NerdMDs StackBytes #4

🎧 NerdMDs StackBytes Episode Summary:

In this episode of NerdMDs StackBytes, host Adam Carewe explores a quiet superpower in health tech: clinical credibility. Based on his Substack piece, “Clinical Credibility: Why Every Health Tech Exec Should Still Cover Clinic”, Adam makes a strategic case for why clinician leaders—especially those building or guiding tech—should stay close to the clinic floor. More than a badge of honor, staying clinically active sharpens product judgment, preserves empathy, and ensures innovations stay relevant, not ornamental. This bite-sized episode is a reminder that credibility at the bedside translates to credibility in the boardroom.

🔹 00:00 – Intro & Setup

Adam kicks off with a provocative question: why do top clinician founders still take call? He introduces clinical credibility not as nostalgia or humility, but as strategy—an anchor for judgment in healthcare innovation.

🔹 01:22 – Real-World Relevance in Tech

He outlines the risk of becoming detached from real care environments. From glitchy systems to patient bottlenecks, staying in the trenches exposes leaders to the lived friction their products aim to solve.

“If you’ve never felt the glitchy portal or lived through an overbooked primary care day, your innovation risks becoming digital wallpaper.”

🔹 03:17 – The Relevance Gap

Adam discusses how stepping too far from clinical care weakens innovation. Tools built without context often miss the mark—elegant in theory, irrelevant in practice.

🔹 05:45 – Staying Tethered

He shares how leaders—from CMIOs to AI founders—intentionally preserve their clinical touch. Whether through part-time clinics, shadowing, or patient consults, the goal is to keep their instincts sharp and their products grounded.

🔹 08:12 – Credibility as Competitive Advantage

The episode closes with a clear thesis: clinical credibility isn’t optional—it’s a moat. It differentiates builders who understand care from those who only imagine it, making all the difference in trust and traction.

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