modern anxiety machines: this fitness device is killing your health

Sponsored by

Remember when we would just… sleep?

Society has now decided it’s a great idea to strap little anxiety machines to our wrist and turn rest into a competition.

"How'd you sleep?" "Terribly. Only 23 minutes of REM."

Oh yeah, Jeremy? Well, men use to go to war.

Which is a perfect time to introduce a quote from a man who did go to war, Jocko Willink.

You didn’t die, Jeremy. You had a watch tell you your sleep score was a 43/100 and now you’re throwing a tantrum.

Fitness trackers create an illusion of control while actually fostering dependency. It’s kinda like a toddler with a toy steering wheel, they think they’re driving the car, but in reality, the car is driving them.

Here’s a few examples of people who do not give a F about fitness trackers:

• The sage runner who runs by feel consistently outperforms someone who frantically checks their Garmin every few steps

• The Dad who enjoys a glass of wine before bed and outscores the health-obsessed nerd who avoids water within three hours of their "beddy-bye time."

The Resilience Paradox

Our ancestors survived wars and plagues. Now we panic over step counts.

The dangerous cycle:

• Watch says you slept poorly → You believe it → You feel tired and perform bad all day → You get all stressed out before bed → Repeat.

This great unravelling of founder fitness can all start with a fitness gizmo your kids bought you. Perhaps as a not-so-subtle hint for you to start walking again (and not just between the couch and beer fridge).

The Founder's Dilemma

Here’s the thing - being metric-driven isn’t the issue. As it can actually make the difference between top-performing founders and their peers.

It's like corndogs. Being obsessed with corndogs is a bit weird, but not a problem in itself. The problem is when you really overdo it (if I lost you—I'm talking about measuring metrics).

This makes it important to separate the signal from the noise.

Signal vs. Noise

Just as founders must distinguish between vanity metrics and true business indicators, your body needs you to separate meaningful signals from noise. Focus on leading indicators that drive outcomes, not lagging indicators that merely reflect the past.

The Stoic's Guide to Technology

Stoics distinguished between what we can and cannot control. Your sleep quality last night? Already happened. Your approach today? Up to you.

If you still want trackers:

• Check data weekly, not daily (patterns matter, not points)

• Use data as information, not instruction (don’t panic over short-term data points).

• Practice regular "digital fasts"

Technology should serve you, not command you. Edison invented the light bulb without sleep scores. You’ll be alright too.

Looking for unbiased, fact-based news? Join 1440 today.

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Subscribe to 1440 today.

idea of the week 💡

Credit: Idea Browser

• problem: Most ad agencies are drowning in AI video requests but lack specialized talent to deliver.

• idea: "AI Video Creator Talent Hub" - A specialized marketplace connecting agencies and studios with certified AI video specialists who understand both creative direction and prompt engineering. Agencies can post projects or hire full-time talent, while verified AI creators showcase portfolios and command premium rates.

• how it makes money: $299/month for recruiter memberships, 15% commission on freelance contracts, and $999 candidate spotlight packages that guarantee interviews. At scale, this becomes a $5-10M ARR business with expansion into certification programs and talent development.

• why it might fail: Potential oversaturation of the AI talent marketplace. Agencies might develop in-house capabilities instead. Rapid changes in AI video technology could make specialized skills quickly obsolete. Difficulty in verifying true talent quality in an emerging field.

friday fitness

at-home workout:

Complete 5 rounds:

• 30 air squats

• 15 push-ups (modify as needed)

• 10 burpees

• 60-second plank

Rest 90 seconds between rounds. No fitness tracker allowed.

gym workout:

• 5x5 back squats (heavy)

• 4x8 bent-over rows

• 3x10 dumbbell shoulder press

• Finisher: 21-15-9 of kettlebell swings and box jumps

outdoor workout:

Complete 4 rounds:

• Run 400m at 80% effort

• 25 walking lunges (total)

• 15 incline push-ups (on bench or ledge)

• 10 jump squats

Rest 2 minutes between rounds

tweet of the week

I recently shared this tweet with a business student seeking advice. In my opinion, every high school graduate would benefit from reading this thread:

my plugs

• Read more about Founder Fitness

• Download a FREE copy of my Million Dollar Business Exit Guide

• Schedule a 15-minute consultation call to discuss buying or selling your business.

• Subscribe to Main Street Memo for the best tips on buying small businesses.

• Follow me on socials - X + insta + linkedin