Health-Tech Founder Case: Pick a Problem and Define the First Product

You are the founder and CEO of a new startup in the health sector. Decide what the company will build and make the case for it: which problem it solves, for whom, and what the product is. ```hint Set the criteria before the idea Health spans fitness, chronic disease, mental health, insurance, care coordination and more. Decide what a small, new company needs from a problem (who pays, how heavy the regulation is, how crowded the field already is) before picking one, rather than starting from the most familiar category. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is the area of health open, or should we stay within one domain such as consumer wellness, clinical care, insurance or pharmacy? - Should the product be sold to consumers directly, or to employers, insurers or healthcare providers? - Are we willing to take on the cost and time of regulatory work, such as medical-device clearance or handling protected health records? - Which country do we launch in? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Explicit criteria for choosing a health problem a startup can win, and a reasoned choice between candidates. - A focused user segment with concrete, prioritized pain points. - A first product and a path beyond it, with a business model that names who pays. - A north-star metric with guardrails suited to health: safety, privacy and accuracy. - Risks particular to health: regulation, liability, trust and well-funded incumbents. ### Follow-up Questions - A large technology company releases a free feature that copies your core product. How do you respond? - How would you prove to an employer or insurer that the product is worth paying for? - What evidence in the first year would make you change direction?