Ep 539: How Proov Turned Hormone Testing into a Scalable DTC Platform

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Dr. Amy Beckley shares how her personal fertility struggles and scientific background led her to create Proov—a direct‑to‑consumer hormone testing platform that helps women measure PdG (progesterone metabolite), LH, estrogen, and FSH at home. The test, paired with a mobile app, provides an Ovulation Score and personalized guidance, aiming to shift women’s health from reactive to proactive.

Key Insights:

• Hormone imbalance affects ~80% of women (PMS, PCOS, infertility, perimenopause). Proov enables these women to spot issues early.
• Pioneer in FDA‑cleared PdG testing and companion app delivering quantitative hormone data.
• Early adopters came from fertility awareness communities—not what Amy expected, but critical to traction.
• Healthcare is not proactive—Proov aims to fill that gap with data, empowerment, and streamlined care via digital prescription options.
• Business strategy: Lean launch, Amazon traction, VC funding, packaging, internal app team (rather than outsourcing), community listening.

Why It Matters for DTC & Founders:

• A real example of transforming personal pain into scalable DTC medical tech.
• Demonstrates the push-and-pull between Amazon's convenience and owning the customer via an app/email funnel.
• Exemplifies iterative product development, regulatory rigor, and educational storytelling in complex health markets.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Breaking Healthcare & The Birth of Proov

02:00 — Amy’s Journey: Miscarriages, Science & Building the Product

04:00 — Understanding Hormones, Fertility & Proactive Testing

08:00 — Fertility Challenges, IVF Costs & Industry Gaps

12:00 — Finding Early Adopters & Gaining Traction Through Communities

16:00 — Birth Control, Hormonal Imbalances & Long-Term Impacts

20:00 — Fundraising, Amazon Strategy & Owning the Customer

26:00 — Marketing Challenges, Education & Growing Awareness

30:00 — Building the Proov App & Scaling Technology

32:00 — Future Growth Plans, Proactive Hormone Health & Mission

Hashtags:

#DTCpodcast #Proov #FertilityAwareness #HormoneHealth #WomenInBusiness #HealthcareInnovation #DTCbrands #AmazonStrategy #StartupGrowth #WomensHealth

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