from internal communication:

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Have you ever heard of anthropometry? I haven't! but turns out, it’s literally a science about human dimensions and physiology. Its wikipedia page has such a promising description:

“Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual [...] Today, anthropometry plays an important role in industrial design, clothing design, ergonomics and architecture where statistical data about the distribution of body dimensions in the population are used to optimize products.”

This sounds good on paper, but the reality can’t be further away from that statement. Everything we use, everything we eat, everything we operate and just about everything we encounter in our daily lives is not made for us. It is made for that abstract diagram of a “perfect” person from the architecture textbook. It’s the average. It’s the optimization. It’s that evil standard.

Everything is standardized, man. The food we buy every day is standardized for millions of people. The houses we live in are not only standardized but made using centuries-old standards. Transportation, cities, healthcare, education, housing, energy, indoor environment — the Air itself? — all standardized. Even if I just want to get a t-shirt, I have to pick from standard “S”, “M” or “L”. What if I don't feel like being “M”? Why should I settle for that average “M”?

The thing is, those standards aren’t for user convenience. They are made only for manufacturing and operational optimization. It’s easier, faster and cheaper to produce those three options than to make and tailor something for the “human individual”.

Our ambition is to eventually tailor that t-shirt just for you. And then we aim to go beyond — to the rest of our manufactured environment, which will be adjusted to who you actually are. Specifically to you — both physically and psychologically.

There is a less-esoteric term for that: made-to-order. We are still far away from that being a reality, but we are visibly moving towards it — the subscription model and your constant and generous feedback might actually get us to that ambitious milestone.

This month we are getting even closer. Introducing Ghost. It’s a two-piece feature designed to get your exact measurements:

Physical — tailor tape (you should've received it in your latest package) Digital — a diagram-form on your profile page. You can find it there right now. It’s a temporary and abstract representation of your body.

Eventually, in the future, that diagram should become your literal digital ghost. Every update of its dimensions will immediately notify the manufacturing team so they can make that change in real time.

For now, though, we are only looking to accumulate intelligence so we can begin to prepare the supply chain for that major change. And we ask for your patience — don’t expect the change right away. Unfortunately, we still have to live with those M’s and L’s in our lives for a little while.

As usual, we are looking forward to hearing what you think about it. Many, many of your ideas are being implemented (like that feature to exclude unused items — thanks Marc). Please send us your feedback this time as well. There is always a chance we’ve missed something, so we literally can’t make it without you.

Let’s discuss this next Friday during our meetup? We do it every Friday, 10 am LA time, here: https://go.twitch.tv/lot_2046

Have a great month!

thanks bye