Episode 32- Andrew Parker Founder and CEO of Papa

🙋‍♂️Welcome back to our channel and thank you for 200 subscribers!! We are thrilled to bring you episode 32 of the Digital Health Heavyweights podcast! 

Today Norm sits down with Andrew Parker, CEO and founder of Papa, who shares his journey in healthcare and the founding of Papa. He discusses the early success and challenges faced at MDLive, as well as the lessons learned during that time. Andrew dives into the early years of Papa, the importance of building what customers want, and the company's focus on transparency. Finally, he explains how Papa pivoted during the pandemic and the impact it had on the company's growth and ability to help older adults. Andrew also shares his insights on what he thinks makes a founder successful. He emphasizes the importance of grounded optimism, grit, breaking through walls, and rallying the troops. Andrew also highlights the value of being a therapist or philosopher and knowing one's weaknesses. He advises new founders to practice the lean startup methodology and to test and iterate. Additionally, he discusses the significance of maintaining mental health and fitness, including running and weightlifting. Finally, Andrew shares a healthy recipe for turkey meatballs and sweet potatoes! Yum. 

Takeaways:
🏗 Building what customers want is more important than building what you want.
🤝Hiring people from diverse backgrounds can bring valuable perspectives to a company.
🔦Transparency and honesty are crucial in building trust with customers and partners.
😷The pandemic presented challenges but also opportunities for Papa to provide virtual and in-person assistance to older adults.
📈Successful founders possess grounded optimism, grit, and the ability to break through walls.
🧠Maintaining mental health and fitness is important for success.
🥗Healthy eating can be achieved through simple recipes and a focus on fresh ingredients.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
01:14 Inspiration to Enter Healthcare
07:56 Lessons Learned at MDLive
10:41 Starting Papa in 2017
15:06 Early Customers and Successes
30:40 Papa's Response to the Pandemic

Be sure to subscribe to our channel and stay tuned for the best Digital Health and employee benefits content on the internet!

Follow, connect and subscribe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-health-heavyweights-podcast
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@DigitalHealthHeavyweights
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalhealthheavyweights/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyweightspodcast