All Segments
Anne Wojcicki : How to Build the Future
20 segments available
Anne Wojcicki - https://twitter.com/annewoj23 - is the CEO and co-founder, 23andMe - https://www.23andme.com/ Anne co-founded 23andMe after a decade spent in healthcare investing. 23andMe's mission is to empower consumers with access to their own genetic information, and create a simple way for people to participate in research. 23andMe currently has more than 5 million customers worldwide, and has created the largest crowd-sourced platform for genetic research. More than 80 percent of 23andMe customers participate in a research program that has generated nearly 100 published genetic studies to date. Access podcast and transcript versions of this interview here: http://www.ycombinator.com/future/anne/ Chapters (Powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro: Founding Story of 23andMe 02:53 - Incentives to Keep People Healthy 03:51 - People Making their own Healthcare Decisions 05:27 - World 50 Years from Now 09:27 - Crowdsourcing and Wanting it Personally 11:34 - Fixing Slow Growth and Keeping Momentum 12:57 - Education People on Why They Want Their Genetics 14:47 - Best Decisions Made in Early Days 15:50 - Finding the First Two Scientists 16:44 - Framework: Net Output on the Organization 17:32 - Being in a Regulated Industry 20:50 - How Much is All Played Out as you Thought 21:55 - Hardest Thing for Entrepreneurs: Persistence 23:42 - Evolution of Genetic Testing in the Next 11 Years 26:02 - General Trends That Apply to a Lot of People 27:01 - Intervention Studies 28:16 - Outro
Segments Timeline
From Wall Street to 23andMe
Anne Wojcicki shares her unexpected journey from Wall Street to co-founding 23andMe. She reflects on her decade in healthcare investing, the insights she gained about the healthcare system, and her realization that the industry often profits from illness rather than promoting health. This segment highlights her motivations for creating a company that empowers individuals to take control of their health.
"today we are here with Anne Wojcicki co-founder and CEO of 23andme thank you very much we always like to start with how you came up with the idea and the sort of the founding story of the company so I..."
Redefining Healthcare Incentives
Wojcicki discusses the misalignment of incentives in the healthcare system, emphasizing that individuals often lack a voice in their own healthcare decisions. She explains how 23andMe aims to empower consumers by putting them in control of their health data, challenging the traditional roles of healthcare providers and insurers.
"felt like I really understood the system and I also understood that you have this all these people with the right intentions who really care but the ships just pointing in the wrong direction and that..."
The Power of Consumer Control
In this segment, Anne Wojcicki elaborates on the importance of consumer empowerment in healthcare. She draws parallels between the evolution of home pregnancy tests and the need for individuals to access their genetic information. Wojcicki argues that by providing people with their health data, they can make informed decisions about their well-being.
"design a system or a company that incentivizes but is incentive to keep people healthy well I realize like the main thing in health care is that you don't actually ever have a voice like you don't lik..."
Imagining the Future of Healthcare
Wojcicki envisions a future where healthcare systems prioritize keeping individuals healthy rather than treating illness. She advocates for a universal payment system that incentivizes long-term health investments. This segment explores the societal responsibility of health and the need for individuals to take charge of their own health journeys.
"like the sort of model of thinking about the world fifty or hundred years from now and looking back what we think was just totally ridiculous yeah and this sure seems like I think health care is a typ..."
The Genetic Revolution and Crowdsourcing
Anne Wojcicki discusses the genetic revolution and its potential to transform healthcare. She reflects on her early investments in genetics and the excitement surrounding the decreasing costs of genome sequencing. This segment highlights her vision of leveraging crowdsourced genetic information to empower individuals and drive health innovations.
"as possible I think second people like we don't want we saw that communism doesn't yeah support the the system that we all want people have to be willing to spend money and they have to step up and I ..."
The Genetic Revolution and Crowdsourcing
Wojcicki shares her vision for 23andMe, highlighting the intersection of genetics and social networking. She explains how the ability to crowdsource health information can empower individuals to take control of their health, moving away from traditional reliance on established institutions like universities and pharmaceutical companies.
"some ways I like having grown up in this Google environment and knowing you know the social networking world that was coming up it was piecing those things together that was like combine the technolog..."
The Beauty of Genetics: Nature vs. Nurture
In this segment, Anne Wojcicki explores the interplay between genetics and environment, arguing that both factors contribute to health outcomes. She emphasizes the potential for individuals to influence their health through lifestyle choices, even when genetically predisposed to certain conditions.
"people what's the reaction when you first announced that you are going to do this like what was it like inside the building I think there was you know it's always like startups are so fun because you ..."
Navigating the Trough of Sorrow
Wojcicki reflects on the challenges startups face after initial launches, particularly the 'trough of sorrow' where enthusiasm wanes. She discusses strategies for maintaining momentum and focusing on long-term goals, emphasizing the importance of vision and planning in overcoming early setbacks.
"so there was enthusiasm and we had like videos I like we were you know we were also um we were super excited like to launch and we thought there was gonna be like this big coming like everyone and we ..."
Educating the Public on Genetics
Anne Wojcicki highlights the need for public education on the value of genetic information. She shares her approach to changing perceptions through feedback and communication, stressing that understanding the medical utility of genetics is crucial for consumer engagement and acceptance.
"people love a vision and people love a plan you just need to outline like this is where we're going so when we saw that sales were slow we're like people don't understand genetics but some basic marke..."
Key Early Decisions for Success
Wojcicki discusses the critical importance of her first two hires at 23andMe, emphasizing how foundational talent shapes a company's integrity and future hiring standards. She reflects on the long-term impact of these early decisions on the company's trajectory.
"then and then also people people need to know that they're not the only one like that's not weird yeah oh this is like weird I did that we need to drive social like acceptance and you know I'm part of..."
Finding the Right Scientific Talent
In this segment, Anne Wojcicki shares the story of how she found the first two scientists for 23andMe. She emphasizes the significance of networking and shared vision in recruiting the right talent to drive the company's mission forward.
"it set a bar the talent that we are going to hire going forward so I think in some ways like having the right people we noticed that it is almost impossible to search you can make a lot of mistakes as..."
Hiring for Humility and Team Success
In this segment, Anne Wojcicki emphasizes the importance of hiring individuals with humility who are open to feedback. She discusses how the right team dynamics can foster a culture of learning and collaboration, which is essential for the growth of 23andMe.
"hard I mean I would say hiring is one of the hardest things and I think one of the things that we've tried really hard here in the company is we there's a lot of smart people who have humility and the..."
Navigating the Challenges of Regulation
Wojcicki shares her experiences transitioning 23andMe from an unregulated to a regulated company. She discusses the pros and cons of regulation, emphasizing the need for clear communication and adherence to guidelines while maintaining a focus on public safety.
"one of the things hiring is always really hard and I think especially in leadership roles if you have the wrong person I think I just recently watched when the old documentaries about Steve Jobs and B..."
The Importance of Data in Regulation
Anne discusses how operating in a regulated environment requires a different communication style, one that emphasizes data and transparency. She reflects on the necessity of demonstrating compliance and safety to regulatory bodies while maintaining the company's innovative spirit.
"definitely also means that it's more expensive like there are there's rules and you don't always agree with all those rules and when we went from an unregulated company to a regulated company there wa..."
Respecting Regulatory Bodies
In this segment, Wojcicki expresses her respect for regulatory agencies like the FDA, acknowledging their role in ensuring public safety. She highlights the importance of startups explaining their processes and data to build trust with regulators.
"think you know we always said like we we thought we were Commun like I look at some of my old communication and I'm like oh wow that's embarrassing now my the way we thought we were approved you know ..."
Reflecting on the Journey: A Decade of 23andMe
Wojcicki reflects on the evolution of 23andMe since its inception, noting the consistency in their mission and goals. She shares insights on the importance of persistence in entrepreneurship and how long-term dedication can lead to significant impact.
"to explain how we're doing it how that works and the way they speak just like I mentioned about scientists is they speak in data like you can't just say like oh no no like trust me like I'm the good g..."
Empowering Future Scientists
In this inspiring segment, Anne discusses her mission to empower individuals of all backgrounds to pursue science. She shares stories of young people inspired by her work, emphasizing that passion and dedication can lead to remarkable achievements, regardless of one's starting point.
"and it's it's been we've been able continuously executing on it the best companies are remarkably steadfast and then I think it's hard to do because entrepreneurs sort of by definition like to start d..."
Empowering Health Through Data
In this segment, Anne Wojcicki outlines her goal of using genetic data to empower individuals to maintain their health. She describes the vast community of 23andMe customers and the potential for collective discoveries in health prevention. Wojcicki emphasizes the importance of personalized health insights and the role of data in driving behavior change.
"persistence um so you've done all these remarkable things as a company and the one that I think is most remarkable or sort of the most important of the future of the world is that I think in the last ..."
Understanding Individual Health Variability
Wojcicki explores the variability in individual health responses to diet and lifestyle choices. She discusses how genetic differences can influence health outcomes and the importance of personalized recommendations. This segment highlights the need for education on health behaviors and the potential for genetic insights to guide healthier choices.
"data set in the world by far yeah that's awesome with health information yeah yeah but like to me that's where like there's a power in what we can do now to make discoveries about prevention so we hav..."
Future of Personalized Health Interventions
Anne Wojcicki shares her excitement about the future of personalized health interventions through genetic testing. She discusses ongoing studies aimed at understanding weight loss and genetic risk factors for diseases like Parkinson's. Wojcicki envisions a future where individuals receive tailored health advice based on their genetic makeup, enhancing their ability to make informed health decisions.
"like some people don't exercise doesn't really matter how far away are we from someone being able to spit in a tube and you tell them like here's what you need to do to have a good shot at that means ..."