Navigating Technical Debt and Team Dynamics

Today on Concept to Care, we welcome Smita Nair, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Equip, a pioneering health tech company dedicated to treating eating disorders and related conditions such as anxiety, depression, and OCD. Equip offers virtual, family-based treatments accessible to patients of all ages across all 50 states, leveraging a comprehensive approach to ensure broad reach and effectiveness.

In this episode, we'll delve into the crucial role of clinical expertise in developing and scaling digital health solutions. Smita will share strategies for achieving impactful healthcare outcomes, focusing on aligning organizational tasks with broader company goals and the importance of tying every action to key organizational metrics.

We'll explore Smita's approach to product development and strategic roadmapping, including maintaining flexibility in plans while ensuring stakeholder alignment. She'll explain how to balance strategic planning with the need for agility, especially in the dynamic healthcare sector.

Additionally, Smita will discuss building high-performing teams, emphasizing clear role definitions, collective accountability, and fostering psychological safety. She'll offer advice on addressing cultural and operational misalignments with new hires and promoting a culture where feedback is seen as a tool for growth.

Here are all the highlights of our conversation:

• Experience and alignment with Equip’s mission and model
• Importance of clinical expertise in developing healthcare solutions
• Aligning organizational tasks with broader company goals
• Effective application of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
• Balancing strategic planning with agility
• Building high-performing teams
• Clear role definitions and collective accountability
• Promoting a culture where feedback is a tool for growth
• Integrating empathy and lean startup methodologies into product development

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Where to find Smita Nair

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nairsmita/

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Where to find Angela and Omar:

• Angela Suthrave
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-suthrave/
  • X: https://twitter.com/ASuthrave
  • email: angela@concepttocare.com
• Omar Mousa
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarmousa/
  • X: https://twitter.com/OmarMHealth
  • email: omar@concepttocare.com

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Referenced:

• Equip’s Company Website: https://equip.health/
• Equip is hiring: https://equip.health/join-us#jobs
• Equip was highlighted on Time100 as one of the most influential places to work: https://time.com/collection/time100-companies-2023/6285207/equip/
• Equip was highlighted by Fast Company as one of the top most innovative companies of 2024: https://www.fastcompany.com/91040027/equip-most-innovative-companies-2024
• Feedback is a gift, how to give and receive feedback: https://buffer.com/resources/how-to-give-receive-feedback-work/
• Asana’s guide for creating company wide Objectives and Key Results (OKRs): https://asana.com/resources/setting-okrs
• Pingboard’s — How to set up OKRs across departments: https://pingboard.com/blog/how-to-set-up-consistent-okrs-across-departments-okr-template/
• Mind The Product’s — How to build high performing product management teams: https://www.mindtheproduct.com/how-do-you-build-a-successful-product-team/
• A guide for helping candidates evaluate start-ups before they join the company: https://humaninterest.com/learn/articles/33-questions-help-evaluate-startup-job-offer/
• How to build flexible product roadmaps: https://www.chameleon.io/blog/product-roadmaps
• Smita’s favorite methodology — Lean Start-up Methodology: https://theleanstartup.com/principles
• The importance of 1 on 1s — a comprehensive guide to 1 on 1 meetings: https://www.small-improvements.com/resources/1-on-1-meetings/

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