health records are open for anyone to read on his website and in his book.
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At 67, he takes no prescription medication and has no chronic disease. He shares this not as advice, but as one documented case of self-reliance. The most powerful tool he ever used was a simple rule and a willingness to listen. He reviews his records periodically, not hourly, which creates a model of meaningful measurement at the right intervals rather than constant surveillance.
Founders often worry that self-reliance is bad for revenue, but the writer believes the opposite. Trust is the most valuable asset any company can hold. A user who graduates from a product with real skills becomes a loud advocate who recommends it to friends and family. Subscription models can still work through periodic check-ins, education, and community, rather than creating dependence. Users who leave because they are thriving are far better for a brand than users who leave because they are bored.
Technology As a Teacher, Not a Landlord
The health tech industry has an opportunity to help millions of people understand their bodies better than any generation before them. This can happen only if the design hands that understanding back to the user. Technology should function as a teacher, a source of knowledge for life, rather than a landlord who demands rent on a recurring schedule.
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