Learning with Rishad

In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Hugh Barragan, a technologist and CTO based out of Boston, Dr. Chris Page, an anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician, and Dr. Akash Soraya, an emergency medicine physician and angel investor, to tackle one of the most pressing questions in medicine today: has technology made healthcare better or worse? We dive deep into the promise and peril of AI, examining whether electronic medical records have been a net positive despite their frustrations, and what the future holds when AI can diagnose faster and more accurately than any physician. The conversation gets real as we discuss whether AI will replace doctors, who takes accountability when algorithms make mistakes, and whether patients will even care if they are talking to a human or a machine. Key Highlights 🏥 Technology's Mixed Impact: While EMRs have made information more accessible and eliminated handwriting issues, they have also created overwhelming data overload and shifted optimization toward billing rather than patient care. 💰 The Cost Paradox: Healthcare costs have skyrocketed since the introduction of EMRs, yet life expectancy has remained flat at roughly 80 years for 15 years - suggesting technology has not fundamentally improved population health outcomes. 🤖 AI Will Replace Physicians: Dr. Akash boldly predicts that AI will eventually outperform emergency physicians at diagnosis and hopes it happens soon, while acknowledging the massive workforce displacement this would cause across 15-20% of the U.S. economy. ⚖️ The Accountability Problem: Hugh emphasizes that computers cannot be held accountable for decisions, creating a fundamental challenge as AI becomes capable of autonomous clinical decision-making - someone must remain responsible when things go wrong. 🩺 Trust and Human Connection: Dr. Chris argues that patients will continue wanting human care for a long time, as the rapport and comfort provided by a real physician cannot easily be replicated - though AI may eventually convince people otherwise. 📊 The Revenue Cycle Machine: Only 20% of healthcare costs are actual human labor - the rest is driven by increasingly sophisticated billing optimization, which AI will likely accelerate rather than reduce, making healthcare even more expensive. 🛡️ Malpractice Insurance for AI: The panel predicts that by 2028-2029, insurance companies will begin underwriting malpractice coverage for fully autonomous AI clinicians, though the actuarial curves and liability frameworks remain completely undefined. 🥊 The Coming AI War: Hugh predicts a shadow AI war in healthcare where patient AIs fight billing AIs, insurer AIs battle provider AIs, and costs spiral as a

The Truth About Entrepreneurship Nobody Talks AboutIn this episode, Dr. Rishad Usmani sits down with Preston Alexander, co-founder of Forward Slash Health, a consultancy helping clinicians reclaim autonomy in medicine. From building furniture and rock climbing in Colorado to launching a medical device startup during the pandemic, Preston’s unconventional path shows how curiosity, grit, and timing can shape a career in healthcare entrepreneurship.He opens up about his early days as a psychology and philosophy student, his accidental entrance into healthcare, and how witnessing the corporatization of medicine inspired his mission to empower doctors to lead the business side of care. Preston and Dr. Usmani discuss the broken incentives driving U.S. healthcare, why AI might make us forget how to think, and how to balance friction and optionality when building impactful products.With candor and humor, Preston explores the lessons behind his successes and failures — from cold-calling hospitals during COVID to building a startup that helps physicians regain ownership of their work and their purpose.Key Highlights:💡 From Climbing Walls to Boardrooms: How Preston went from rock climbing and furniture making to leading healthcare startups. 📘 Learning by Doing: Why he faked being an “MBA candidate,” accidentally earned the degree, and discovered his love for business strategy. 🏥 Inside the Medical Machine: How working in medical devices revealed the tension between innovation, regulation, and corporate growth. 🚀 Starting Up in a Pandemic: The story of launching a surgical device company in February 2020 — and cold-calling hospitals through lockdowns. 🧠 Taking Back Healthcare: How Forward Slash Health helps physicians rebuild independence and rethink the business of medicine. 🤖 AI and the Death of Thinking: Why Preston is both fascinated and frustrated by artificial intelligence and fears it may make humanity less thoughtful. 🎓 Education and Creativity: Why he believes traditional schooling traps curiosity and how parents can rethink education for the next generation. ⚙️ Friction vs. Optionality: The philosophy behind designing products, systems, and companies that are both user-friendly and purpose-driven.Resources & Next Steps:🌐 Visit forwardslashhealth.com to learn more about their mission. 📲 Connect with Preston Alexander on LinkedIn. 🎧 Explore more episodes of Learning with Rishad for deep conversations at the intersection of medicine, AI, and human behavior.

Inside the Mind of the “Guinea Pig Generation” and the Future of AI in HealthcareIn this episode, Dr. Rishad sits down with Dr. Adam Carewe, a physician-turned-healthtech innovator who believes we are the “guinea pig generation” in modern medicine. From his beginnings as a college basketball player and math enthusiast to becoming Chief Medical Information Officer at Kaiser Permanente, Adam shares his journey into the world of healthcare technology and startups.Together, they explore the intersection of medicine, technology, and uncertainty — discussing the limits of what doctors know, the rise of AI-assisted diagnostics, and the ethical challenges of over-testing in modern healthcare. Adam also reflects on his leap from a secure medical leadership position into the startup world, and why he believes the future of medicine lies in automating the routine to preserve the human.With humility and candor, Adam opens up about mental vs. physical health, longevity hype, and what he’d tell his younger self about taking risks and following instinct. Key Highlights:🧬 The Guinea Pig Generation: Why today’s patients and physicians live in an era where data grows faster than understanding. 📊 From Equations to Empathy: How Adam’s background in math and exercise science shaped his systems-thinking approach to patient care. 🤖 The AI Physician Debate: When AI might safely assist or even replace parts of clinical decision-making. 🧠 Mind and Body as One: Why the separation between mental and physical health is outdated and counterproductive. ⚕️ Too Many Tests, Too Little Meaning: How modern diagnostics often outpace interpretation, creating anxiety and unnecessary procedures. 🚀 Taking the Leap: Why Adam left a high-level role at Kaiser Permanente to join a startup, and what he’d tell his younger self about courage and timing. Resources & Next Steps:📲 Follow Dr. Adam Carewe on LinkedIn for insights on clinical innovation and healthcare tech. 🎧 Explore more episodes of Learning with Rishad for deep conversations at the intersection of medicine, AI, and human behavior. 🧠 Read about AI in clinical decision-making in publications like NEJM Catalyst or PubMed. 💡 Learn more about General Medicine, the startup Adam joined after leaving Kaiser Permanente. Episode Breakdown:00:00 We Are the Guinea Pig Generation00:51 Adam’s Early Journey05:20 When Tech Meets Medicine08:41 Will AI Replace Doctors?10:46 ChatGPT & Health Data15:05 Mind vs. Body19:17 The Longevity Paradox24:15 Too Much Testing, Too Little Clarity29:19 Whole-Body MRI & Overdiagnosis34:33 Tracking Everything38:05 Fixing the System40:36 Final Reflection

In this episode, I sat down with Ben, an orthopedic surgeon who is making a significant career change after 17 years. He's moving away from his clinical practice to a leadership role at Commons Clinic, a company focused on value-based care. In our conversation, we explored his motivations for this major pivot, the frustrations of the traditional healthcare system, and his vision for a future that seamlessly blends technology with human-centric care. Ben opened up about the "death by a thousand cuts" that he believes leads to physician burnout, highlighting issues like the tedious nature of EMRs and the complexities of regulations. He explained how his personal journey into entrepreneurship gave him a renewed sense of purpose, shifting his focus from treating one patient at a time to impacting healthcare on a broader scale. Our discussion also delved into the roles of AI and robotics in orthopedics, the challenges of implementing value-based care without "cherry-picking" patients, and the critical importance of shared decision-making in the patient-physician relationship. This episode is for anyone curious about the future of healthcare, the reality of physician burnout, and the exciting intersection of technology and medicine. Timestamps 00:07:48 - Ben's personal journey from being a surgeon to a leader in healthcare innovation. 00:11:27 - Ben shares what he'll miss most about being a surgeon and what he's happy to leave behind. 00:13:53 - We discuss if the entrepreneurial spirit is something you're born with or if it can be learned. 00:15:41 - Ben's thoughts on the future of arthritis treatments, beyond what's currently available. 00:18:50 - We talk about why so many doctors are burning out and how Ben managed to avoid it. 00:27:50 - The growing disconnect between doctors on the front lines and hospital administration. 00:30:00 - Ben reveals a major belief he's changed his mind on over the last few years. 00:41:18 - We explore the role of robotics and AI in the field of orthopedic surgery. 00:46:35 - Ben gives his take on a hot topic: Will AI replace doctors? 00:58:02 - We get into the complicated issue of patient liability in a "consumerized" healthcare system.

Join Rishad Usmani in a profound conversation with engineer and investor Ronjon Nag as they explore the very fabric of our existence in an age of rapidly advancing AI. This episode ventures far beyond typical tech talk, diving deep into philosophical questions about what constitutes reality, the elusive nature of consciousness (both human and artificial), the future of work in an era of abundance, and the persistent human drive for tribalism.Ronjon Nag, with his pragmatic engineering perspective, offers fascinating insights into how AI is not just changing technology, but reshaping our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. From the potential for an "aging vaccine" to the unsettling implications of a world where digital truth is easily manipulated, this episode will challenge your perceptions and spark new ways of thinking about humanity's trajectory.In this episode, you will learn:How engineers define reality: Beyond subjective perception, exploring the physical world and mental projections.The elusive nature of consciousness: A deep dive into different theories, from autonomous processes to quantum forces, and whether AI can ever truly achieve it.The "Artificial Consciousness Test": What it would take for a machine to truly feel and understand human concepts.The future of work in an AI-powered world: Will AI usher in an era of abundance where humans no longer need to work? The "lump of labor" theory vs. insatiable human desires.Human tribalism in a globalized world: Why do we cling to groups, and how might companies become the new "tribes" in a shifting power dynamic?The changing nature of truth: How AI's ability to create deepfakes and fake information threatens digital reality and elevates the importance of trusted curators and physical interaction.Moonshot thinking in longevity science: Ronjon's groundbreaking work on an mRNA "aging vaccine" and pan-cancer solutions.Guest Bio: Ronjon Nag is an accomplished engineer, inventor, and investor, with a deep expertise in AI, longevity sciences, and venture capital. His pragmatic approach to complex problems offers a unique lens through which to view the future of technology and its impact on humanity.

In this insightful episode, Rishad Usmani sits down with Niki Santo, co-founder and CEO of Swaza, a Silicon Valley biotechnology startup. Niki shares her compelling personal journey, marked by profound loss and a head injury in 2020, which led her to redefine her life's purpose and pivot into biotech entrepreneurship.Niki Santo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikivsanto/ Swaza: https://www.swaza.life/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/ LearningwithRishad: https://www.learningwithrishad.com/

Episode Summary: In this episode, we sit down with Tanasi, a physician who has successfully transitioned into the world of venture capital, currently serving as a Venture Partner for Genesis Ventures, focusing on health tech, and as Chair of the board for Halo Health, Canada's physician angel group. We explore his unique journey, the fascinating differences between the Canadian and Greek venture ecosystems, and the crucial mindset shift required to move from the risk-averse world of medicine to the high-upside landscape of startup investing. Tanasi shares invaluable insights on identifying promising teams, the future of AI in healthcare, the evolving field of longevity medicine, and practical advice for physicians looking to enter the startup space.

Today, I'm joined by Artem Trotsyuk, an AI Fellow at Stanford, for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, especially within healthcare. Our conversation explores the fascinating intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and personal development, highlighting Artem's unique journey from aspiring doctor to a leader in AI ethics and innovation.We discuss how AI learns and adapts, drawing parallels to human "nature vs. nurture," and delve into the critical ethical considerations surrounding AI deployment in healthcare, from mitigating bias to ensuring patient safety. Artem also shares invaluable insights on the entrepreneurial path, particularly for academics transitioning into deep tech, emphasizing the often-underestimated importance of commercialization alongside groundbreaking technical solutions.

In this episode, I sit down with Sumitra, who offers a compelling dual perspective as a practicing physician and a venture capitalist at MedMountain Ventures. We explore his distinctive background, from his early fascination with neuroscience to his experiences in medical school and a notable period involved in political initiatives during his MBA studies. Sumitra provides candid insights into his criteria for evaluating founders, his views on the utility of psychological assessments in venture capital, and how his background in political dynamics informs his investment strategy within the complex healthcare sector. We also discuss the potential ramifications of artificial intelligence on both healthcare delivery and venture capital, the significance of empirical data in assessing opportunities, and Sumitra's personal reflections on ambition, resilience following burnout, and the value of focused, in-depth work. I conclude by sharing valuable advice from Sumitra for physicians considering entrepreneurship or investment roles.MedMountain Ventures (mmv.vc)Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity by Daron Acemoglu and Simon JohnsonMedPic (sales qualification framework)

In this episode, I, Rishad, have a fascinating and in-depth conversation with my friend and fellow innovator, Dr. Neil. We dive into the complex world of AI in healthcare, exploring everything from our personal quests for contentment in this digital age to the very real possibilities and ethical questions surrounding AI-powered diagnosis and prescription. Neil shares his firsthand experiences integrating AI tools into his busy family practice, his candid thoughts on the evolving role of physicians, and crucial advice for those daring to build the future of medicine within the regulatory landscape of AI.

In this episode, we sit down with Josh Lee, Co-founder and CEO of SeamlessMD, a leading platform helping hospitals guide patients through episodes of care. Josh shares his unique journey from medical school to founding a successful healthtech company selling into the complex hospital market. He pulls back the curtain on the realities of healthcare entrepreneurship, from securing those challenging first customers to building a high-performing team and navigating product strategy for scale. If you're interested in healthtech, B2B sales in healthcare, or the founder's path, this episode is packed with valuable insights. Joshua Liu: / joshuapliu SeamlessMD: https://www.seamless.md/ (0:00:16)

In this episode, I interview Ed about his diverse career path. Ed shares insights from his childhood as the son of immigrants in San Francisco, his journey through medicine from primary care to developing health technology, and his recent focus on lifestyle medicine. We discuss how early career experiences, like the introduction of EHRs, shaped his interests, the reasons physicians seek non-clinical roles, and his approach to balancing career ambitions with family and personal well-being. Ed also offers his perspective on the evidence behind lifestyle medicine, the potential of GLP-1 drugs, and the evolving role of physicians in the age of AI.

In this episode I discuss the Canadian venture ecosytem with Meryeme Lahmami, principle at Pender Ventures 00:00 introduction 02:10 First startup, radio frequency for vitals 09:00 Path to venture capital 14:30 Diligence process 18:30 Founder vs market 21:33 Impact of US tariffs 27:12 Is entrepreneurship innate? 30:40 Founder red flags 36:20 Intuition vs structure in investing 43:50 How should we increase early stage healthcare funding in Canada? Meryeme Lahmami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryeme-lahmami/ Pender Ventures: https://www.penderventures.com/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

In this episode I share my vipassana experience and my thoughts on reality.

Transcript

0:00 Introduction and childhood 2:34 Pursuing a bachelors in arts 5:46 From arts to business and AI 12:30 Thoughts on “Hire slow, fire fast” 14:25 How to avoid bad hires 20:30 Thoughts on remote work 24:55 If you could change one thing about Canadian healthcare, what would you change? 27:10 With infinite funds, what would you build in healthcare? 30:28 How do we deal with AI errors and drift? 34:45 Should AI be explainable? 37:45 Why aren’t hospitals innovative?

Chris is a urologist, senior partner and Linivan advisory group. He completed his bachelors and M.D. at Queens University and his MBA at Wilfred Laurier. He previously ran clinical trials, has been a practicing urologist for 17 years and routinely advises medical startups. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-borth-md-mba-219a8383/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/

It was a pleasure speaking with Neil, we talk about: 1. Introduction 2. AI chatbots for Healthcare 3. The liability problem with AI and medicine 4. The reimbursement problem with AI and medicine 5. Should we require explainability for AI clinical adoption 6. Can AI be conscious and should it have rights? 7. Should human creations be valued more than AI creations? 8. Future of physicians and AI in healthcare Neil Naik: / neil-naik Rishad Usmani: / rishadusmani

It was a pleasure speaking with Dr. Sohaib Siddiqui, he was very forthcoming with sharing several great insights from his experiences as an entrepreneur and investor. We talk about - His journey to running a family office fund - What he looks for in GPs - What he looks for in founders - Upcoming tailwinds in healthcare investing - Charm vs aptitude in predicting founder success - Can outsiders innovate in healthcare - His contrarian opinion in healthcare Sohaib Siddiqui: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sohaib-siddiqui-49284180/ Kettlebeck Ventures: https://www.kettlebeckventures.com/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

Spencer is the Vice Chair of Medicine and the Lead Informatics Physician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I and very thankful to him for sharing his insights and thoughts on healthcare with me. We talk about: - The future of electronic health records - Opportunities for AI in healthcare - How to fix physician burnout - His thoughts on purpose - Explainability in AI - Value based care Spencer Dorn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerdorn/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusm... HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

Karim is a deep thinker and I have been lucky to have several insightful conversations with him about all things healthcare. I am excited to share some of these with you. He previously was the CEO and co-founder of Mednow, raising $44 million and taking it public at a $150 million market cap. Correction: Karim meant to say Mckesson acquired Rexall and not RemedyRx Mednow: https://mednow.ca/ Karim: https://x.com/KarimsRealm Rishad: / rishadusmani HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

Sahir Ali is a the founding general partner of Modi Ventures, an early stage venture fund investing in tech-bio startups. He is also an LP in multiple funds including Draper Associates and Khosla Ventures. He is an accomplished entrepreneur and investor. We discuss his path to launching a venture fund, founder selection, decision making and more!Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/Healthtech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/ Sahir Alir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahirzeeshan-ali/Modi Ventures: https://www.modivc.com/2:10 Why launch a venture fund?5:40 Hyper vs diligence7:40 Product vs founder11:34 Niche down or shotgun approach 14:40 Single gene mutation therapeutics 19:10 LP relationships24:00 Decision making framework28:10 Portfolio construction 37:40 What is the ideal emerging manager?45:30 Process vs outcomes, incentives49:40 Digital therapeutics52:52 Momentum investing57:35 Structure vs intuition1:01:55 First mover advantage1:06:40 War time vs peacetime ceo1:10:10 What's different about healthcare1:11:30 Can an outsider be successful in healthcare?1:14:40 What is your contrarian truth?1:18:40 Is VC a game of picking the best founders or making them?1:22:40 Intelligence vs consciousness 

Key takeaways: Selling a product or interviewing for a job isn’t about you, its about the customer, the user and the company respectively. Identify the world as it is, recognize the incentives and levers in place. After doing this, the path you should follow will be easier to pick. The easiest way to build a product is to build something for your past self. Books mentioned: Good to great by Jim Collins: https://a.co/d/8JGAoUx Naval Ravikants Almanac: https://a.co/d/ijoCcEv Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

I am grateful for Akhilesh Pathipati, MD, MBA to share his journey, experience and knowledge! We talk about: 1. His journey in venture capital 2. AI in Healthcare 3. Profitability in Healthcare 4. Health system design 5. Future of medical education 6. His investment criteria 7. And more! Akhilesh Pathipati: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhileshpathipati/ MVM: https://mvm.com/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

Zain is someone I have known and become friends with over the past year. I am a big fan of his progress so far and can't wait to continue following his journey. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with him about his journey into healthcare startups. We talk about:HumilityHealthcare EMR'sClinician EntrepreneurshipClinical Trials in OncologyWill AI replace clinicians?The future of clinical notes

Owen Willis is the Founder and General Partner at Opal Ventures. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer at Osmosis and Program Partner at On Deck. We talk about: Introduction and childhood Gender and Race Teaching as a profession Can humility be taught How to hire and onboard How to build a team and scale a startup Solo vs team work Is early stage investing a game of picking or making winners? How to identify the laggers in your investment portfolio Success, failures and market tailwinds Investing in healthcare startups Profitability in healthcare Future of training in healthcare Introspection, philosophy and reflection Owen Willis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnowenwillis/ Opal Ventures: https://www.opalventures.com/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

It was amazing to have both Saumitra Thakur and Amit Mehta, MD join me for this webinar. Both have been an inspiration for myself in finding my path. I am incredibly thankful for:Saumitra for sharing his frameworks and schema's on venture capital and life.Amit for sharing his journey, learnings, mistakes and advice for breaking intro venture.We talk about:Different paths to running a venture capital firmHow physicians can get involved in venture capitalShould physicians pursue and MBAValue of your network and track recordGenerative AI in healthcareDiagnostic testing in psychiatry

Steve is a physician and founder of SOAP health. Steve Charlap: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-charlap-md-mba-8911906/ SOAP Health: https://soap.health/ Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/ HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Childhood 03:18 Thoughts on Man’s Search for Meaning 06:15 Structure vs intuition in picking colleagues 13:01 Visionary vs operator, weaknesses vs strengths 17:58 Why do teams fall apart? 20:20 Idea meritocracy vs idea democracy 27:22 Will future doctors be actors? 30:30 Will patients use AI if its better than most doctors? 36:15 Patient responsibility for their health 42:15 EMR design, patient intake 48:30 Why do an MBA? 51:15 Should healthcare be profitable? 53:40 Future of genetic medicine 1:01:18 Proudest achievement and biggest failure 1:07:10 What is the end goal for you?

In this webinar we start with a short presentation about due diligence followed by a fireside chat with two experienced healthcare venture capitalists. Key Takeaways: 1. Have a structured due diligence process. 2. Market risk: timing and a big market opportunity are both important.3. Technology risk: better, faster, cheaper. 4. Team risk: clear founder vision, unique insight, strong leadership and resilient. 5. Execution risk: go to market strategy and business model. 6. Exit risk: what is the potential exit size or channel. 7. You will never get to 100% conviction in early stage investing, you are making decision based on incomplete information. 8. Do both personal founder and customer reference checks 9. An option pool is a must. 10. Interest over background, ability to acquire knowledge is more important than your background. 11. During a pitch introduce yourself, what are you building, what problem are you solving and the market opportunity first.

Leon is an incredibly intelligent and thoughtful human. After completing his PhD in Quantum Physics he went on found Oxitone Medical. He is also a Venture partner at Network VC.We talk about:Intuition vs structure in decision makingThe quantum worldBackwards thinking for startups and in investingHow to pick the best colleagues and employees

Shubhra Jain is the Head of Healthcare investments at Tarsadia Investments. She moved to US after completing her MBBS in India, to pursue a Masters in mechanical engineering at Stanford after which she completed her MBA from Wharton.Shubhra is an incredibly sharp, reflective and humble person. I had a lot of fun talking to her about:Due diligence process for startupsHow she picks VC funds and GPs to invest inHer transition from physician to investorMarket tailwinds in healthtech

Shrawan is a physician, entrepreneur and angel investor. He is the managing director at Strategy Health and founding team member at PharmStars. I have known Shrawan for a few months now and find him to be deeply reflective, intelligent, curious and open minded.We talk aboutHis childhoodDecision makingThe existence of a soulWhat he looks for in foundersClinical trialsAnd more!I am thankful for his friendship and grateful for his transparency and honesty in sharing his experiences and knowledge.

Harvey is curious, kind and humble. He is a physician, healthcare consultant, and serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. He is the author of ChatGPT Healthcare and Success Reinvention. We talk about His journey out of clinical medicineEntrepreneurshipPerseveranceProfitability in healthcare

David Zhou runs ops and deal flow at On Deck Angels. He is a mentor and advisor to several accelerators and incubators including Techstars, WEVE, City University of New York and Alchemist Accelerator. You can follow his thoughts on his newsletter, Cup of Zhou. He has an inquisitive, curious and intelligent mind. We talk about his childhood, deal flow, decision making, market risk and more! I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did.David Zhou: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjzhou/OnDeck: http://beondeck.comCupofZhou: https://cupofzhou.com/Rishad Usmani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadusmani/HealthTech Investors: https://www.healthtechinvestors.com/

Bharat is a co-founder and and principal at Amplitude Venture Capital. He has a PhD in Experimental Medicine and Masters of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University.

Josh is the CEO and cofounder of SeamlessMD, a patient engagement platform which improves patient satisfaction while reducing hospital length of stay, readmissions, and costs.. They have raised over $7.5 million and are used by various health systems including Stanford Health. He is intelligent, humble and posses incredible grit. We talk about his childhood, his journey from an interest in coding to medical school and then being a founder. We discuss ChatGPT, AI in healthcare, the future of private healthcare in Canada, raising money for his startup, 90% of the VC he met said no initially and his end goal in life.He was previously the Chair of the Canadian Medical Association’s Joule Innovation Council and on the Advisory Group to the Office of the Chief Health Innovation Strategist for the Ontario Ministry of Health. Joshua has also served on the Shad Valley Board of Directors and as a Startup Advisor to Northeastern University.Joshua has received numerous honours, including being named Digital Health Executive of the Year by Digital Health Canada, Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science and Healthcare, Canadian Top 20 Under 20, TD Canada Trust Scholar, Creative Destruction Lab Alumn and NEXT Canada Alumn.

Sam is a managing partner and co founder of Ambit Ventures (an early stage digital health venture firm), he is on the board of multiple startups. We are co-investors in SOAP health (early disease detection and diagnosis at the point of care). At the age of 53 he decided to pursue an MBA and transitioned to the private equity world before launching his fund with his cofounder. We talk about his childhood, launching a venture fund, decision making, life, what he looks for in founders and startups. I hope you guys enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

I always have a fun time speaking with Jawad Ali and it’s always a pleasure. Jawad is a practicing general surgeon, founder of Vality (a physician led consulting firm specializing in digital surgery, patient engagement and surgical devices) and founder of Austin MedTech Connect (a private community connecting founders, clinicians, investors and healthcare stakeholders). We talk about success, surgical innovation, physician burnout, medtech in Austin and goal setting. I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Josh is the chief medical officer and cofounder of Figure 1, a social network and medical education platform for physicians. Figure 1 has raised $23.5 million and serves over 3 million users worldwide. Josh is also a practicing intensive care physician and the medical lead for medical assistance in dying at Scarborough General Hospital.We had a frank and honest discussion on the path from idea to execution, the future of Canadian healthcare and medical assistance in dying.

ClinicUp was my previous startup which closed down in early 2022. It was a telemedicine company which served 1100 patients, we hired 10 physicians, we got a 6 million acquisition offer then got sued and lost it all.

Amit Mehta is a General Partner at BuildersVC and an interventional radiologist. BuilderVC is a $450 million venture capital firm which invests in seed to series B across multiple industries.

Raihan is a seasoned physician-entrepreneur. He is currently the Head of Medical Affairs at Gauranteed, a hospice startup. We talked about his journey from physician to entrepreneur, how to sell into health systems, the biggest problem in healthcare, death and identity.

Amit is a founding partner at Tau Venture, an $85 million fund which invests in early stage healthcare and enterprise software startups with an AI focus.00:00 Introduction02:50 Future of the fund04:15 How are you thinking about allocation?08:15 Time to exit09:10 Secondary market12:15 Healthcare and profits15:25 Value based care18:25 One piece of advice for your past self23:00 What tailwinds are you investing on?28:45 AI and biotech31:15 Will AI replace us?40:00 What would you do if money was not an issue44:00 What makes you resilient?

00:09 Introduction01:15 Childhood/ is entrepreneurship innate?04:15 Can you rely on intuition when investing in startups?07:50 Different types of communication styles12:30 Is talking fast okay? Or do you have to talk slowly and enunciate every word?15:15 How to test/validate your intuition and be aware of your biases?19:00 High school/ decision to become a physician21:25 Medical school23:00 Meeting his wife, balancing family and work27:30 Should you do an MBA?30:30 Did the MBA help in raising a VC fund?33:30 FOMO/signals in investing37:00 Tracking investments39:30 Should you stick within your circle of competence?42:00 C 100 - Saumitra’s first startup - needs editing47:27 Honesty in politics50:00 Democracy and idea meritocracy54:00 Benevolent dictatorship, Reinhold Niebuhr, Ruchir Sharma57:00 Going to Russia as an American Delegate59:00 Russian politics1:01:20 Would immortality be a net negative or positive?1:03:40 Resources, scarcity and status1:07:00 Epitel - diligence process and why Saumitra invested in them1:13:30 Inbound vs outbound deals1:16:00 Should healthcare be profitable?1:17:30 Would you rather help establish a colony in Mars right now or be frozen and wake up in 100 years?1:20:00 Closing remarks

in this episode we talk about our investment thesis