Yesterday, the telehealth startup Ro launched a new product line called Rory for menopausal women.
Rory, which will offer 6 separate products to treat 4 separate conditions, joins Ro’s other product lines Roman and Zero in a growing, convenience-focused telehealth business.
A series of priceless pivots
Ro started out in 2017 as a company called Roman, offering erectile dysfunction medication on demand.
Then, last September, the company raised $88m and launched a new line of products called Zero designed to help consumers quit smoking. At the launch of Zero, the company also changed its name to “Ro” — because, you know, cigs don’t discriminate.
The name change seemed a little unnecessary at the time — but now that the company is going after menopausal women, it’s all starting to make sense.
The 2 different directions of Hims and Ro
Ro’s original service, Roman, competed directly with other direct-to-consumer ED products offered by companies like Hims.
But while Hims chose to double down on its Him-ness with products designed specifically for men (hair-loss, skin care, oral care, etc.), Roman decided to do the opposite — and drop its man-focus.
Now, Ro prioritizes convenience over cohesion: The company uses the same business model — convenient, stigma-free on-demand delivery — to target 3 totally different demographic groups with telehealth products.