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The Hollow Men of Hims

(www.alexkesin.com)
214 points quadrin | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.202s | source
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parpfish ◴[] No.44383251[source]
> The genius of Hims lies in understanding that consumers will pay almost any premium to avoid the humiliation of discussing erectile dysfunction or hair loss with an actual human being.

Does the telemedicine appeal to people because they want to avoid embarrassment, or because they know that traditional doctors will schedule you for an appointment three months out just to say “have you tried getting better sleep, losing 30 pounds, and reducing stress?”

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1. secabeen ◴[] No.44383953[source]
I think it's both. Hims doesn't really even do the telemedicine bit all that well, and Hims customers know what they're there for. This is isn't a "by the way" conversation at the end of an annual physical, nor is it a dedicated full-cost office visit to discuss ED, Weight Loss, or Hair Loss. It's a quick website visit, and then maybe 5 minutes zooming with a doctor in another state you will never see again and who will never remember you among the thousands of patients they "see".

There's a lot of shame in society around all of these issues, and it's really appealing to a lot of Men to be able to spend an extra $100-200 to not have to have a conversation that embarrasses them with a Doctor who may know their wife, friends, or otherwise may be part of the community. That's the value proposition of Hims; a $200 fee to maintain the illusion of their inherent virility and masculinity. A lot of Men will happily pay that, and have the disposable income to do so.