therabody 10

mornin' merry makers ☀️💪⚡🛍️🧘‍♀️

today's letter is about one of retail's most fascinating phenomena: genericide. famous examples include:

• band-aid → adhesive bandage

• xerox → photocopy

• kleenex → tissues

• google → search

when a brand name becomes the generic term for an entire category, you're witnessing retail magic. historically, this takes decades. kleenex needed 40 years. xerox took 30.

but i've watched this unfold in real time with unprecedented speed in a new category:

• theragun → massage gun

when fitness enthusiasts say "i need to theragun my legs" or physical therapists recommend "getting a theragun," you know genericide is knocking.

therabody commands 71% of the u.s. percussion therapy market, turned a garage jigsaw prototype into a $1 billion category, and attracted 100+ celebrity investors including jay-z, rihanna, and kevin durant.

therabody is a fascinating dive into what happens when you get so good at it that your name becomes the category.

stories i'm watching

the garage to glory origin: dr. jason wersland's 2007 motorcycle accident left him with chronic pain that traditional medicine couldn't solve. by january 2008, he was in his garage wrapping a jigsaw blade with electrical tape, creating the first percussion therapy device. what started as personal desperation became the foundation for an entirely new wellness category.

the kyrie irving breakthrough: the real turning point came during the 2016 nba finals when kyrie irving used the theragun on camera. weekend sales exploded from 10 units daily to thousands overnight. this moment crystallized therabody's strategy: leverage professional sports visibility to build mainstream credibility.

you’ve made it to the good part 😎