The clinical protocol for T2D remission is known; the primary barrier to its success, and the point of failure for most lifestyle interventions, is long-term human adherence. The venture's most profound and defensible competitive advantage will be a system meticulously designed to overcome this barrier. By embedding principles from behavioral economics, pioneered by researchers like Dan Ariely and Kristen Berman, into every aspect of the patient experience, ThriveAB will create a powerful "behavioral moat" that drives superior adherence, fosters a loyal community, and unlocks long-term patient value.
The 3B Framework for Behavioral Change
The ThriveAB digital companion app will be guided by best-in-class health apps that leverage behavioral science, built upon Kristen Berman's "3B Framework" for behavior change:
Define the Behavior
The app eschews vague goals like "eat healthier" in favor of hyper-specific, achievable weekly actions. For a patient in the TDR phase, the key behavior might be: "Consume all four meal replacement shakes and complete a 20-minute walk on at least five days this week." This removes ambiguity and provides a clear target.
Reduce Barriers
The app systematically identifies and eliminates friction points that lead to non-adherence. This includes logistical barriers (one-click re-ordering of meal replacements, automated scheduling of appointments) and cognitive barriers (visual "what to do next" prompts, a library of quick, approved recipes for the Food Reintroduction phase).
Amplify Benefits
Humans prioritize immediate rewards over distant future benefits (present bias). The app creates immediate, tangible feedback loops: visually compelling progress charts showing daily weight loss, digital badges for completing a full week on the protocol, and celebratory notifications when a medication dose is reduced or eliminated.
Architecting the Digital Companion
The ThriveAB app will be more than a simple food and activity tracker; it will be an intelligent, persuasive coach and a central hub for the patient's journey. Its design will be guided by best-in-class health apps that leverage behavioral science, such as Fabulous and Wellth.
- Hyper-specific weekly behavior targets that adapt to the patient's current phase
- Automated barrier removal (one-click ordering, scheduling, decision reduction)
- Immediate feedback and reward systems (badges, streaks, medication milestones)
- Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) integration for real-time metabolic feedback
- Personalized nutrition coaching and recipe libraries
- ThrivePod community integration for peer support and accountability
The ThrivePod System: Leveraging Social Influence
The cornerstone of ThriveAB's social strategy is the "ThrivePod" system. Upon enrollment, each patient will be placed into a small, curated group of 4-6 peers who are starting the journey at the same time. This pod becomes the primary unit for social support and accountability, both in-person and within the app.
Pod
The Pod Pledge (Behavioral Contract)
At the first group session, each pod will participate in a facilitated exercise to create a "Pod Pledge." This is a formal behavioral contract where members explicitly commit not only to their own goals but also to supporting their pod-mates through the intensive 12-week phase. This act of public commitment dramatically increases the psychological cost of quitting.
Shared Streaks and Collective Goals (Gamification)
The app will track not only individual progress but also the pod's collective success. The pod will have a "streak" for the number of consecutive days that all members have successfully logged their adherence. Achieving collective milestones (e.g., a combined 50kg of weight loss) will unlock group rewards or recognition. This transforms the individual struggle into a team sport, leveraging our innate desire not to let our teammates down.
Social Proof and Normalization
The group sessions and in-app pod discussions will create a powerful environment of social proof. Seeing peers successfully navigate the challenges of the TDR phase normalizes the experience and reinforces the belief that success is achievable. Patient testimonials and success stories will be prominently featured, demonstrating that remission is a realistic outcome for people "just like them."
This system of engineered social support is designed to create the "cult following" envisioned as required for scalable success. It builds deep, authentic bonds between participants, fostering a loyal community that provides intrinsic motivation far more powerful than any simple reminder or notification.
The Path to 'Health Partner': Long-Term Value Creation
Insurance Partnerships for Preferential Rates
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates with demonstrably improved health metrics (sustained low A1c, weight loss, reduced medications) represent significantly lower risk to insurers. ThriveAB will forge strategic partnerships with forward-thinking insurance carriers, such as Sun Life, which already offers products like "Term Insurance for Diabetes" and a "Diabetes Care Program."
- ThriveAB provides validated outcome data to insurers, proving the risk-reduction of its graduates
- The insurer offers graduates access to exclusive or preferential health insurance products
- This creates a powerful, tangible financial incentive for patients to complete and maintain the program
- Also provides a unique B2B channel for corporate partners seeking to lower group benefit premiums
The ThriveAB+ Patient Cooperative
To foster long-term engagement and community, the premium "ThriveAB+" maintenance program will be structured as a patient-owned cooperative. This moves beyond a simple subscription service to a model where graduates become member-owners of their continued care platform.
- Legal Structure: Operating under Alberta's Cooperatives Act, democratically controlled by patient members ("one member, one vote")
- Member Benefits: Annual fee provides access to premium digital tools, ongoing coaching, community support, and governance voice
- Patronage Returns: Surplus generated can be reinvested into better services or distributed back to members proportional to their use
- Buying Power: Cooperative model enables leveraged group purchasing for supplements, equipment, and services
This cooperative model creates the ultimate "cult following" by transforming patients from passive consumers into active owners and partners in their long-term health journey. It fosters a level of loyalty, engagement, and community that a traditional service-for-fee model cannot replicate, creating a powerful and sustainable competitive advantage. The combination of tangible financial rewards through insurance partnerships and deep, ownership-based community solidifies the venture's long-term value proposition.
ThriveAB's strategic moat is not the clinical protocol (DiRECT is publicly available) — it is the how: a proprietary behavioral economics platform, a community-powered ThrivePod system, insurance partnerships that reward success, and a cooperative structure that transforms patients into stakeholders. This multi-layered moat creates compounding switching costs that deepen with every month of membership.