Hey {{first_name|default:there}}, it’s Vadim 👋
Ever wonder why a single summer at camp felt like an entire lifetime, but a year working from home during the pandemic somehow passed in a flash?
I recently came across an article that broke down the science behind this. Turns out, time doesn't actually speed up as we age - our brains are just wired for efficiency.
When we're young and everything is new, our brains are working overtime to process and "log" each experience. But as we settle into routines, our brains essentially say, "this looks familiar - let’s skip it"
Less processing means less energy wasted. It also means we’re left wondering “where has the time gone?”
The antidote? Novelty. New experiences force your brain back into logging mode, and suddenly time slows down again.
Which brings me to two things:
Let's talk about aging (and longevity)
Day 2 at JPM? Definitely felt like a week 🙂 But in the best possible way.
Longevity is growing up (just don’t call it aging 🙂)
Tonight I had the chance to attend a fantastic happy hour co-hosted by Draper Associates, NfX, and LongGame VC.
The opening remarks from Omri Amirav-Drory at NfX and Michelle Kwok at Draper captured well how far longevity has come, while offering a glimpse of what may be ahead.
Omri walked through a super helpful framework for how NfX is thinking about companies building in this space. As you know, I’m a sucker for a great framework, so I’d like to share it here in case you’re building in this space, or adjacent to it:
How to escape the gravity of aging
To achieve “longevity escape velocity”, Omri explained that we need progress across three areas:
Programmable biology: Companies engineering biological systems from the ground up. The thesis: If we can program biology like software, then we can rewrite the code of aging.
Tissue & organ replacement: This path focuses on repair and replacement. Just like a classic car that can be restored to its glory days, the bet here is on restoring or replacing what breaks down as we age.
Constant renewal systems: This pathway tackles damage reduction directly. Rather than reprogramming or replacing, these approaches will work on slowing or reversing the accumulation of damage over time.
These three areas are then supported by enabling technologies such as AI/ML, CRISPR, Multi-Omics and Bioinformatics.
What do you think? Is this framework helpful?
And are you building in the longevity or adjacent spaces? Let me know!
See you tomorrow!
- Vadim
PS: Are you attending JPM? Let me know what themes you’re picking up on - would love to include them!
PPS: If you have someone on your team helping with fundraising or know another founder who could benefit from being in this community - I’d love to include them. They can join us here: [Join the Community]