Vital Signs

Flashback episode in honor of Hinge Health's IPO this week. In the episode, Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Daniel Perez, the Co-Founder and CEO of Hinge Health, a digital clinic for patients with joint and muscle pain. They discuss Hinge Health's strategy for selling to employers, how digital health solutions can reach and retain users, the role of software x hardware in disrupting healthcare, and more. (0:00) Intro(2:34) The Evolution of Employer Health Solutions(4:03) Challenges and Strategies in Digital Health(7:07) Focus on Musculoskeletal Care(9:51) Engaging and Retaining Patients(16:17) Marketing and Awareness Strategies(19:31) The Role of Independent Validators(22:27) Clinical Validation and R&D Excellence(23:04) Healthy Competition and Market Differentiation(23:59) Product Superiority and Customer Validation(26:05) Team Dynamics and Tough Decisions(29:49) Future of Hinge Health and Healthcare Automation(31:44) AI and Technology Integration(36:18) Hardware Innovations and Market Impact(39:19) Value-Based Care and Outcome Guarantees(41:14) Regulatory Challenges and Innovation Constraints(43:38) Closing Thoughts and Entrepreneurial Advice Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Otto Sipe. Otto is the CEO and Co-Founder of Photon Health, which enables patients to select their own pharmacies with price and inventory transparency. The company has raised over $16 million from investors including Flare Capital Partners and Notation Capital. They discuss where pharmacies and PBMs are headed, the evolution of E-Prescribing, the impact of GLP-1s & AI, and more. (0:00) Intro(0:51) History and Evolution of E-Prescribing(3:02) Challenges in Current E-Prescribing Systems(6:28) Photon Health's Innovative Approach(8:17) Patient and Provider Behavior Changes(11:21) Pharmacy Industry Landscape and Future(13:43) Interactions with PBMs and Market Dynamics(16:48) Future of PBMs and Drug Pricing(20:38) Quality and Marketplace Experience in Pharmacies(23:30) Advising Independent Pharmacies for Future Success(24:24) Challenges and Strategies in Retail Pharmacy(25:45) Pharmacy Economics and Supply Chain Issues(30:21) The Role and Potential of Pharmacists(36:01) AI in Pharmacy: Photon's Approach(38:28) Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle. Rushika is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Iora Health, a primary care provider centered around value-based care and Medicare that One Medical acquired for $2.1 billion. They discuss why we're still in the second inning of value-based care, intersections of tech and healthcare, what it takes for VBC to succeed, and more. [0:00] Intro[0:29] Early Days of Value-Based Care[2:34] Challenges in Commercial Value-Based Care[5:20] Adapting Care Models for Different Populations[13:08] Medicaid and Long-Term Care Issues[16:30] Big Tech's Foray into Healthcare[20:37] Amazon's Healthcare Strategy[21:09] Challenges in Serving Low-Income Seniors[21:43] Innovative Solutions for Patient Transportation[22:16] The Economics of Healthcare Visits[23:22] Building a Custom EHR System[27:34] The Role of AI in Modern Healthcare[33:17] Future of Primary Care and Policy Implications Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Frank Wu, the Co-Founder and CEO of Taro Health. Taro Health is a health insurance plan currently live in Maine and Oklahoma that offers unlimited primary care and mental health visits. The company has raised over $18m from investors like Hummingbird Ventures, Quiet Capital, and FPV Ventures. They discuss creating value in InsurTech, building a health plan for Direct Primary Care providers, what's next for health insurance, and more. [0:00] Intro[0:18] Frank's Background and Journey[1:17] Introduction to Taro Health[2:50] Challenges and Strategies in Health Insurance[7:24] Direct Primary Care Model[13:01] Patient and Doctor Archetypes in DPC[17:01] Enrollment and Market Strategies[28:56] Generative AI in Health Insurance[35:31] Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Erik Wexler, the President and CEO of Providence. Providence is a non-profit, faith-based health system with 51 hospitals and 1,000 clinics across seven states. They discuss how to think about new AI opportunities with discipline, the value of health system partnerships, programs to support health equity, and more.[0:00] Intro[2:07] Challenges and Opportunities with AI[3:38] Leadership and Organizational Focus[5:30] Whole Person Care and Health Equity[7:23] Financial Challenges in Healthcare[9:25] Collaborations and Partnerships[13:38] Innovations in Healthcare Delivery[15:12] Tech Integration in Healthcare[16:55] Choosing the Right Innovations[17:48] Policy Landscape and Concerns[19:33] Handling Wildfires and Crisis Management[21:59] Commitment to Climate Change and Sustainability[24:14] Health Equity and Community Investment[27:14] Challenges and Successes in Healthcare Innovation[29:18] Future of Healthcare and Final ThoughtsOut-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Daniel Perez, the Co-Founder and CEO of Hinge Health. Hinge Health is a digital clinic for patients with joint and muscle pain, having raised $800M+ from investors like Coatue and Tiger Global. They discuss Hinge Health's strategy for selling to employers, how digital health solutions can reach and retain users, the role of software x hardware in disrupting healthcare, and more. [0:00] Intro[2:34] The Evolution of Employer Health Solutions[4:03] Challenges and Strategies in Digital Health[7:07] Focus on Musculoskeletal Care[9:51] Engaging and Retaining Patients[16:17] Marketing and Awareness Strategies[19:31] The Role of Independent Validators[22:27] Clinical Validation and R&D Excellence[23:04] Healthy Competition and Market Differentiation[23:59] Product Superiority and Customer Validation[26:05] Team Dynamics and Tough Decisions[29:49] Future of Hinge Health and Healthcare Automation[31:44] AI and Technology Integration[36:18] Hardware Innovations and Market Impact[39:19] Value-Based Care and Outcome Guarantees[41:14] Regulatory Challenges and Innovation Constraints[43:38] Closing Thoughts and Entrepreneurial Advice Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Hemant Taneja, the CEO & Managing Director of General Catalyst. GC is one of the world's largest venture capital firms, most recently raising an $8B fund in 2024. The firm has invested in companies like Livongo, Cityblock Health, and Hippocratic AI. They discuss the possibility of a $100B healthcare company, how buying a health system can accelerate partnerships, what will succeed in AI, and more. [0:00] Intro[0:54] Hemant's Healthcare Journey[2:25] A Vision for 2030[3:36] Transforming Healthcare Systems[6:03] The Role of AI and Technology in Healthcare[9:04] Incubation and Investment Strategies[13:43] Platform Focus in Health Tech[21:42] Exploring International Healthcare Opportunities[24:48] AI Transformations Across Industries[25:51] Innovative Financing in Venture Capital[34:41] The Future of AI and Venture Capital[38:18] Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Stef van Grieken, Co-Founder & CEO of Cradle. Cradle has raised over $100M from investors like IVP and Index Ventures to build and expand their AI-enabled protein engineering platform. They discuss how Cradle plans to use their new Series B funding, what's been happening in AI bio, the technical underpinnings of Cradle's platform, and more. [0:00] Intro[0:22] Cradle Bio's Rapid Growth and AI Innovations[0:53] The State of AI in Drug Development[1:15] Challenges and Opportunities in AI Biospace[2:21] Cradle Bio's Approach to Biologics Development[3:11] AI's Role in Hit Identification and Lead Optimization[7:42] Cradle Bio's Software and Customer Base[10:33] Inside Cradle Bio's Lab and Data Strategy[24:10] Future Directions and Protein Modalities[26:21] Navigating the Pharma SaaS Market[28:48] Challenges in Adopting New Protocols[30:15] Software vs. Service Companies[31:47] Gaps in Drug Development[33:46] Advances in AI and Bio[41:28] Future of Drug Discovery[44:18] Advice for Aspiring Bio Entrepreneurs[48:03] Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Dr. Angela Fitch, the Founder and CMO of knownwell. knownwell has raised $25 million from investors like a16z and Flare Capital Partners to provide weight-inclusive primary care and metabolic health care. They discuss the future of obesity care, where we are with GLP-1s, the need to expand coverage, and more. [0:00] Intro[1:06] Current State of Obesity Medicine[2:47] The knownwell Approach[6:06] Challenges in Obesity Treatment[7:23] The Future of Obesity Medication[12:40] Insurance and Access Issues[32:19] Supply Chain and Distribution[35:38] Final Thoughts and Resources Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Parth Mehrotra, CEO of Privia Health. Privia is a physician enablement platform partnering with 4500+ providers towards practice improvement and value-based care. They discuss the most important ways to manage risk, building effective physician enablement solutions, the future of value-based care programs & contracts, and more. [0:00] Intro[0:55] Privia's Business Model and Footprint[3:26] Physician Choices and Privia's Role[6:06] Evolution of Value-Based Care[8:42] Future Role of Payers in Healthcare[10:48] Choosing Geographic Markets for Expansion[11:53] Physician Enablement Market Dynamics[15:02] Influencing Practice Processes Without Ownership[18:52] Evaluating Value-Based Programs[21:47] Capabilities Needed for Risk-Based Contracts[24:28] Risk Pooling and Healthcare Economics[28:31] Future of Value-Based Care[31:40] Primary Care and Specialist Roles[36:18] Commercial vs. Medicare Value-Based Care[39:30] AI in Healthcare: Current and Future Applications[43:02] Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Bryony Winn, President at Carelon. Carelon is the diversified services business within Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), serving 1 in 3 Americans through advanced primary care, behavioral health, specialty enablement, and whole health solutions. They discuss what payers are thinking about, making value-based care work, creating effective provider partnerships, and more.[0:00] Introduction to Vital Signs Podcast[0:41] Understanding Elevance Health and Carelon[1:49] The Future of Healthcare Integration[2:57] Carelon's Strategy and Partnerships[3:47] Navigating Healthcare Transitions[5:22] Lessons from Healthcare Partnerships[8:10] The Role of Value-Based Care[9:55] Innovations and Challenges in Healthcare[21:59] The Commercial Healthcare Landscape[25:00] Cross-Business Initiatives and Medicaid Innovations[28:15] The Impact of Generative AI in Healthcare[32:32] QuickfireOut-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Kristina Saffran, the Co-Founder and CEO of Equip. Equip delivers at-home, virtual eating disorder treatment for both adolescents and adults. They discuss Kristina's journey to founding Equip, getting payors on board, evidence-based treatments for eating disorders, and more. [0:00] Intro[1:06] Kristina's Personal Journey[3:27] Founding Project Heal [4:07] Challenges in Eating Disorder Treatments [5:15] The Role of Evidence-Based Treatments [6:40] Transition to Venture-Backed Startup [13:33] Virtual Care Model for Eating Disorders [17:23] Adapting Treatment for Different Populations [22:42] Working with Insurance Companies [24:37] Equip's Year-Long Care Program [25:15] Challenges in Operationalizing Innovative Payment Models [28:21] Patient Archetypes and Outreach Strategies [32:41] Provider Education and Partnerships [34:16] Growth and Future Plans for Equip [39:07] The Role of Peer Support in Treatment [43:05] Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Amir Dan Rubin, the CEO and Founding Managing Partner at Healthier Capital. Amir previously served as the CEO of One Medical and Stanford Health Care, as well as an EVP at United/Optum. They discuss payer-provider integrations, lessons learned from leading One Medical, applications of generative AI, and more. (0:00) intro(0:44) when does venture capital make sense in the healthcare world?(3:04) the future of health systems as we move towards value-based care(5:14) dealing with staffing shortages and leveraging new technologies(11:49) hospitals investing in companies(16:13) the gold standard of United Optum(18:57) is the payer-provider combo inevitable?(27:21) the key to successful acquisitions(33:36) Amazon's acquisition of One Medical(38:25) over-hyped/under-hyped(40:23) surprises and decisions at One Medical Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Vivek Garg, the Chief Medical Officer & SVP, Primary Care at Humana; Chief Medical Officer at both CenterWell and Conviva; and a former clinical leader at CareMore, Oscar, and One Medical. They discuss Vivek's insights around primary care, value-based care, and more. (0:00) intro(0:52) how different care models compare(7:28) best areas to outsource(11:15) where are we in the adoption of value-based care?(14:40) how do we get hospitals on board with value-based care?(19:38) payer acquisition of provider assets(22:42) payers vs. providers(25:18) something Vivek thought would work that didn't(26:43) AI in healthcare(29:29) ambient clinical documentation(33:59) over-hyped/under-hyped(35:59) another company Vivek would want to run Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Virgílio (“V”) Bento, Founder and CEO of Sword Health, the $3 billion company focused on improving pain management. They discuss Sword's new AI care model, the evolution and key decisions behind Sword's success, customer acquisition, and more. (0:00) intro(1:15) Sword's journey(9:13) advice on selling to employers(16:45) getting employees to use the product(18:41) building Phoenix, an AI care model(22:50) limitations of Phoenix(31:17) Sword's org structure(33:56) less successful ventures for Sword(36:23) working with brokers(39:01) international opportunities(42:12) over-hyped/under-hyped(42:37) parts of the U.S. healthcare system that don't make sense(44:23) flying across the world for dinner with Vinod Khosla(46:57) decisions that were instrumental to Sword's success Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Atul Butte, a professor at UCSF, Chief Data Scientist of the UC Health System, and a co-founder of numerous healthcare startups. They discuss Dr. Butte's takes on healthcare AI opportunities, challenges, hype, and more. (0:00) intro(0:31) AI hype through the years(5:44) when LLMs don't work(8:42) when LLMs surpass humans(11:07) AI adoption timeline(13:22) converting skeptical doctors(20:30) commercialization in AI(24:15) how will AI change med school?(33:28) regulating consumer-facing AI apps(44:08) over-hyped/under-hyped(45:44) coolest AI demos(47:06) what company would Atul want to run? Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. David Shulkin, the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs who has also held roles as CMO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, CEO of Beth Israel Medical Center, and Vice Dean of the Drexel University College of Medicine. They discuss David's experiences innovating within the VA, meeting the health needs of a population, and more. (0:00) intro(0:34) footprint of the VA today(2:38) privatization debate(5:36) solving access to healthcare for veterans(12:29) setting priorities as a leader(19:34) monolithic single-payer funding(23:41) what does the rollout of a massive EHR look like?(32:44) things that the VA does well(38:35) startups having success in the VA(41:26) how will the medical education system change going forward?(44:51) applications of AI in healthcare(48:23) over-hyped/under-hyped(49:20) what company would David want to lead? Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, Co-Founder and CEO of Alan. Alan is a multi-billion dollar French health insurance company that has expanded to become an all-in-one health platform for its consumers. They discuss Alan's product strategy and business model, building AI for healthcare companies, what healthcare looks like in Europe, and more. (0:00) intro(0:47) French healthcare 101(6:30) similarities with Oscar (9:50) building a healthcare super-app(15:11) medical loss ratio(21:58) contracting with providers(29:29) optimizing Alan for different countries/continents  (35:08) finding new users(38:17) AI in healthcare(48:31) over-hyped/under-hyped(50:36) healthcare policy changes Jean-Charles would make in France Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Malay Gandhi, Head of Strategy & Corporate Development at Benchling. Malay previously served as CEO of Rock Health and SVP of Business Operations at Evidation Health, and his seminal pieces helped shape early digital health thinking. They discuss some of Malay's early pieces, the future of life sciences & real-world evidence, building & scaling software at Benchling, and more. (0:00) intro(0:58) how Malay feels about his old essays(8:00) the Benchling story(16:29) serving customers in different industries(22:12) how will AI change Benchling(29:49) the state of tech in biopharma(38:41) the real-world experiment(42:04) have trial designs changed?(46:24) over-hyped/under-hyped Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Will Stokes, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Strive Health, a pioneer in value-based care that partners with payers and providers to care for patients with chronic kidney disease. They discuss the nuances of risk-based contracting, value-based models for specialists, selling to both payers and providers, and more. (0:00) intro(0:39) when do risk-based models make sense(8:50) surprises when building Strive(13:53) negotiating risk-based contracts(21:08) primary care for patients with specialized conditions(30:28) approaching risk-adjustment changes(34:35) using LLMs at Strive(38:44) when does it make sense to incubate a company?Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Dr. Amy Abernethy, whose health tech career spans from clinician and researcher to CMO at Flatiron Health to Principal Deputy Commissioner and Chief Innovation Officer at the FDA to CMO and President of Product Development at Verily to co-founder of her own non-profit to accelerate evidence generation. They discuss the current and future states of real-world evidence, how clinical research can improve, the adoption of GenAI in healthcare, Verily's growth story, her new venture, and more. (0:00) intro(0:40) real-world evidence(13:48) the future of control arms in clinical trials(22:16) startup ideas(25:04) generative AI in healthcare(27:18) regulating AI(35:09) the evolution of Verily(38:26) what is next for Amy?(42:59) over-hyped/under-hyped(43:37) one policy change to improve healthcare in the U.S. Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Oscar Health is a $4B public healthcare company, providing healthcare insurance to nearly 1 million members. Oscar is at the forefront of AI adoption, continuously developing new AI use cases in healthcare. On this week's episode, we sat down with Oscar Health Co-Founder, former CEO, and now President of Technology Mario Schlosser to talk about where AI will have the biggest impact in healthcare, limitations of GPT-4 in healthcare, and why can't we have robot doctors today. (0:00) intro(1:06) how will AI change healthcare in the next decade(9:09) how Oscar uses AI(18:40) how to build around healthcare requirements(25:46) when would GPT-4 fail "miserably" and fundamental limitations of LLMs(36:28) we shouldn't piss off our smartest robots(38:15) sharing AI knowledge between companies(41:50) developing healthcare-specific models(44:35) hackathons and karaoke nights at Oscar(49:07) the need for a safety layer in LLMs(51:33) best commercial opportunities in healthcare(55:19) will their be AI doctors this decade?(59:18) over-hyped/under-hyped(1:00:49) most exciting AI company?(1:08:46) over-hyped/under-hyped Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Sarah London, CEO of Centene Corporation, the largest managed Medicaid organization in the country, serving 15 million Medicaid members. They discuss Medicaid partnerships and redeterminations, SDoH innovation and outcomes, and payers vertically expanding their ownership. (0:00) intro(0:39) Centene's footprint today(1:37) working with startups(6:24) Centene's priorities(12:23) how state RFPs have changed over time(15:04) differences between states(18:40) Medicaid redeterminations(22:35) will every payer end up looking like United Optum?(29:09) what kind of data is most helpful?(31:46) where Gen AI can be implemented in healthcare(35:20) ICHRA markets Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob sits down with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel again to discuss the future of health policy and care delivery, hyped innovations in healthcare, market trends among payers and providers, and more.  (0:00) intro(0:57) generative AI(4:08) the ethics of NOT using AI(7:04) ML-based risk adjustment(11:46) why didn't hospitals become payers?(19:37) what does the future of hospitals look like?(26:15) can insurance cover mental health treatment for everybody?(29:45) GLP-1s(35:02) the future of healthcare policy(41:07) what should we be learning from the way other countries do healthcare?(45:57) Ben Franklin(49:37) Zeke Bar update Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Toyin Ajayi, Co-Founder and CEO of Cityblock Health, an SDoH-focused provider of primary care, behavioral health, and chronic disease management for Medicaid and dual eligible patients. They discuss innovating in Medicaid, engaging patients with digital solutions, building sustainable companies, and more. (0:00) intro(0:50) the state of Medicaid innovation today(2:33) Toyin's time at Commonwealth(7:33) incubators in the current climate(11:02) biggest risks starting Cityblock(14:46) surprises in building Cityblock(23:06) how Cityblock chooses which services to offer and which to outsource(29:22) lower acuity patients(33:23) state-by-state differences(37:59) policy changes to improve Medicaid(42:15) a shift towards profitability(45:01) generative AI Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Marta Bralic Kerns, Founder and CEO of Pomelo Care, a multispecialty virtual medical practice that cares for mothers and babies from preconception to one year postpartum. They discuss payer contracting and Medicaid, career advice for those joining startups, why maternity care is such a pressing issue in the US, and more. (0:00) intro(0:47) maternity outcomes in the U.S.(5:39) clinician supply issue(6:56) how Pomelo Care works(12:20) how patients find Pomelo(15:21) how Pomelo fits into the healthcare journey after pregnancy(17:06) pitching Pomelo to payers(24:16) Pomelo's Medicaid focus(26:59) state-by-state differences in maternity care(30:30) constraints to growing Pomelo(31:34) team-based maternity care(34:19) how to sell to payers(40:43) advice for people early in their health-tech careers(45:32) Flatiron and EHRs(51:17) over-hyped/under-hyped(53:06) NOT hiring Nikhil Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil speak with Farzad Mostashari, Founder and CEO of Aledade, which supports independent primary care practices to succeed in value-based care. Farzad talks about the current evidence of success in VBC, why VBC is still underhyped, barriers for Medicaid models, and more. (0:00) intro(0:40) why we don't see more doctors starting their own practices(8:32) what actually works in value-based care?(11:48) what does Aledade do?(23:18) how competitive has it become to acquire new practices?(28:29) Aledade First(37:27) one policy change Farzad would make in healthcare(42:18) best way to learn more about Aledade Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil speak with Heather Fernandez, CEO and Co-Founder of Solv, a company that focuses on getting people access to high-quality, last-minute care. Heather discusses the future of urgent care, operating a digital health company during Covid, crafting a strong go-to-market strategy, the role of private equity in urgent care, and more. (0:00) intro(3:07) what is Solv?(10:50) why is scheduling so bad in healthcare?(16:03) is urgent care a net good?(20:35) areas where urgent care can improve(24:07) will urgent and longitudinal care combine somehow?(25:31) Solv during Covid(32:54) state by state healthcare nuances(39:16) private equity and urgent care Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Mark Cuban to discuss his pharmaceutical startup, The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. They discuss why Mark entered the healthcare industry, competing on price, staying curious, and the future of AI. (0:00) intro (1:05) Mark's journey into healthcare (3:57) how the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company works (7:51) B2B angle and disrupting PBMs(12:51) getting into biologics and biosimilars (24:46) manufacturing drugs (27:11) how much of a role can technology play in healthcare? (33:06) why Mark doesn't put his name on buildings (35:35) over-hyped/under-hyped (40:08) policy changes that could improve healthcare (41:17) Mark's best cameo

Jacob sits down with Marley Medical CEO Chris Hogg to discuss how he and his team select markets, think about go-to-market and utilize AI. Chris also reflects on his learnings from Propeller and more. 0:00 intro1:08 digital health over the last decade3:01 100Plus5:45 Propeller and fitting into patients' daily lives12:37 is the B2B2C model flawed?17:01 Marley Medical19:32 selecting markets28:23 standing out from the competition30:23 how is Marley using AI?36:57 over-hyped/under-hyped

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Sean Duffy, the CEO of health tech unicorn Omada Health, to discuss how Omada is using Large Language Models and incorporating GLP-1s into its care. They also hit on how Omada has thought and evolved its employer pricing. 0:00 intro0:43 starting Omada Health5:14 how Omada differs from Sean's original vision8:58 evolving employer pricing16:31 how the care model has changed over time 19:25 GLP-1s27:14 how Omada has incorporated AI36:12 Livongo-Teladoc merger40:20 coining the term “digital therapeutics”43:14 over-hyped/under-hyped44:47 policy changes that could improve healthcare

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Savvy CEO Suril Kantaria to discuss the future of the ICHRA market, what he would do differently if he was starting Savvy today and lessons from working with Elon at Twitter. 00:00 intro00:35 ICHRA06:20 is this better for employees?15:20 is ICHRA policy doomed to fail?19:10 venture's role in healthcare24:00 early founders building in “stealth”29:00 making the decision to “stop” as a founder34:12 working with Elon at Twitter

Jacob sits down with PathAI Ceo Dr. Andy Beck to discuss the state of AI adoption in diagnosis, why Path acquired their own lab, pathologists' jobs in the future and nailing GTM to reach a ~$1B valuation.  00:00 intro 01:01 pathology and AI 13:30 nailing go-to-market strategy 19:47 how pathology labs can go digital 25:36 regulatory frameworks and roadblocks 33:05 do improvements in foundation models impact PathAI? 36:26 standardizing diagnoses 40:05 how will the job of a pathologist change going forward? 42:35 NASH 47:30 working in Daphne Koller's lab

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Austin Chiang, an interventional GI doc and Chief Medical Officer of Medtronic's GI business who also has >500K TikTok Followers. We discuss how social media companies deal with public health issues, how doctors can use social media, lessons from being a “physician influencer,” the consumerization of GLP-1s and more. 0:00 intro1:02 how Austin got into medicine and social media4:59 highlights and lowlights of being a recognizable figure in the medical world8:47 balancing engagement with education25:22 how to steer away from misinformation30:51 the consumerization of GLP-1s39:24 tips for doctors on social media45:45 how to market to physicians47:31 public health campaigns on social media 52:10 Austin's favorite post

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dotmatics CEO Thomas Swalla to discuss R&D software, differences in software requirements across biotechs, growing through 11 acquisitions and expanding beyond life sciences.  0:00 intro0:36 getting into healthcare5:20 what R&D looks like today8:03 what does Dotmatics do?13:06 differences in software requirements across biotechs20:15 bundling vs. “best-of-breed”23:46 do life sciences need their own data tools?26:44 incorporating AI into Dotmatics tools34:38 AI replacing scientists37:39 how Dotmatics tools can serve companies outside of life sciences39:50 acquisition strategy44:43 spaces for innovation in R&D

Jacob sits down with Insitro CEO Daphne Koller to discuss founding Coursera, where and how ML can drive the most impact in drug development, and if foundation models can transform core drug discovery work and edtech. 00:00 intro00:59 Daphne's journey09:02 AI and biology discovery10:42 insitro vs. traditional pharma19:47 phenotyping patients25:44 early mistakes29:34 the future of data35:16 partnering with larger pharma companies38:00 impact of LLMs on biopharma43:47 over-hyped/under-hyped

00:00 intro01:08 James' background04:39 regulation of AI medical devices14:43 impact of foundation models on healthcare19:41 the future of cancer detection23:47 real-world control arms35:18 AI drift37:42 over-hyped/under-hyped40:03 most surprising AI interaction 

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and discuss his reflections on his “Why I want to Die at 75” piece, how publishing/financial incentives harm research, doctors' increasing social isolation and his love of chocolate-making.

Jacob sits down with HumanFirst CEO Andy Coravos and Orchestra CEO Ashoka Rajendra to discuss at home data collection in trials, Andy being an EIR at the FDA, why Benchling has been so successful and more.

Andy Slavitt, former Optum EVP, head of CMS, COVID advisor and healthcare.gov saver joins Nikhil and Jacob to discuss public/private sector collaboration, Optum's evolution, and his lessons on communication from COVID. Andy also shared his career journey, what he would do if he was running United today and how the private sector can work better with the public sector.

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Mike Kopko, CEO and co-founder of Pearl Health to discuss Pearl's care model and what it's been like building the company as ACO Reach evolved. Mike also shares some great stories negotiating claims in the early days of Oscar.

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Jeffrey Kang, CEO of WellBe Senior Medical, and former President of ChenMed, SVP Health and Wellness Solutions at Walgreens, CMO at Cigna, CMO at CMS and CEO of Urban Medical Group. They discuss risk adjustment, retailers in healthcare and how healthcare has/hasn't changed since his work doing risk-based care for complex patients and at CMS in the 80s and 90s.

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Naomi Allen, CEO and founder of Brightline (child and teen focused mental health company that's raised >$100M) and Castlight/Livongo exec. They discuss the difficulties of balancing employer customers and employee satisfaction at Castlight, how Livongo captured member delight and Brightline's care model.

Jacob sits down with Geisinger CEO Dr. Jaewon Ryu to discuss how he and Geisinger think about their Fresh Food Farmacy, population-wide DNA sequencing efforts, and transforming medical education.

Jacob sits down with Homeward Health CEO and former Castlight and Livongo CMO Dr. Jenny Schneider to discuss solving provider shortages in rural markets, how tech can/can't help care and what Livongo did to make coaching more effective.

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Tomorrow Health CEO and former Oscar Texas GM Vijay Kedar to discuss lessons he learned at Oscar, reflections on the ACA market, the nuances of operationalizing at home care and what Tomorrow is building.

Jacob and Nikhil discuss annual health-tech predictions and are then joined by Thyme Care co-founders Robin Shah and Dr. Bobby Green to discuss the nuances of taking risk in oncology, lessons on selling to providers, and what they're building at Thyme Care. 0:00-9:10 Jacob & Nikhil discussion 9:13-end Thyme Care founders interview with Robin Shah and Dr. Bobby Green

Jacob sits down with Chris Gibson, the co-founder and CEO of Recursion, to discuss how Recursion predicted drugs that would be effective for COVID, his take on different techbio business models, what pharma R&D will look like in 25 years and more.

Jacob sits down with Dr. Arif Nathoo, the CEO of Komodo Health (most recently valued at $3.3B) to discuss Komodo's journey from a single app to a platform, why EHR data is overhyped and where healthcare data is headed.

Jacob and Nikhil sat down with Dr. Bob Kocher, the Venrock partner who helped write the Affordable Care Act while in the Obama administration to discuss how health systems will increase productivity, what drives healthcare costs, and his reflections on the ACA.

Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Carbon Health CEO and founder Eren Bali to discuss Carbon Health's evolution, how he thinks about Carbon Health's tech, partnerships and expansion and what policy changes he thinks would improve healthcare.