Answers to the questions that actually come up.
If yours isn't here, reply to any OPTIMIZE email — I read them. If enough people ask the same thing, it lands here next week.
Can this replace my doctor?
No — and it shouldn't. OPTIMIZE generates the protocol. Your doctor orders the labs and writes any prescriptions. The product sits upstream of the clinic, not on top of it. Zone 3 interventions are labeled “discuss with a clinician” for a reason.
Which domains are covered?
Six: sleep, cognition, body composition, longevity, testosterone, and diet. Each one is covered because the literature is dense enough to write deterministic rules over without faking it. New domains land when the evidence base for them passes that bar. All existing owners get them free.
Will my protocol ever change on its own?
Only when the rules change, which happens when the underlying literature changes or when a user flags something that's out of date. When it does change, you get an email within a day. Your old protocol stays readable; the updated one is shown alongside it.
Is it safe to act on the Zone 2 list without talking to my doctor?
Zone 2 items are OTC compounds, dietary levers, and lifestyle interventions — things that are legal to self-administer at the dosing we cite, and that are generally recognized as safe for healthy adults. That said: if you're on prescription meds, pregnant, trying to conceive, or have a chronic condition, run the list by your primary care doctor first. The Doctor's Kit PDF is formatted to make that 10-minute conversation easy.
What about interactions with medications I already take?
Your pharmacist is the right source for this. They have your full med list, they run interaction checks for free when you pick up a prescription, and they're licensed to take responsibility for what they tell you. Bring the protocol's Zone 2 list with you when you refill and ask them to run the check.
What are the red flags that halt a protocol?
Conditions where self-directed optimization is inappropriate without a workup: current prostate cancer, current breast cancer, untreated polycythemia, active liver disease, blood-clot history, pregnancy, and being under 18 (there are others per domain). Checking any red flag on intake routes you directly to the Zone 3 / clinician content with an in-protocol warning banner.
Does OPTIMIZE diagnose anything?
No. The product identifies measurement gaps and intervention options. It does not assign diagnoses. The words “you have” never appear in a protocol output.
What happens in an Analysis?
60 minutes on video with Elon. You bring your intake answers, your current protocol, and any bloodwork you have. We read your data with you, flag what looks like signal vs. noise, and point to the evidence behind the interventions that matched your intake. We don't tell you what to take. Your next move is yours.
How is this different from what my doctor does?
Your doctor writes prescriptions and orders labs. We don't do either. The value in an Analysis is interpretation — which of the items on your protocol are actually worth starting, which Zone 3 options are genuinely on the table for you, and what the evidence strength looks like behind each. Think of it as a second opinion on framing, not on treatment.
Why only 8 Analyses a month?
Because that's the cap we can do well. It's a hard ceiling — when a month fills, the booking page shows “month is full” and the next month opens on the first. Scarcity is a feature here. When the product scales past the cap, we'll expand the cap rather than compromise the depth of an Analysis.
How is my data handled?
Your intake answers and biomarker logs stay in your account. You can delete them at any time. The full details live on the privacy page.
Can I delete my account?
Yes, any time. Email support@protocols.is and the data is gone within 30 days. If you're deleting because something went sideways, reply and tell us what — we'll fix it if it's fixable.
What's the refund policy?
Seven days, no questions. Email support@protocols.is. If you bought a 6-pack of Analyses and used some of them, the unused ones are refundable within 30 days of purchase; Analyses already completed are not.
How does pricing work?
$147 per year, billed as an auto-renewing subscription. One price covers the full product, every domain that ships while you're subscribed, all updates, and the protocols.is community. Cancel anytime from your dashboard — you keep access through the end of the paid period.
If the subscription lapses, product features pause and community access stops. Your tracked data stays recoverable on return for at least 12 months.
Evolutionary Analysis with Elon is a separate, optional booking ($297 for one 60-minute session, $1,200 for six). Self-guided use is the default; the Analysis is always optional.
What if I want to gift a copy?
Once pricing is live, a gift flow goes in the dashboard. For now, just send someone the URL — it's free.