Ep. 140 Starting a MedTech Company 101 with Dr. Mahmood Razavi

Bryan Hartley talks with physician entrepreneur Dr. Mahmood Razavi about the essential elements of successfully starting a medtech company, as well as pitfalls to avoid.

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SHOW NOTES

In this episode, serial entrepreneur Dr. Mahmood Razavi and our host Dr. Bryan Hartley discuss factors to consider when starting a medical technology company, steps of the innovation process, and fundraising strategies.

Dr. Razavi recounts his path into entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of finding innovative mentors. He advises listeners to go beyond merely observing other successful innovators and instead, actively engaging and asking them questions. The doctors bring up the concept of filing a provisional patent in the early stages of product development, which can allow an entrepreneur to protect their intellectual property as they seek guidance from others.

A critical decision point arises when an entrepreneur must decide whether or not they should establish a new product for an existing company or establish a completely new company. If the product is a different iteration of a design that already exists it might be worthwhile to innovate within the structure of an existing company. If you are creating a completely new device class that addresses a new clinical need or disease, there could be potential to start a company.

The startup process requires entrepreneurs to recruit team members and raise funds. Dr. Razavi uses equity as a recruiting tool to bring business and engineering experts into the company. He also describes various methods of funding, including venture capital and strategic partnerships and the pros and cons of each.