theDeviceDr

If you’re an entrepreneur starting to raise money… Caution: Investor Meetings ≠ Sales Meetings. Why👇🏻 Differences: ➊ Longer Horizons ❌ Don’t expect an immediate “yes.” ✅ Do aim for interest and next steps. ➋ Data-Driven Questions ❌ Don’t assume “features” are enough. ✅ Do prepare for sharp questions about your team, IP, and growth plan. 💡 Bonus → Bring realistic, balanced projections. However, there’s some similarities: Similarities: 1️⃣ End Goal: → Whether selling a product or pitching your business, you’re driving toward the same outcome: a deal. 2️⃣ Relationship First: → Investors and sales prospects both want to connect with someone professional, credible, and engaging before committing. But why is this 1st meeting so crucial? Planning is crucial. It sets the tone. Investors decide: • Are you credible? • Is your idea compelling? • Do they want to learn more? What do do before/during/after: ➤ Before: Research your audience. Refine your pitch (short, compelling). ➤ During: Be confident yet adaptable. Focus on your unique solution & business model. ➤ After: Provide clear next steps. Follow up with thoughtful responses. In one of my earliest pitches, I aimed too high with aggressive forecasts. The investor nodded politely… then left the room and that was it. Lesson learned: ✅ Find the balance between enthusiasm and realism. P.S. How do I know? I’ve shared some of my specific funding experiences in the comments. If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask, and I’ll do my best to answer!

Is Thanksgiving the most important holiday in the US? I’d say yes—here’s why and how I spent it: 👇🏻 Thanksgiving is non-denominational. ❌ Most holidays aren’t celebrated by everyone (🎅🏼). ✅ Thanksgiving is dedicated to everyone in the US! That’s also why it’s the #1 travel day each year! Why is it important to my family? I’m a 3x dad and 8x granddad! So, while for Christmas we travel a ton, for Thanksgiving we focus on our “core family.” ⭐ I’m grateful that they all live within 60 minutes of us. For me, yesterday was: • Meeting at my son’s house in San Ramon. • “Core family” still meant 18 people! 😄 • Eating good food (and I brought some presents too!). I just returned from Taiwan ~2 weeks ago… So, my gift was a Taiwanese lantern book! Turns out they are very complicated to assemble.... Each one of my 8 grandkids will get one. (...after I get all 8 of these things put together!) How was your Thanksgiving? And happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone! 😊

If you have a startup... you CAN'T do it alone! Especially not in the medical field. Here's what to do: 👇🏼

In over 30 years in sales, I’ve seen ~80% get this wrong: The “1st sales meeting.” 4 Do’s & 4 Don’ts below: Regardless of what you're selling… [#4 is the most crucial] ➊ ❌ DO NOT see a “No” as negative and move on. ✅ DO ask questions, learn from it, adjust, then continue. ➋ ❌ DO NOT just present all features/benefits upfront. ✅ DO focus on asking the prospect the right questions. 💡 Bonus → Ask what the prospect wants to learn. ➌ ❌ DO NOT leave it as “We’ll be in touch.” ✅ DO maintain contact, learn more, follow up. ➍ ❌ DO NOT attempt to close if timing/demand is off. ✅ DO focus on building a relationship first. However, sales is very fluid... Success depends on: → What, when, why, and to whom you sell. So, while I’ve learned from going through it, please understand and analyze YOUR place first. Then, go and strategize! 😊 What would you add? P.S. Feel free to share some DON’Ts you’ve seen! [Comments!]

Amazon started with books; Netflix started with DVDs. But why are both companies virtually unrecognizable today compared to their original plans? 🌟 They didn’t “stay the course” just because they were following a “plan”! ‼️ I’ve seen many similar major shifts in my career… 👇🏻 Especially when I was COO at Bay Materials, LLC… ➊ It started like this: • We focused on high-margin/lower volume orthodontic materials. • We aimed to raise $5M for growth. ➋ We saw a new opportunity: • I identified explosive growth of high-volume aligner producers as a new opportunity. • An acquisition offer made us replan everything. ➌ This combination made us succeed… even beyond our original plans. • The aligner shift led to a 10x sales increase. • It also solidified the acquisition. Why’s this relevant? Because our world is spinning faster than ever. Every business needs to adapt with changing technology / market forces / customer demand. And if you have an idea, test it! 2 steps to start with: ⬇️ ✅ Assess intellectual property, market potential, regulatory challenges, resources, and funding opportunities. ✅ Balance business potential with personal and family commitments before taking the plunge. Have you ever had an idea make a 180 flip? How did you get started? [Write it in the comments ⬇️]

Nothing beats a reunion with an old friend! Why I’m so glad “Frank the German” was in town 👇🏻 You might be wondering… “Frank the German? Why is he in the Bay Area?” Frank’s work as an auditor for DQS Global (DQS Medizinprodukte GmbH) brought him here for a client quality systemaudit, and we jumped at the chance to catch up over dinner. We first met back in 2007: 🔙 I was busy developing the go-to-market strategy for NFocus Neuromedical, a neurovascular startup, and Frank, with his engineering and sales expertise in the field, quickly became a key collaborator. Back then, we had another “Frank” on our team, so Frank became “Frank the German” (no offense intended, and definitely none taken!). What’s Frank’s background? 👇🏻 · Neurovascular experience as a design engineer · Neuro sales with his company, Minvasive Technologies · Introduced me to top German interventional radiologists And we travelled together a ton! 🇩🇪 Countless kilometers and hours on the Deutsche Bahn! Frank introduced me to top doctors, helping us set up trials for our new products in 2007 and 2008. Now, Frank’s role as a lead auditor takes him all over the world, but with so many interventional radiology and cardiology companies right here in Silicon Valley, I’m hoping he’ll be back regularly. The perfect time to catch up? Mexican food! 🇲🇽 El Torito, right here in Milpitas. And why Mexican food, you ask? We’ve already hit all the local Chinese, Korean, and American steakhouses over the years! See you next time, Frank! P.S. Do you have friends you always find time to meet, no matter the distance? P.P.S. If you’re in the Bay - send me a message! 😊

This topic is uncomfortable to me (but affects us all…) Aging… especially of our eyes & ears. 👇🏻 I hit a realization recently: At 42, I realized my arms were "too short" for reading—I needed things 24 inches away to see clearly. My first thought? "Am I really this old?" But a quick trip to the drugstore solved it. ✅ $20 for a pair of reading glasses! 97% improved of my vision restored—all for a $20 fix. Aging issue solved right? Wrong… About a decade later, my kids pointed out how often I asked them to repeat things, and I struggled to catch whispers or follow conversations in meetings. An audiology exam revealed I was missing certain sound frequencies—right in the range of human speech. The cause? ❌ No specific diagnosis. Pathology? ❌ None found. Solution? ✅ A sophisticated hearing aid system: • Programmable to amplify my weak frequency zones. · • Background noise reduction & Bluetooth functions. • Adjustable via a mobile app. Cost? A steep $2,000 (discounted!). Problem solved? Unfortunately… not quite. My hearing improved, yes, but understanding speech improved only around 15% in my estimation. So that’s…. 🦻🏻 15% better hearing → for $2,000! 👀 And 97% better vision → for $20?! But why? Here’s the breakdown: Why reading is easier to solve: 💡 Near-vision issues are straightforward. • I can modify the lighting around me. • I can even enlarge text or enhance contrast. • I can adjust the distance to my screen or book. • And if I struggle to read something, I can simply… …read it again! Why hearing is harder to solve: 🧠 Hearing is complex and interactive. • Background noise is out of my hands. • I can’t adjust someone’s speaking/speed/clarity. • Masks, room acoustics, echo in virtual meetings. • Not everyone is thrilled to repeat themselves 3x. But hearing or vision? What makes you “older”? Some Surprising Stats: 👀 Vision: • NIH: 94% of people 12+ have good vision; but 53% of adults 18-34 wear glasses, climbing to 77% for those 55+. 👂 Hearing: • 15.5% of people 20+ have hearing loss. • At 65+, about 31% experience it; at 75+, it’s 40% (...I guess I am in this Unlucky Group!) • U.S. hearing loss is expected to double by 2060. At the end, I’m grateful for the tech and solutions. We just need to keep getting better! Any thoughts about vision loss vs hearing loss? ...what have you “seen"?

$12 BILLION is what Americans will spend today 🎃! Is this worth it? [Let’s see if you disagree with me.] I think: 100%! Because while Halloween is a "scary" holiday… …it really just brings families and communities together. And I think: That’s invaluable! ❤️ I had my own fun Halloween moment, as you can see… ✅ I stopped by my daughter’s house recently, and her three kids insisted on painting me up for the holiday! Fun stuff and good memories. Fortunately, it all came off in a shower after I got home! (But don’t tell the kids that!) 😶 I wish you and your families a great Halloween! P.S. Do you celebrate today?

Medical Devices were mostly the “Wild West” 30 yrs ago. Today, regulations have changed the game. How? 👇🏻 Is this a good or bad development? Let’s explain it in a simple way: → The business side of MedTech is just as crucial to patient care as the tech itself. BUT… Here’s what I’ve observed: → This transformation has unfolded in 4 major ways. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 “𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭” 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. Sales reps used to roam hospitals freely, but that era ended as credentialing took over. 💡 Today, over 90% of hospitals require sales reps to be certified by services like VendorMate or IntelliCentrics—meaning costly certifications and compliance hurdles for reps, but better security for patient environments. 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭/𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐑𝐆𝐬. It used to be chaotic. Pre-‘80s, hospitals didn’t charge on diagnosis. They charged per day, per procedure, per item.. Enter DRGs: 💡 Medicare’s system to standardize what hospitals get paid based on treatment type. ✅ Created predictability and control. ✅ Led to the rise of Ambulatory Surgery Centers—keeping non-critical cases out of hospitals. ❌ Frustrates us at times when devices don’t qualify for higher payments, but DRGs keep the system efficient! 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. The digital age has changed the way we work: ✅ Remote surgeries are possible, connecting top specialists to facilities anywhere. ✅ Digital ordering and product info saves time and streamlines communication. ❌ So much potential here… but still room to grow! 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. Want to treat your favorite doc to a fancy dinner? Sure—but it’s got to be recorded. 💡 The Sunshine Act (2013) mandates transparency in healthcare payments, so any perk, dinner, or travel is recorded in the Open Payments Database. By 2023, in some states, even patients have to be notified of its existence during their first visit. We Have Progress BUT Still Big Hurdles Ahead: The broader picture is this… Yes, MedTech business is more transparent and secure 🎉 Yes, credentialing and DRGs bring structure and efficiency. But in my opinion... Keeping this balance between innovation and regulation will be key to advancing MedTech and patient trust. Final Thoughts: Business changes in MedTech can seem overwhelming or constricting… but remember…it’s all about trust! Trust between patients and providers! Trust between industry folks and providers! ❗ MedTech moves fast, but so must our standards. What do you think? What changes have you noticed?

After 1 week in China, I got back to California! Here’s why I’m excited: 1️⃣ Communication will be easier… 🇨🇳👇🏼 → If you’re with a team in China, WeChat is the ONLY way. Text, send files, pay for meals—it's all done through WeChat, and now you can even link a credit card to it (since many places don’t accept traditional credit cards). Interestingly, my phone had full access to Google services (like Maps and Gmail), but my laptop couldn’t connect to anything Google-related on wifi. 🇺🇸 👇🏼 Here, I’ll go back to what I’m used too: → Gmail, iMessage, and Zelle/Credit Cards! 2️⃣ I’m tired of the travels… AND it’s not just the flight: Long lines at passport control at SFO—definitely understaffed. No issues with luggage or meeting my Uber. The drive home felt long, but I was glad to unpack, do laundry, and plan to pick up the dogs. Felt great on Sunday and thought I’d beaten jetlag by sticking to Pacific time. But then… I woke up late and realized I slept through half of Monday morning! More jetlag than I thought! 3️⃣ Simple: I’m excited to see my family & dogs! → Nothing to add here—self-explanatory! All in all, it was an awesome trip though. Thanks to everyone welcoming me there + welcome me back in California! ❤️ And while I’m happy to be back… …I’m excited for my next Asia travels too! P.S. Where’s your next destination?