Enhancing Empathy through Technology

After losing several family members, entrepreneur Daniel Shaw devoted himself to building a business that could better meet the practical and emotional needs of bereaved people.

Daniel led a lunchtime conversation at End Well 2023 in Los Angeles.

EW: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Daniel Shaw: I’m the co-founder and CEO of Autumn, an end-of-life marketplace that connects bereaved communities with local service providers who can help them manage life after loss.

We offer free guides, tools, and trusted experts to help surviving families navigate the legal, financial, emotional, and logistical challenges that accompany death.

Our goal is to make loss more livable.

EW: Was there a defining moment that inspired you to address end-of-life experiences openly?

Daniel Shaw: Over the last 10 years, I lost many of my closest family members.

Each time, I watched smart, capable people spring into action in the most disorganized way possible. Coming from the technology world, I looked online for something that could help manage the process, but I was surprised by how little I found.

The few businesses that did exist felt pandering, unnecessarily verbose, and difficult to use. I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t a trusted consumer brand offering empathetic technology to help people manage loss.

I decided to do something about it. Since 2021, I have devoted my life to building an enduring business that effectively addresses the needs of bereaved people.

EW: How does your professional background intersect with your work around the end of life and grief?

Daniel Shaw: Before founding Autumn, I spent 15 years building digital products, experiences, and campaigns for Fortune 500 companies in the creative marketing and advertising industry.

That work may seem far removed from the end-of-life field. But as the child of two psychoanalysts, and someone who benefited from 15 years of analysis, my interest in mental health made me keenly aware of the consumer psyche.

It makes sense that my professional path would eventually intersect with personal loss and focus my attention on building a startup that supports bereaved people in a holistic, multidisciplinary way.

EW: What societal norm or belief about death and dying most needs to be challenged or redefined?

Daniel Shaw: I often compare the deathcare industry to the diamond industry.

Eighty years ago, a De Beers advertising campaign convinced Americans that the only way to demonstrate love was through an excessively expensive diamond ring. The deathcare industry has shaped our expectations in a similar way. Over the last century, Americans have been conditioned to believe there is only one acceptable way to die.

I’m passionate about reducing information asymmetry so we can challenge that belief and help bereaved consumers make more varied, healthy, and equitable purchasing decisions.

We should all be able to manage death with the same agency we bring to the rest of life.

EW: Why are you attending End Well 2023?

Daniel Shaw: I’m always looking to learn from end-of-life professionals, and there is no better place to meet like-minded, mission-driven people than End Well.

Improving the end-of-life experience requires progressive thinkers to share their ideas publicly and work together. End Well’s symposiums create the space to do exactly that.

I’m looking forward to receiving feedback on Autumn, sharing more about my vision, and learning from others so we can chart better paths forward together.

EW: Who do you hope to meet there?

Daniel Shaw: Hospice workers, deathcare professionals, mental health providers, estate and probate attorneys, death doulas, public policy advisors, and anyone else working to support bereaved communities.

About Daniel Shaw

Daniel Shaw is the co-founder and CEO of Autumn, an end-of-life marketplace that connects bereaved communities with local service providers who can help them manage life after loss.

By offering consumers free guides and tools while helping end-of-life providers connect with new customers, Autumn is working to change how the world responds to death.

Daniel began his career as a technology producer in the creative marketing and advertising industry after leaving medical school. At Wieden+Kennedy, he oversaw the agency’s digital business as director of digital accounts.

His background in consumer technology, brand marketing, and personal loss informs his work building a modern end-of-life company that responds more effectively to the needs of bereaved people.