Dear Doggo & The Dying Millennial Subsidy 🐩

Fountain of Youth - for doggo

If there’s one universal truth that stings, it’s this: Our dogs don’t live nearly long enough. A decade or so of tail wags, excited greetings, and unconditional love — and then they’re gone to dog heaven.

If only scientists and startups spent them millions of dollars of making our loyal friends stick around longer. Well, that wish might be coming. 

Enter Loyal, a biotech startup with over $150 million of investments, all in the name of extend canine lifespans.

Their first product, LOY-002, is a daily pill for dogs 10+ years old and over 14 pounds, designed to tackle metabolic dysfunction—a key driver of aging. By targeting age-related diseases at their root, the tablet could help senior pups stay active and happy well beyond their usual golden years. The FDA recently gave it a “reasonable expectation of effectiveness” nod, pushing it closer to approval.

But Loyal isn’t stopping there. They’re also working on LOY-001 and LOY-003, treatments focused on larger breeds—who sadly age faster than smaller dogs.

With FDA approval, Loyal’s products would be prescribed by veterinarians, adding to the $150.6 billion pet owners spent on their beloved companions in 2024.

And Loyal isn’t the only name in the industry. A growing group of startups, such as Embark and Mammaly, are promising to keep pets healthier. 

The Bigger Picture? It Might Help Humans, Too

Loyal’s CEO, Celine Halioua, suggests that since humans and dogs share similar environments (and sometimes even diets), what works for dogs might unlock longevity insights for people as well.

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Not too long ago, app-based services felt like a steal. Hitching a ride in someone’s personal car? Staying in a stranger’s spare room for a fraction of hotel prices? It was affordable, convenient, and, for many, exciting.
 

Fast forward to today, and those budget-friendly deals are history. Uber fares rose 92% between 2018 and 2021, and Airbnb’s average nightly rates have climbed 36% since 2019. 
 

The reality? Early on, these startups lured in customers with low prices— to revolutionise/over haul the existing market. But those rock-bottom prices were never built to last.

Now, with inflation squeezing wallets, startup are scrambling to respond. Netflix is cracking down on password sharing, and Airbnb is shifting toward luxury offerings. To be honest, we all expected the “millennial lifestyle subsidy” coming to an end for years now as investors stepped back. 
 

But customers are leaving too. Many users are returning to pre-app habits—hailing taxis, booking hotels, and cutting back on subscriptions.
 

But there’s a bigger question: What have these startups really left in their wake?

Music platforms like Spotify underpay creators, Airbnb faces blame for housing shortages, and Uber—once at war with taxi services—now partners with them in some cities. Amazon — whose early days predatory pricing knocked out competitors — is now notoriously hiking prices. 
 

Honestly, no one’s surprised anymore.  

One Costly Download

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I understand well the concept of having to sell oneself with flashy descriptors like "change maker" or "veteran content creator", but that game always seemed deeply saddening to me. 

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