Sleep Fitness in Formula 1 with Mercedes

Sleep fitness in Formula 1 - that's what Eight Sleep is powering for the Mercedes Formula 1 Team. 

In Formula 1, 'track to road' technology transfer is a common term. But what Eight Sleep is doing is the reverse - using consumer-led wearable technology to help increase the performance of the reigning Formula 1 World Champion team. 

The Inside Line F1 Podcast is brought to you by Eight Sleep, the most-trusted name in high-performance sleep.

Would you like to sleep on a bed-mattress designed by Formula 1 engineers to enhance your sleep quality? Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners.

Save $150 at checkout on the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover. Go get yours today: https://www.eightsleep.com/insideline

in this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Matteo Franceschetti, the Co-Founder & CEO of Eight Sleep and a very passionate Formula 1 fan, joins Soumil and Kunal to talk about sleep fitness, how his products are built by Formula 1 engineers, the partnership with Mercedes & experiencing the crazy Miami & Monaco Grands Prix first hand! 

(Season 2022, Episode 31)

Follow our hosts: Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Mercedes

**Sleep Fitness in Formula 1: An Interview with Matteo Franceschetti, Co-Founder & CEO of Eight Sleep**

**Introduction:**

* Eight Sleep, a sleep fitness company, has partnered with the Mercedes Formula 1 Team to enhance the sleep quality of the reigning World Champion team.
* Matteo Franceschetti, Co-Founder & CEO of Eight Sleep, joins the Inside Line F1 Podcast to discuss sleep fitness, the partnership with Mercedes, and his experiences at the Miami and Monaco Grands Prix.

**Key Points:**

* **Formula 1 and Sleep Fitness:**
* Formula 1 teams and drivers travel extensively, making sleep quality crucial for performance.
* Eight Sleep's products are designed to improve sleep quality through advanced technology and engineering.
* **Reverse Technology Transfer:**
* Eight Sleep's technology was initially developed for consumers and is now being used to enhance the performance of the Mercedes F1 Team.
* This represents a unique instance of consumer technology benefiting Formula 1.
* **Product Development:**
* Eight Sleep's products are developed by engineers with backgrounds in Formula 1, including former Ferrari and Porsche engineers.
* The company's products are designed to optimize sleep performance and recovery.
* **Leadership and Inspiration:**
* Matteo Franceschetti admires Toto Wolff's leadership style and ability to manage team dynamics and drive success.
* Franceschetti's passion for Formula 1 and his background as an athlete have influenced his approach to building Eight Sleep.
* **Strategy and Adaptability:**
* Franceschetti emphasizes the importance of strategy and adaptability in both Formula 1 and business.
* He highlights the need to adjust plans quickly based on changing circumstances.
* **Partnership with Mercedes:**
* Eight Sleep chose Mercedes as a partner due to their shared values, premium brand positioning, and focus on engineering and performance.
* The partnership has provided Eight Sleep with valuable feedback from Formula 1 drivers and performance coaches.
* **Benefits to Mercedes Team:**
* Mercedes drivers have reported improved sleep quality and recovery using Eight Sleep's products.
* The team is working to optimize their use of the technology to further enhance performance.
* **Formula 1's Growth in the US:**
* Formula 1's popularity in the US has grown significantly in recent years, driven by factors such as the Netflix series "Drive to Survive."
* This growth has benefited Eight Sleep as a US-based company and has increased awareness of their products.
* **Future Developments:**
* Eight Sleep plans to continue investing in research and development to improve its products and introduce new software and hardware features.
* The company aims to provide a holistic approach to sleep fitness and help individuals achieve better sleep.

**Conclusion:**

* Eight Sleep's partnership with the Mercedes Formula 1 Team showcases the convergence of consumer technology and Formula 1.
* The company's products are designed to enhance sleep quality and recovery, which is crucial for athletes and individuals seeking optimal performance.
* Eight Sleep's success highlights the growing importance of sleep fitness and the potential for technology to improve overall well-being.

[00:00.000 -> 00:24.040] Now in the world of Formula 1, how often have we seen a driver making a mistake and a commentator
[00:24.040 -> 00:27.100] calling them out and saying, well maybe they've woken up on the wrong
[00:27.100 -> 00:31.340] side of the bed. Well today we're on the Inside Line F1 podcast and Pitch the
[00:31.340 -> 00:35.100] Podium. We're gonna be talking to someone who's trying to change that completely
[00:35.100 -> 00:39.220] and trying to work on the element of sleep fitness and trying to understand
[00:39.220 -> 00:43.260] how exactly that can work and well the products that they've come up are simply
[00:43.260 -> 00:49.360] fantastic. They've tied up with Mercedes and you ought to know more about them so without any further ado let's actually begin
[00:51.280 -> 00:55.200] hey folks welcome back in my name is Somal Arora I'm the host of the driving force on
[00:55.200 -> 00:59.840] Disney plus hotstar joined by Kunal Shah the former marketing head of the force India F1 team
[00:59.840 -> 01:05.260] and Kunal leading up to this particular episode I was so excited because when trying to understand
[01:05.260 -> 01:06.700] what exactly our guests does
[01:06.700 -> 01:07.960] and what exactly their products do,
[01:07.960 -> 01:10.140] I was just so mesmerized because frankly,
[01:10.140 -> 01:11.300] if when you come to think of it,
[01:11.300 -> 01:12.560] it can have such a big impact,
[01:12.560 -> 01:15.060] but we never really talk about it at such a scale.
[01:17.160 -> 01:18.540] Yes, Samuel, thank you very much.
[01:18.540 -> 01:22.700] We never really get to talk about how important sleep is
[01:22.700 -> 01:25.220] in day-to-day life, let alone how important
[01:25.220 -> 01:29.680] sleep is when it comes to being a Formula One team member, right? So I
[01:29.680 -> 01:36.160] actually have, you know, a fantastic guest on the show. His name is Matteo. He's the
[01:36.160 -> 01:41.760] co-founder and CEO of 8 Sleep. They're a sleep fitness company based in
[01:41.760 -> 01:45.900] America and they are partners with the Mercedes Formula One team.
[01:45.900 -> 01:49.060] So, Matteo, thank you very much for making time.
[01:49.060 -> 01:52.940] We are so excited to hear more about you and your products.
[01:52.940 -> 01:56.160] And first and foremost, how well have you sleep tonight?
[01:57.780 -> 01:59.260] Thank you, thank you guys for having me.
[01:59.260 -> 02:00.980] Super excited to be here.
[02:00.980 -> 02:04.140] And I slept actually pretty well last night,
[02:04.140 -> 02:05.360] which is pretty
[02:05.360 -> 02:10.200] good. I'm traveling so I'm not sleeping on my product and usually when I'm not
[02:10.200 -> 02:15.000] sleeping on it, the quality is not the same but it was still decent enough.
[02:15.000 -> 02:21.000] What's really getting me so excited is the fact that as Kunal mentioned it's
[02:21.000 -> 02:24.080] such an important fact to sleep in the world of Formula One and when you think
[02:24.080 -> 02:27.000] about it right Formula One team members are always travelling at all times.
[02:27.000 -> 02:31.000] And with your products, it apparently kind of helps them out quite a fair bit.
[02:31.000 -> 02:35.000] So it just baffles me. Is that kind of the reverse of what we normally see in the world of F1,
[02:35.000 -> 02:40.000] where the technology on the track is normally brought to the road cars and to the world of consumers.
[02:40.000 -> 02:43.000] But now it's the other way around. So how does that actually work out?
[02:43.000 -> 02:47.000] How do the potproof covers actually end up working in the first place?
[02:47.000 -> 02:54.000] Yeah, it's true. It's a really good analogy and reference. It's probably one of the first
[02:54.000 -> 03:00.280] times that the technology developed outside Forma 1 is going to F1 to help them perform
[03:00.280 -> 03:05.640] better, which is pretty unique. But that is what is happening, right? And it's applying not just to F1,
[03:05.640 -> 03:09.080] but to all athletes or to any top performer.
[03:09.080 -> 03:12.680] But specifically here, we started working with Mercedes F1
[03:12.680 -> 03:15.000] and we wanna power the sleep of their team.
[03:15.000 -> 03:19.360] Hmm, and is the tech kind of F1 inspired in a way?
[03:19.360 -> 03:20.640] Because when you come to think of it,
[03:20.640 -> 03:23.440] the complexity of it seems much like that.
[03:23.440 -> 03:24.360] Yeah, absolutely.
[03:24.360 -> 03:27.520] I mean, when you think about the engineering and all the technology that
[03:27.520 -> 03:34.880] is behind our product, I would say that F1 is probably the closest proxy to what we do,
[03:34.880 -> 03:39.600] right? So there is a lot of hardware, there is a lot of engineering, there is a lot of other
[03:39.600 -> 03:46.320] components that have been specifically designed to maximize the performance of our product.
[03:46.320 -> 03:49.780] And so actually some of our engineers, they come from F1.
[03:49.780 -> 03:57.280] So we had a guy who used to work in F1, we have a guy who worked at Ferrari and Porsche,
[03:57.280 -> 04:01.400] and a bunch of our people are super Formula One fans, including myself.
[04:01.400 -> 04:02.400] Aha.
[04:02.400 -> 04:03.920] Now I want to stay on this for a second.
[04:03.920 -> 04:09.400] So how did the process of just coming up with the Potro covers come about because it's not the
[04:09.400 -> 04:13.280] most direct correlation isn't it because of course engineering is one common
[04:13.280 -> 04:17.280] background but designing race cars and then coming up to beds that's a big
[04:17.280 -> 04:20.160] shift. So how did you guys actually end up working on it because the whole
[04:20.160 -> 04:24.540] process seems so fascinating in the first place. Yeah and it was not easy at
[04:24.540 -> 04:25.560] the beginning.
[04:25.560 -> 04:26.880] So I came up with the idea
[04:26.880 -> 04:29.520] because I have always been an athlete
[04:29.520 -> 04:31.800] and I always wanted to recover faster
[04:33.240 -> 04:35.440] and maximize my sleep performance.
[04:35.440 -> 04:36.680] And so a couple of years ago,
[04:36.680 -> 04:39.400] I started looking at how I was spending a third of my life
[04:39.400 -> 04:41.640] and I say, why Elon Musk is taking me to Mars,
[04:41.640 -> 04:44.800] but I still spend a third of my life on a piece of dark foam.
[04:44.800 -> 04:48.280] Why there's no technology in a third of my life, right?
[04:48.280 -> 04:52.440] It's gonna be 30 years of my life invested on the bed.
[04:52.440 -> 04:53.960] And there is no technology there
[04:53.960 -> 04:56.240] enhancing my sleep performance.
[04:56.240 -> 05:00.040] And so that is when we came up with the idea,
[05:00.040 -> 05:01.160] my co-founders and I,
[05:01.160 -> 05:04.960] and we started building the first prototype in a garage.
[05:04.960 -> 05:07.260] That sounds so much fun.
[05:07.260 -> 05:09.020] But what sport did you used to play, Mateo?
[05:09.020 -> 05:10.900] And just how important did you find sleep
[05:10.900 -> 05:13.340] to be in your recovery and how did it kind of drive you
[05:13.340 -> 05:15.180] to make all the products that you have made?
[05:15.180 -> 05:16.540] Yeah, the main sport was tennis.
[05:16.540 -> 05:19.620] So when I was a teenager, I was playing tennis tournaments.
[05:19.620 -> 05:24.020] But then I have also done ski races and I raced with cars.
[05:24.020 -> 05:27.000] I still race with cars today, racing go-karts.
[05:27.000 -> 05:30.020] I did a couple of international races,
[05:30.020 -> 05:32.160] then I did a little bit of Formula 3,
[05:32.160 -> 05:33.280] just a couple of races.
[05:33.280 -> 05:36.500] I did European hill climbing, Italian hill climbing,
[05:36.500 -> 05:38.840] and the 12 hours of Abu Dhabi.
[05:38.840 -> 05:41.600] Hang on a moment, what haven't you done, Matteo?
[05:41.600 -> 05:43.600] That's the question I should have asked in the first place.
[05:43.600 -> 05:44.780] I know, man.
[05:44.780 -> 05:46.360] My wife always says, if you were not building it, What haven't you done, Matteo? That's the question I should have asked in the first place. I know, man.
[05:46.360 -> 05:49.080] My wife always says, if you were not building 8Sleep
[05:49.080 -> 05:51.240] and you had the magic stick, the only other thing
[05:51.240 -> 05:54.760] you would like to be is a Formula One driver.
[05:54.760 -> 05:57.560] Just to give you a sense of how much I like it.
[05:57.560 -> 05:59.360] So that kind of answers my next question
[05:59.360 -> 06:01.440] about how big of a fan you were.
[06:01.440 -> 06:04.080] And that just makes me ask another thing from you.
[06:04.080 -> 06:05.440] Because now, with 8Sleep, you're obviously taking on the role of leading a group of people and that just makes me ask another thing from you because now with H-League
[06:05.440 -> 06:09.520] you're obviously taking on the role of leading a group of people and driving them on. In
[06:09.520 -> 06:13.600] the world of Formula One which leader kind of inspires you per se if there's anyone who
[06:13.600 -> 06:17.240] does kind of teach you a few things in the world of F1 in terms of how to actually lead
[06:17.240 -> 06:18.240] a team?
[06:18.240 -> 06:23.640] Yeah, so I'll go to the two questions. So the first one I'm a crazy fan. My dad was
[06:23.640 -> 06:28.720] racing with cars as well. He has been two times Italian champion in hill climbing. And so
[06:28.720 -> 06:33.640] when I was a kid, I was spending the weekends on the on the places where we
[06:33.640 -> 06:39.240] were going racing. We were waking up at 4 a.m. to see Australia races, right? I
[06:39.240 -> 06:43.160] think Australia at the time was the last race of the season. And so we were waking
[06:43.160 -> 06:45.240] up at 4 a.m. It was cold at home.
[06:45.240 -> 06:46.440] We were putting a blanket,
[06:46.440 -> 06:49.000] staying in the couch and watching the race.
[06:49.000 -> 06:50.600] So I'm that type of guy.
[06:50.600 -> 06:52.120] It doesn't matter what time is the race,
[06:52.120 -> 06:53.520] I'll be up watching it.
[06:54.800 -> 06:56.200] In terms of leadership, yeah,
[06:56.200 -> 07:00.120] I think there is a lot of common points
[07:00.120 -> 07:04.560] between my role and the role of a team principal.
[07:04.560 -> 07:08.240] So there are a bunch that I respect, at least from outside.
[07:08.240 -> 07:10.560] The one that probably I know the best right now,
[07:10.560 -> 07:14.720] or I started knowing a little bit better is Toto.
[07:14.720 -> 07:17.680] But in general, from outside, I always like Toto worth a lot.
[07:17.680 -> 07:21.520] I think he has always been a great leader,
[07:21.520 -> 07:23.600] able to push the team to the next level.
[07:24.400 -> 07:29.760] I think probably he is the most successful in principle in history because they won a title
[07:29.760 -> 07:34.600] So I don't think Jean-Claude did a titles. I think he stopped at probably six or seven
[07:35.420 -> 07:37.660] So if that is the case it speaks for itself
[07:38.500 -> 07:44.720] Absolutely, but what is it about total that you love the most per se and have you got a chance to interact with him?
[07:44.720 -> 07:46.600] Probably share a few ideas as well?
[07:47.800 -> 07:49.740] We started knowing each other
[07:49.740 -> 07:52.500] since when we started becoming a Mercedes sponsor.
[07:53.700 -> 07:57.260] I also know Doug Brown a little bit.
[07:57.260 -> 07:59.520] But yeah, with Toto now we start having
[07:59.520 -> 08:03.660] a more professional relationship because of the sponsorship.
[08:03.660 -> 08:07.040] What I have always liked, again, mainly from outside,
[08:08.000 -> 08:12.040] is I mean, first, obviously, he built the team from scratch, right?
[08:13.080 -> 08:16.880] They went from from zero to become one of the most successful teams in history.
[08:17.080 -> 08:20.080] He was able to manage and use and Nico
[08:21.160 -> 08:24.440] when I guess the competition within the team was pretty
[08:25.600 -> 08:26.080] Uh, when, you know, I guess the competition within the team was pretty, uh,
[08:31.600 -> 08:35.240] peaceful and on the other side, I think you always find at least with media, the right balance between pushing the team, admitting what's working, what is now
[08:35.240 -> 08:38.000] working and, and being balanced.
[08:38.480 -> 08:43.120] Um, but again, I hope to have the chance to, to build a closer relationship with
[08:43.200 -> 08:44.600] the theme in the next year.
[08:44.600 -> 08:45.440] And, and at that point, uh, I hope to know him at to build a closer relationship with him in the next year.
[08:45.440 -> 08:51.080] And at that point, I hope to know him at a more personal level.
[08:51.080 -> 08:53.400] Now about Toto, right?
[08:53.400 -> 08:57.040] As you mentioned, he's so balanced at those elements and trying to map out and trying
[08:57.040 -> 09:00.440] to see what's the long run, the best thing that they can do for the team.
[09:00.440 -> 09:06.000] Now, it kind of fits in for you guys as well, because strategy is just such a major aspect
[09:06.000 -> 09:08.160] of also constructing a business like yours.
[09:08.160 -> 09:10.680] And only recently in the world of Formula One at Monaco,
[09:10.680 -> 09:13.720] we've seen how important that can be in a race with Ferrari,
[09:13.720 -> 09:15.280] of course, making their major errors.
[09:15.280 -> 09:18.440] But what learnings can you sort of derive in your role
[09:18.440 -> 09:20.680] from the world of Formula One in terms of strategy?
[09:20.680 -> 09:21.720] Couple of different things.
[09:21.720 -> 09:27.000] So first, in F1, like in our business, it's all about people.
[09:27.000 -> 09:29.040] First before even getting into strategy, right?
[09:29.040 -> 09:32.240] It's all about people, attracting the best engineers.
[09:32.240 -> 09:35.200] These are the 10 Xs of the company.
[09:35.200 -> 09:39.800] Second, in both worlds, you need to be very reactive.
[09:39.800 -> 09:49.280] Now, Mike Tyson says everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. And the same thing happens in startups and in Formula One.
[09:49.280 -> 09:53.360] You have seen the last race in Monaco, how things changed immediately.
[09:53.360 -> 09:55.320] And that applies to strategy.
[09:55.320 -> 10:01.280] And then strategy in general, I mean, again, you need to be able to immediately adjust
[10:01.280 -> 10:02.980] because your plans can change.
[10:02.980 -> 10:04.840] You can have a different type of information.
[10:04.840 -> 10:05.360] In that case, the weather can change, but for us, the your plans can change. You can have a different type of information in their case, the
[10:05.360 -> 10:08.440] weather can change, but for us, the market conditions can change.
[10:08.840 -> 10:13.240] We could raise more money or there could be a recession or a product is working
[10:13.240 -> 10:15.480] better than expected, or we have a new idea.
[10:15.920 -> 10:18.400] And so you need to have a North star.
[10:18.400 -> 10:22.200] So where you want to go for them is winning the title for us is, you know,
[10:22.280 -> 10:25.520] keep building the business at a certain rate of growth.
[10:25.520 -> 10:30.120] But in how you get there, that is where you need to be extremely agile.
[10:30.120 -> 10:34.920] Now, I can imagine it being so tricky at the start, right? And this is, I think, probably
[10:34.920 -> 10:38.320] the best test of your product per se. Were you able to sleep very well when the business
[10:38.320 -> 10:42.680] was going extremely tough? Because if you were, that kind of is like the ultimate advertisement,
[10:42.680 -> 10:43.680] isn't it?
[10:43.680 -> 10:49.280] I was still able to sleep reasonably well. obviously we had some tough days and at that
[10:49.280 -> 10:55.440] point my mind was racing and it was slightly harder to fall asleep but other than that
[10:56.080 -> 11:01.360] I sleep quite a lot and reasonably well. But it makes me ask another question right
[11:01.360 -> 11:07.420] now that you've entered sort of the world of Formula One with Mercedes and your partnership with them. Firstly why Formula One
[11:07.420 -> 11:12.100] specifically? We know that the tech can help out but there are other
[11:12.100 -> 11:14.600] sports as well so why did you particularly look at Formula One in the
[11:14.600 -> 11:19.380] first place and then why Mercedes? A couple of different reasons sir I think
[11:19.380 -> 11:24.000] the first one is a general principle always double down on your strength
[11:24.000 -> 11:29.600] meaning for me Formula One is a way closer sport than NFL or NBA. I grew up in Europe
[11:29.600 -> 11:32.940] I I know everything about for about what we could talk about now
[11:32.940 -> 11:39.040] sometimes I see replicas of the first win of Michael Schumacher in Barcelona 96 was the Ferrari and I
[11:39.160 -> 11:41.720] Just see a picture and I know is that race, right?
[11:42.440 -> 11:44.940] It's hard to beat me and knowledge in for one one
[11:42.600 -> 11:45.920] and I know it's that race, right? It's hard to beat me at knowledge in Formula 1.
[11:45.920 -> 11:48.480] Well, instead if I tried to do the same thing in NFL,
[11:48.480 -> 11:50.440] I wouldn't know anything.
[11:50.440 -> 11:52.440] Second, it's a global sport,
[11:52.440 -> 11:54.400] and we're becoming a global business.
[11:54.400 -> 11:58.360] We just launched UK, Canada, Europe, and Australia, right?
[11:58.360 -> 12:01.520] And so that is a perfect fit.
[12:01.520 -> 12:04.280] Third, Formula 1 is all about
[12:04.280 -> 12:07.120] building the best engineering, right? The best products is all perfect fit. Third, Formula One is all about building the best engineering, right?
[12:07.120 -> 12:13.480] The best products is all about technology, is about performance. And so is the perfect
[12:13.480 -> 12:18.680] match of the man and the machine, which is the same thing that happens for us, right?
[12:18.680 -> 12:23.080] There is a machine that is enhancing human performance at night. So we are doing the
[12:23.080 -> 12:26.780] same thing, just at a different time of the day.
[12:26.780 -> 12:29.900] And so if you merge your passion, global exposure,
[12:29.900 -> 12:33.180] and the man and the machine, it makes so much sense.
[12:33.180 -> 12:35.940] The reason why Mercedes is because I
[12:35.940 -> 12:41.140] think Mercedes is a brand that is premium,
[12:41.140 -> 12:44.660] but is not luxury, which is exactly what we are.
[12:44.660 -> 12:48.760] We are not a luxury brand like Ferrari could be,
[12:48.760 -> 12:50.440] but we're still premium.
[12:50.440 -> 12:52.520] And so they were the perfect partner
[12:52.520 -> 12:53.480] since from the beginning.
[12:53.480 -> 12:55.640] Then you added that they won eight titles
[12:55.640 -> 12:56.600] and we are eighth sleeve,
[12:56.600 -> 12:58.960] and then Ulysses fighting for the eighth title
[12:58.960 -> 13:02.200] and we are eighth sleeve, and then everything makes sense.
[13:02.200 -> 13:03.040] No, you're so right.
[13:03.040 -> 13:05.040] I was initially wondering about exactly that
[13:05.040 -> 13:07.040] because I thought the name was actually a play
[13:07.040 -> 13:08.800] on Mercedes's eighth title as well,
[13:08.800 -> 13:11.020] but it's worked out so wonderfully.
[13:11.020 -> 13:12.560] And with Mercedes as well,
[13:12.560 -> 13:14.980] I just want to know more about how exactly
[13:14.980 -> 13:16.680] your technology has helped Mercedes,
[13:16.680 -> 13:18.320] because I mean, when you come to think of it,
[13:18.320 -> 13:19.320] it seems so logical.
[13:19.320 -> 13:20.640] Formula One teams and drivers,
[13:20.640 -> 13:22.200] and also the staff and crew,
[13:22.200 -> 13:24.800] they're traveling for so much of the entire year,
[13:24.800 -> 13:27.320] and to have the products like you do, I mean it really must
[13:27.320 -> 13:31.040] enhance their performance but have the team reported any significant benefits
[13:31.040 -> 13:34.680] and gains back to you since the partnership has begun? Yeah I was talking
[13:34.680 -> 13:40.920] even with George last weekend, he's sleeping on the product he likes, he's
[13:40.920 -> 13:45.360] using also other wearables and all the other wearables have shown an
[13:45.360 -> 13:52.000] improvement in his recovery and HR. And so now there are a lot of performance
[13:52.000 -> 13:56.320] coaches in F1 that are talking to us because a lot of Formula One drivers are
[13:56.320 -> 14:02.400] adopting the product. So you will see a lot of them sleeping on the
[14:02.400 -> 14:28.760] eight sleep soon or they are already doing it. are going for them? Because it must be really hard to see a team that you're partnering up with just unfortunately end up in the situation that they are in. But how confident are you
[14:28.760 -> 14:31.600] of them getting back to where they used to be in the past?
[14:31.600 -> 14:36.920] I mean, look, so first of all, George is the only driver who finished in the first five
[14:36.920 -> 14:42.720] positions since the beginning of the season. Obviously, they didn't win yet. If you look
[14:42.720 -> 14:47.600] at the pace in Barcelona, I mean, it was a really good pace, probably T3.
[14:47.600 -> 14:49.240] So the third part of the track was
[14:49.240 -> 14:52.200] where they were struggling the most, which was the slowest.
[14:52.200 -> 14:54.200] And so it explains Monaco.
[14:54.200 -> 14:57.560] But Lluis went from last to really fourth
[14:57.560 -> 15:01.120] until when he gave up the position to Carlos
[15:01.120 -> 15:02.320] without a safety car.
[15:02.320 -> 15:06.240] So the race pace in Barcelona was incredibly good.
[15:06.240 -> 15:08.280] I know they are working on their purposing
[15:08.280 -> 15:11.480] and so I hope they are coming back.
[15:11.480 -> 15:15.240] Yeah, and it seems like they are going to eventually
[15:15.240 -> 15:16.960] with the way things are playing out.
[15:16.960 -> 15:19.960] And I just have such a big curiosity now
[15:19.960 -> 15:21.720] about your interest in Formula One
[15:21.720 -> 15:22.600] in the first place, Matteo,
[15:22.600 -> 15:24.000] because I don't even mention
[15:24.000 -> 15:25.560] how deeply you follow the sport.
[15:25.560 -> 15:27.280] It just kind of wants me,
[15:27.280 -> 15:30.040] I kind of want to know more on how you started out
[15:30.040 -> 15:31.760] in the first place, just how did you get to know it?
[15:31.760 -> 15:33.440] And did you actually, I mean,
[15:33.440 -> 15:35.080] what was the experience like of racing a race
[15:35.080 -> 15:35.960] for the first time?
[15:35.960 -> 15:37.680] Did you, have you done it recently as well?
[15:37.680 -> 15:39.820] Did you go to Miami, for instance?
[15:39.820 -> 15:41.760] I went to Miami and I went to Monaco.
[15:41.760 -> 15:42.960] I went to both of them.
[15:44.240 -> 15:45.600] It was really unique even
[15:45.600 -> 15:50.900] because obviously now, obviously as a sponsor you have unique access, right? So
[15:50.900 -> 15:57.440] I met the drivers, I met Toto, I went in the garage, I touched the seat of Uwe's, I
[15:57.440 -> 16:03.500] touched the steering wheel, they explained to me all the technical details, I saw the
[16:03.500 -> 16:06.000] power unit on the screen of you as well
[16:06.000 -> 16:09.960] as was racing. I mean you see incredible things and if you're passionate is
[16:09.960 -> 16:15.600] insane to see what happens there. I would say the most surprising thing is when
[16:15.600 -> 16:20.720] you are on the inside, let's say qualifying right, if you watch qualifying
[16:20.720 -> 16:26.880] on TV obviously the 10 minutes in between now the Q1, Q2 and the Q3.
[16:26.880 -> 16:29.320] And so there are kind of, you know, some time off.
[16:29.320 -> 16:33.200] Well, instead, when you are in the garage, everything is hectic.
[16:33.200 -> 16:34.200] It keeps going.
[16:34.200 -> 16:37.840] There is something that is happening at any point with these 20, 30 people in each side
[16:37.840 -> 16:40.240] of the garage doing something.
[16:40.240 -> 16:50.040] And the other thing that surprised me was then how small the paddock is. And so there are these teams fighting each other in a fearful way, and they are
[16:50.040 -> 16:52.380] really traveling the world altogether.
[16:52.380 -> 16:56.440] And then they have their motorhomes one next to each other in a matter of 200
[16:56.440 -> 16:56.960] meters.
[16:57.300 -> 17:02.240] And so sometimes when the race ends, you can hear the others celebrating, but you
[17:02.240 -> 17:04.360] are also hearing the others that lost.
[17:04.860 -> 17:07.960] And so it's crazy, it's so small
[17:07.960 -> 17:11.360] and everything is there playing for victory.
[17:11.360 -> 17:13.600] It's such a fun experience to be right there
[17:13.600 -> 17:15.440] and to experience it in person.
[17:15.440 -> 17:17.800] I just can't quite imagine what it must be like
[17:17.800 -> 17:19.320] to be in Monaco in that case.
[17:19.320 -> 17:21.960] But now I've got to ask you more about
[17:21.960 -> 17:23.120] America in Formula One,
[17:23.120 -> 17:25.920] because you of course are primarily based in the US
[17:25.920 -> 17:27.800] with the craze over there exploding.
[17:27.800 -> 17:29.120] It all makes sense, doesn't it?
[17:29.120 -> 17:32.020] Have you seen a lot of people come to your products
[17:32.020 -> 17:33.480] through the world of Formula One as well?
[17:33.480 -> 17:34.520] Have they kind of recognized that,
[17:34.520 -> 17:36.400] oh, well, this is something that we can kind of bring
[17:36.400 -> 17:38.600] into our own personal lives?
[17:38.600 -> 17:41.240] Yeah, I mean, Formula One is growing
[17:41.240 -> 17:43.200] really, really fast in the US.
[17:43.200 -> 17:46.980] I remember when I moved to the US 11 years ago and almost no one
[17:46.980 -> 17:48.440] knew anything about for mobile.
[17:49.080 -> 17:54.000] Um, and so at that point, yeah, I just kept watching it because I was passionate,
[17:54.000 -> 17:58.240] but I was not sharing much with anyone, but instead I think drive to survive
[17:58.480 -> 18:00.720] the show on Netflix changed everything.
[18:01.080 -> 18:05.460] And now, and I tell people, Oh, now we are a sponsor of Mercedes F1 they
[18:05.460 -> 18:09.840] just like go crazy because now they just started not only F1 that friends are
[18:09.840 -> 18:15.080] following F1 and so it's something that is really good for us as a brand because
[18:15.080 -> 18:19.160] it elevates the brand and at the same at times I always like to be a bit
[18:19.160 -> 18:24.240] contrarian there's almost no other startups really working with F1 we have
[18:24.240 -> 18:29.500] there are some crypto companies but but definitely not in our world, definitely not in the wearable space.
[18:29.500 -> 18:36.500] And so we took a bet in a different way from what everyone else is doing and hopefully it will pay off.
[18:36.500 -> 18:38.000] It's a very unique partnership.
[18:38.000 -> 18:48.160] You know, usually we are used to seeing, like you said, there are cryptocurrencies and there are the typical automobile partners and the likes. And I can tell you when I was working at the Force India Formula One team,
[18:48.160 -> 18:51.520] one part of my role was to bring in sponsors, right?
[18:51.520 -> 18:53.760] But at that time, there were no wearable companies.
[18:53.760 -> 18:57.520] There were no companies looking at things like human performances.
[18:57.520 -> 19:03.200] And how was that experience for you when you sort of started to have the conversation
[19:03.200 -> 19:04.480] with Mercedes in the first place?
[19:04.480 -> 19:07.880] Because I know these sponsorships don't come cheap, Matteo.
[19:09.360 -> 19:12.480] Yeah, I think we were the right guys at the right time.
[19:12.920 -> 19:21.000] Right. And so it was probably a moment where Mercedes was ready to start having even smaller partners.
[19:21.040 -> 19:22.280] Obviously, they have big partners.
[19:22.280 -> 19:24.040] They have HP, they have Marriott.
[19:24.440 -> 19:25.200] You know, they have big partners they have HP they have Marriott you know they have
[19:25.200 -> 19:31.360] the big guys but I think they were at the point where probably after crypto they started understanding
[19:31.360 -> 19:37.520] the startup world more and they were open to take some of these companies as sponsors and so they
[19:37.520 -> 19:43.360] were able to create a package for us that was affordable and probably way more affordable than
[19:43.360 -> 19:45.000] what people might think.
[19:45.000 -> 19:49.000] And that brings me to the last point, which is,
[19:49.000 -> 19:54.000] there's this whole talk about Liberty Media and how they have done so well for Formula One
[19:54.000 -> 20:00.000] and that's helped the teams. But I'm guessing that also sort of indirectly rubs off
[20:00.000 -> 20:06.640] onto all the sponsors that are working within Formula One, because there is that much more of a conversation,
[20:06.640 -> 20:08.560] that much more of exposure.
[20:08.560 -> 20:11.200] Now, considering the fact that there are going to be
[20:11.200 -> 20:15.360] three races in America from next year and so on,
[20:15.360 -> 20:20.960] are you also seeing an impact on your sponsorship measurement
[20:20.960 -> 20:23.440] when it comes to the partnership you have with Mercedes?
[20:24.880 -> 20:34.400] Yeah, I think it's massive, right? So the whole bet for us is a long-term bet. If you look at the growth, exponential growth of Formula 1 in the US in the past two years,
[20:34.400 -> 20:49.600] it went from substantially nothing to being one of the fastest growing sports. And so that is our bet. At the end of the day, the US market is our biggest market there was Austin and Austin grew really fast now Miami was in Miami was one of the craziest GP
[20:49.640 -> 21:06.600] let you can think of and this is saved by the people that see every GP in formal one and i was there is still Mexico and there is still Montreal in Canada.
[21:06.600 -> 21:11.040] So the whole North America will become five races.
[21:12.440 -> 21:17.440] And I think Liberty Media is really bringing back
[21:17.440 -> 21:19.260] the best of Formula One.
[21:19.260 -> 21:22.120] They are making a great show out of that.
[21:22.120 -> 21:24.120] They are able to attract a lot of celebrities,
[21:24.120 -> 21:25.440] a lot of attention.
[21:25.440 -> 21:30.560] And I think just in Austin last year, if I remember correctly, something like 300,000 people
[21:30.560 -> 21:36.160] went to see the GP and that was bigger than what happens for the Super Bowl.
[21:36.960 -> 21:43.360] 22 Super Bowls, that's their target. But, you know, finally, I tell you, I use the Pod Pro cover.
[21:43.360 -> 21:45.280] I absolutely love it. I can see how my daughter sleeps well with it. tell you, I use the Pod Pro cover. I absolutely love it.
[21:45.280 -> 21:47.800] I can see how my daughter sleeps well with it.
[21:48.720 -> 21:50.920] And you, of course, have the Pod Pro mattress as well.
[21:50.920 -> 21:54.160] But from a tech standpoint,
[21:54.160 -> 21:57.280] are there any products that one could look forward to
[21:57.280 -> 22:00.320] from 8Sleep in the near future?
[22:00.320 -> 22:02.600] Yeah, I mean, we invest in R&D very heavily.
[22:03.600 -> 22:14.740] And so you will see, of the new new order products you will see new software products but that will be part of what we will keep doing for the next twenty years right you can think of the power like an iphone.
[22:15.080 -> 22:22.120] And so our goal is to keep improving i'm almost every year and shipping new device that have you.
[22:27.440 -> 22:31.320] device that have new sensors and has better cooling and heating properties to improve your sleep. At the end of the day our core technology is the ability
[22:31.320 -> 22:36.400] to heat and cool you at night to help you get more deep sleep and better sleep
[22:36.400 -> 22:42.980] in general. Our customers they report 37% better sleep on average, 10% more deep
[22:42.980 -> 22:48.560] sleep, 20% less toss and turns, and it follows a 20 percent faster.
[22:48.760 -> 22:50.960] And so instead of taking a sleep
[22:51.160 -> 22:55.600] medication, you just use our product is something completely healthy that you can
[22:55.800 -> 22:58.080] use every single night and you will get better sleep.
[22:58.280 -> 22:59.640] But that sounds fantastic.
[22:59.840 -> 23:02.200] I can vouch for the quality of sleep that I get.
[23:02.400 -> 23:03.480] And I like that.
[23:03.680 -> 23:05.480] You know, I like the comparison you made
[23:05.480 -> 23:07.160] that instead of taking sleep medication,
[23:07.160 -> 23:08.760] you'd rather use a product like this,
[23:08.760 -> 23:11.000] which it's probably better
[23:11.000 -> 23:13.040] just popping those pills inside you.
[23:13.040 -> 23:14.100] But thank you so much.
[23:14.100 -> 23:17.680] It's so lovely to have had this perspective, you know,
[23:17.680 -> 23:21.980] when I first got to know there's a sleep fitness company,
[23:21.980 -> 23:23.220] I said, I have to know more.
[23:23.220 -> 23:27.600] So thank you for sharing all you did, Matteo. It's great. It's even greater
[23:27.600 -> 23:35.480] that you you're a big Formula One fan. You've driven racing cars yourself. And you know we'd love to have you just talking
[23:35.480 -> 23:44.280] Formula One at some later point in the season. I will love that. I like to do two things. I like my job and I like Formula One.
[23:48.240 -> 23:49.480] I like to do two things. I like my job and I like Formula One. Those are the two things I spend my time on.
[23:56.480 -> 24:04.720] Perfect, Matteo. Thank you once again. Have a lovely season ahead. It's going to be an interesting one. I think Mercedes' recovery is going to be the central focus for everybody. And we'll definitely catch up once again with you as the season
[24:04.720 -> 24:05.280] progresses because we know it's going to be a long one. And we'll definitely catch up once again with you as the season progresses,
[24:05.280 -> 24:07.480] because we know it's going to be a long one.
[24:07.480 -> None] Arjun, thank you so much for having me. you