The Most Impactful Company in the World

Two years ago, I read an article by Daisy Wolf and Vijay Pande from Andreessen Horowitz that argued the biggest company in the world would be a consumer health tech company. It got me thinking… and then obsessing over the idea. Having spent most of my career in health and tech, I was inspired. They’re right—the world’s largest company should be a consumer health tech company, for all the reasons they outline. And I believe Calm can be that company.

The reason why I passionately believe this is because of a few factors that together, are unique to Calm:

Engaging Technology. As the article states, engagement is a systemic issue that has always hindered the impact of health programs. At Calm, our consumer tech DNA keeps our products delightful, entertaining and effective. We have brought this same approach to Calm Health, our newest app that provides personalized digital mental health plans to support people through various physical and mental health conditions and specific life stages. We’ve seen some very promising early metrics that we believe can set a new standard for engagement. Paired with AI, we can build a mental health ecosystem that is intelligent, adaptive and deeply human.

Consumer Trust. Consumers trust us and we don’t take that for granted. We know that we need to fulfill our promise to provide rest, relief and growth every time someone reaches for Calm. Luckily, we have. We’ve seen this trust translate into more accessibility where we are reaching historically hard-to-reach health populations because we are making mental health easy to understand, engage with, and approachable within a click.

Health Focused. While the massive consumer companies mentioned in the Andreessen article are working to move into healthcare, our team already has deep roots in the space. We know the importance of security and HIPAA compliance because we have built successful products for payors, providers and self-insured employers. Today, we work with licensed psychologists to build health solutions to fit into a person’s everyday life.

Mental Health Front Door. Traditionally, we think of physical healthcare as the front door to the health system. We engage with our doctor when something is wrong. For the majority of us, it’s a reactive system. I believe that we have the opportunity to turn healthcare into a more proactive system by using mental health as the front door to healthcare. This would help us tackle our current mental health crisis and reduce the total cost of care at the same time.

The future of healthcare isn’t just about treating illness — it’s about reimagining care with mental health playing a central role. Now, with our recent multi-payor partnerships, we are taking the first steps to connect mental and physical health care through clinical condition-specific mental health programs, caregiver communication tools and more. It’s an exciting step in the right direction.

One final thought: I have no desire for Calm to be the biggest company in the world. I want Calm to be the most impactful company in the world. Why? Because every one of us at Calm wants to make a difference, we feel a sense of urgency to do so.? In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General said that our children’s declining mental health was the “crisis of our time.” Last year, his office issued an advisory about the mounting stress on parents and caregivers. The alarm bells are ringing and it will take all of us –– the government, healthcare, technology and consumer companies –– to stem this crisis. You can be assured that Calm will continue to partner, innovate and do as much as we can to help everyone on every step of their mental health journey.