Founder’s Field Guide
Episode 23 Modernizing Sleep
Founder’s Field Guide

Episode 23: Modernizing Sleep

Modernizing Sleep

Matteo Franceschetti is the founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, a smart mattress company. We cover which biometrics matter, how hard it is to start a hardware company and launch manufacturing overseas, and the massive potential for preventative health companies.

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[00:02:36] - [First question] - Origins of the Eight Sleep business

[00:03:21] - Designing and testing the original product

[00:04:17] - Goal of the product

[00:05:19] - How temperature can improve sleep

[00:06:28] - Accuracy of the sensors in this product

[00:08:30] - Valuable inputs for health that they measure, HRV (heart rate variability)

[00:09:59] - Amount of research on the variables they measure and impact on health

[00:11:45] - Hardest data for them to measure in their mattress

[00:14:03] - Early challenges to launching the business

[00:15:27] - Lessons from the early manufacturing process

[00:16:50] - Working through the potential business models

[00:17:56] - Goal of less sleep and reducing light sleep

[00:19:45] - Behavior changes he’s made as a result of understanding his sleep more

[00:21:08] - How alcohol/caffeine impacts sleep

[00:22:01] - How food impacts sleep

[00:23:01] - Why glucose spikes are bad for sleep

[00:23:40] - Challenges in the business after the crowdfunding stage

[00:25:34] - Marketing lessons from a high price point and infrequently purchased product

[00:26:42] - Most exciting day in the researching phase

[00:27:48] - Turning an infrequent purchase into a frequent sale

[00:28:54] - What it’s like to work with his wife

[00:30:03] - Future of the quantified self-movement

[00:31:23] - The hardest challenge in the business

[00:32:13] - Most valuable things he’s learned as a fan of Formula 1 racing

[00:33:41] - Future of the mattress business

[00:35:28] - Other businesses he has learned from

[00:36:40] - Lessons from the data part of the business

[00:38:26] - Collecting more data from their customers without being intrusive

[00:39:56] - What he’s learned through Apple Health 

[00:41:39] - What has him excited for the long term future of Eight Sleep

[00:42:32] - Kindest thing anyone has done for him

Modernizing Sleep

Introduction

Patrick
My guest today is Matteo Franceschetti, the founder and CEO of Eight Sleep. Eight Sleep builds mattresses with dynamic temperature control and a variety of biometric sensors, and their goal is to make their customers get drastically better sleep. We talk about why biometrics matter, how hard it is to start a hardware company and launch manufacturing overseas, how Matteo manages his own sleep, and the massive potential preventative health companies like Eight Sleep may have in the future. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Matteo Franceschetti.

How Eight Sleep Works

Okay so Matteo, I think this is the first time that I can I am a nightly active user of the product of one of my guests. Your product is Eight Sleep, a mattress that does all sorts of interesting things. I'd love you to begin by describing the origin story of this business. What was the path that led you to found Eight Sleep?

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