How the Loss of a Parent Sparked a Death Tech Revolution | Rachel Edwards

Thinking About Death Forces You to Think About Life In this episode, Rachel Edwards, death tech founder and former JP Morgan professional, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about building a consumer-facing aftercare and logistics platform after her father died without a plan, why distribution is the hardest problem in death tech, and what it takes to be a female founder in a space most investors still call niche. CHAPTERS 0:00 Thinking About Death Forces You to Think About Life 1:12 Welcome and how Rachel got into death tech after her father's death 2:35 What the death conversation looked like in her family: none 4:54 From fashion to JP Morgan to founding in death tech 7:43 What Rachel is building: a consumer layer for aftercare logistics 9:56 Why distribution is the hardest problem in death care 13:17 Why funeral homes are protective of their relationships and slow to adopt tech 17:09 The 126 billion dollar death tech industry and why it is not niche 19:51 What triggers someone to finally take action on end of life planning 22:10 The intention action gap and why even motivated people stall 24:29 Why 30 and 40 year olds are easier to talk to about death than 80 year olds 28:12 Lessons from building in a mission-driven space as a female founder 33:06 Rachel's takeaways and where to find her WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - Why aftercare and post-death logistics are still largely unmanaged by technology and what that costs grieving families in time, money, and stress - Why distribution is the structural bottleneck in death tech and how funeral homes are beginning to shift - What the intention action gap is and which life events actually push people to take end of life action - Why younger adults are sometimes easier to engage on death planning than people in their 70s and 80s - What female founders in death tech face from investors and how to use being underestimated as fuel Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ Download the My Final Playbook app: Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Apple App Store: [link coming soon] #deathandyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #digitallegacypodcast #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: The Death and Dying in the Digital Age channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.