Why YOUTHWATER Had to Pivot to Stay True to Its Vision

YOUTHWATER started with a bold mission: to reinvent how we think about aging. As longevity fanatics, we’re obsessed with optimizing the way we age, but only believe in doing it naturally and intentionally.

So, Why NAD+?

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every cell of your body—and it’s essential for life. It plays a key role in energy production, DNA repair, cognitive function, and maintaining healthy cellular metabolism.

Here’s the kicker:
Your NAD+ levels decline dramatically with age—by as much as 50% by the time you’re 40.

That decline is linked to everything from fatigue and brain fog to decreased muscle function and slower recovery. In short, less NAD+ = faster aging.

When I first experienced NAD+ IV therapy, it felt like a breakthrough. My energy skyrocketed, sleep improved, I felt stronger, and my focus sharpened. The downside? Each session cost over $500. At this price point it's a service that's difficult to justify for the general public, no matter how beneficial it is.

So I searched for alternatives and discovered NAD+ precursors like Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN)—compounds shown to support the body’s own NAD+ production.

But there was one big problem: I hate taking pills.

Even though I care deeply about my health, I’ve never stuck with a capsule routine for more than a month. Pills are boring, tasteless, and easy to forget. Personally, I consume nutrients/supplements exclusively through smoothies, shakes, or infused in my water—so the idea was born:

Create the first NAD+-enhancing flavored beverage.

When we launched the original YOUTHWATER, I was (and still am) extremely proud of the product. It tasted great, looked beautiful, and delivered the right ingredients. I thought we had hit a home run because it was the perfect product for my needs, and also was a hit with our consumers. But as a business, it was going to be difficult.

The beverage industry has brutal unit economics because unless you’re producing hundreds of thousands of bottles, the costs can be extremely high. I made the classic mistake of waiting for growth to fix our margins. That meant our customers were stuck paying $4 per bottle ($48 for a 12-pack), which made daily use—and meaningful NAD+ impact—unrealistic for many.

To raise NAD+ levels meaningfully, you need to use YOUTHWATER consistently:

• 1 bottle a day = ~30% increase in NAD+ in a month

• 2 bottles a day = same increase in just two weeks

That’s a lot to ask financially, even for something that works.

So I faced a tough decision:
Keep funding growth from my own pocket in hopes of hitting scale, or pivot now to create a more accessible product and make growth sustainable.

We had always planned to launch a powdered version eventually. After running the numbers, it became obvious:

Manufacturing one jar with 30 servings is way more affordable than manufacturing 30 separate bottled beverages.

By switching to powder, we could drop the cost of each serving to under $2—while improving the formula.

That’s when we made the call. As much as I loved the bottles, we had to let them go.

We pivoted to a powdered version of YOUTHWATER that’s easier to use daily, easier to travel with, and far more cost-effective. Even better, the new format gave us room to pack in more electrolytes for optimal hydration alongside NAD+ support. We stayed true to our core formula, and decided to improve the form factor.

We’re launching this new chapter in May, and we couldn't be more excited. Our mission remains the same:

Make natural longevity accessible—without compromise.

We’re stepping out of the beverage aisle and into something better:

A format that supports your lifestyle, your wallet, and your well-being.

We are now looking at launching this new product in May, stepping into a new chapter of bringing natural longevity to the masses without compromising on ingredients, leaving the beverage world behind and embracing powders as the best product we could create.