Funders & Founders with Rick Heitzmann & Zach Reitano + Deirdre Bosa Pods like a Billionaire
Feb 14, 2024
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Tech expert Deirdre Bosa talks about Teemu taking over the Super Bowl and her experience with the Apple Vision Pro. Zach Reitano and Rick Heitzmann discuss Ro's origin story, stigmas around obesity, and what attracted Rick to Ro.
Building a goal-oriented healthcare system centered around patients' goals and desires is crucial in providing effective and convenient solutions for improving overall health.
Destigmatizing health issues such as erectile dysfunction and obesity is essential in promoting a positive and proactive mindset towards healthcare and building trust-based relationships with patients.
Finding alignment between founders and investors based on philosophical mission alignment and open communication allows for effective decision-making and successful partnerships in building and growing companies.
Deep dives
Building a Goal-Oriented Healthcare System
The podcast episode discusses the importance of building a goal-oriented healthcare system. The speaker shares personal experiences with family members facing life-threatening illnesses and the role that a caring and personalized approach plays in their treatment. The focus is on putting the patient's goals and desires at the center of their healthcare journey, providing effective and convenient solutions to help them achieve those goals. The speaker emphasizes the need to destigmatize health issues such as erectile dysfunction and obesity, promoting a positive and proactive mindset towards improving overall health. The goal is to shift the healthcare system's perspective, reduce judgment, and build deep relationships based on trust.
The Origin Story of Row and Roman
The speaker shares the personal motivation behind the creation of Row and Roman, highlighting the experience of growing up with family members who faced life-threatening illnesses. They emphasize the importance of recreating the positive and proactive healthcare approach their father provided as a physician through software and technology. The goal is to help patients achieve their health goals in the most effective and convenient ways, moving towards a goal-oriented healthcare system. The speaker discusses the stigma associated with issues like erectile dysfunction and obesity and their commitment to destigmatizing and providing judgment-free healthcare solutions. They aim to create a positive impact on people's lives and build long-lasting relationships based on trust.
Finding Alignment with the Right Investor
The podcast explores the importance of finding alignment between founders and investors. The speaker shares their experience working with Rick Heitzman, the co-founder and CEO of FirstMark Capital. They highlight the value of philosophical mission alignment and the emphasis on taking the longest view in the room. The speaker values clarity and decisiveness in their discussions with investors, appreciating Rick's quick and straightforward approach. The focus is on building trust and effective decision-making through open communication and alignment of goals.
The Longest View in the Room
The podcast emphasizes the value of taking the longest view in building successful companies. The speaker highlights the importance of focusing on long-term goals and the ability to withstand highs and lows in the startup journey. They discuss the benefits of having a clear and decisive mindset, allowing for effective decision-making and pressure testing ideas. The speaker shares how the longest view in the room approach has fostered trust and collaboration between founders and investors, leading to successful partnerships and the ability to navigate challenges in building and growing companies.
Revolutionizing the Healthcare System with Technology
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is the shortage of providers to meet the needs of an increasing number of patients. This is where technology comes in, offering a solution to provide high-quality healthcare to more people. By leveraging technology, the goal is to create a care delivery platform that can scale to tens of millions of people, providing personalized and proactive care management for chronic conditions like obesity. The aim is to democratize access to healthcare and reduce the overall cost of care while maintaining or even improving the quality.
Exploring the Mega Trend of Obesity Treatments
The demand for obesity treatments is on the rise, presenting a significant market opportunity. Investments in pharmaceutical companies developing obesity drugs have skyrocketed, indicating a growing interest in this field. However, the true potential lies not just in investing in drug companies, but in creating a care delivery platform that can facilitate wide-scale distribution of obesity treatments and other chronic condition solutions. By combining medication, technology, and an empathetic approach, it is possible to provide high-quality care to millions of patients, addressing a major gap in the healthcare system.
Later, Dan is joined by Zach Reitano, Co-Founder & CEO of Ro, and Rick Heitzmann, Co-Founder and Partner at FirstMark Capital, for the first installment of our Funders x Founders series. They hit Ro’s origin story, stigmas around obesity, what attracted Rick to Ro, and how their relationship has evolved.
