Operator Notes on Making Longevity Real

Writing this from Beijing after HYROX. A short reflection on how longevity becomes real — through diagnostics, performance & recovery, and even skin. The three ways people actually experience it.

👋🏼 Hi, I’m Shantanu — I run Xandro Lab, a longevity brand in Singapore. Every Sunday I write a note — reflections from building, traveling, and figuring out the messy world of health, performance, and aging.

I’m writing this week’s note from Beijing. It’s my first time here, and I came for HYROX — a race that combines running with functional fitness. We did a mixed doubles format, and our little crew from Singapore showed up strong. Seven of us, dripping sweat, grinding through an 8K run and 8 stations — sled pushes, wall balls, burpees. Treacherous while you’re in it, but at the end, you walk away with this odd mix of exhaustion and achievement.

And Beijing? I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be crowded, overwhelming, hyper-tech. But it feels surprisingly open, spacious, even homely. The malls are confusing to navigate, but the people are warm — every time I got stuck, someone went out of their way to help me. Architecturally, parts of it remind me of Japan (a bit of Sapporo) and Seoul, but with its own character. This trip was a test run — I’ll be spending more time in China soon, and this was the start of that journey.

Now, onto this week’s reflection. A shorter one, but an important one.

In this note:

1. Why longevity feels abstract

2. Diagnostics & bioinformatics: measuring what matters

3. Performance & recovery: making it felt

4. Skin: the visible marker

5. Closing notes from Beijing

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1. Why Longevity Feels Abstract

When we started building Xandro, the word “longevity” felt powerful. Live longer. Extend healthspan. Push back aging.

But most people don’t connect with that. Not really!

• A 30-year-old doesn’t worry about healthspan. They’re still enjoying life — five hours of sleep, alcohol, parties, overtraining, no recovery.

• A 40-year-old doesn’t think in decades. They believe they’re still doing fine. (Arguably the most cynical age group.)

• At 50, “20 years from now” still feels distant, though curiosity about interventions begins.

The fact is: people live in days, not decades.