Becoming a Founder Without Putting Your Finances at Risk

Why Physician Founders Outperform in Healthcare Startups with Dr. David Lortscher

What happens when physicians bring clinical insight into the startup world? In this episode of the Startup Physicians Podcast, Dr. Alison Curfman sits down with dermatologist, founder, and author Dr. David Lortscher, co-founder of a teledermatology company that scaled to hundreds of employees, served 5 million patients, and reached a billion-dollar valuation. They discuss why physicians are uniquely positioned to identify real healthcare problems, what makes doctor-led startups so powerful, and why clinical expertise must be paired with humility, curiosity, and the right co-founder dynamic. Dr. Lortscher also shares insights from his book, Why Doctors Win, including the data behind physician-founded healthcare companies and the common patterns he found among successful physician entrepreneurs. This conversation is for physicians who see problems in healthcare and wonder whether they might be the right person to help solve them.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. David Lortscher 00:59 From Dermatology to a Billion-Dollar Startup 03:33 How Physicians Spot Problems Others Miss 07:58 What Successful Physician Founders Have in Common 10:16 The Data Behind Why Doctors Win 13:42 Learning Business Without Losing Clinical Insight 19:19 Finding the Right Co-Founder 24:49 How to Test an Early Startup Idea 26:07 Building a Startup Plan That Creates Leverage 30:08 Where to Find David and Why Doctors Win   Resources Connect with Dr. David Lortscher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlortschermd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlortschermd/] Read Why Doctors Win: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Doctors-Win-Creating-High-Impact/dp/B0FXMQF3J6 [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Doctors-Win-Creating-High-Impact/dp/B0FXMQF3J6] Want to go deeper? Launchpad: https://www.startupphysicians.com/launchpad [https://www.startupphysicians.com/launchpad] Free Resources: https://www.startupphysicians.com/resources [https://www.startupphysicians.com/resources] Incubator: https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator [https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator]

Why Physicians Belong at the Strategy Table with Dr. Sarah Matt

In this episode of the Startup Physicians Podcast, Dr. Alison Curfman talks with Dr. Sarah Matt about building a nonlinear physician career and why doctors make powerful startup strategists. Dr. Matt shares her journey from burn surgery to healthcare strategy, startups, Oracle, remote robotic surgery, consulting, and authoring The Borderless Healthcare Revolution. Together, they explore how physicians can bring clinical insight into product development, go-to-market strategy, commercialization, and early-stage innovation. This conversation is for doctors who have ever looked at a broken part of healthcare and thought, “There has to be a better way.” You do not need the perfect plan to begin. You need to write the idea down, talk to the right people, validate the problem, and start learning from real feedback. They also discuss why physicians belong at the strategy table, how AI is changing what solo founders can build, and why iteration matters more than perfection.   Chapters 00:00 – Meet Dr. Sarah Matt 01:12 – From burn surgery to business strategy 04:21 – Why physicians belong in startup strategy 07:31 – The nonlinear physician career path 11:41 – Doctors as connectors in healthcare innovation 15:09 – Impact, money, and sustainable business models 19:05 – Advice for physicians with early ideas 22:05 – AI and the solo physician founder 24:58 – Iteration, validation, and stakeholder feedback   Resources Connect with Dr. Sarah Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmattmd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmattmd/] Visit Dr. Sarah Matt’s website: drsarahmatt.com [http://drsarahmatt.com] Learn more about Startup Physicians: startup-physicians.com [http://startup-physicians.com] Explore the Startup Physicians Incubator: https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator [https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator]

The Growth Strategy Most Physicians Miss with Venture Builder Tomasz Rudolf

How do you know if your healthcare idea could become a scalable startup? In this episode, Dr. Alison Curfman talks with Tomasz Rudolf, entrepreneur, venture builder, digital health founder, and Startup Physicians advisor, about how physicians can validate ideas, identify who will pay, avoid building too soon, and choose between a lifestyle business and a venture-backed startup. They also discuss why physicians are uniquely positioned to build tech-enabled service models that subtract work from healthcare teams instead of adding another tool.   Learn more: startupphysicians.com [http://startupphysicians.com] Join the physician founder webinar on May 18 from 7:00–8:30 PM Central Time. Register here: https://startupphysicians.easywebinar.live/founders [https://startupphysicians.easywebinar.live/founders]   CHAPTERS: 00:17 — Introductions 02:28 — From entrepreneurship to healthcare innovation 06:35 — How to validate a startup idea early 09:28 — Customer discovery and talking to buyers 16:12 — Testing assumptions before building 17:12 — Who will pay for your solution? 20:48 — AI, service models, and the future of healthcare work 23:28 — Why subtracting work matters 27:11 — Lifestyle business vs. venture-backed startup 29:30 — Why founders need structure and support 33:12 — Why physicians are uniquely positioned to build 36:00 — Startup Physicians webinar invitation 38:29 — Closing advice for physician founders\   RESOURCES: Startup Physicians startupphysicians.com [http://startupphysicians.com] For physicians exploring healthcare innovation, venture-backed startups, and the Startup Physicians Incubator. Physician Founder Webinar Date: May 18 Time: 7:00–8:30 PM Central Time Topic: How physicians can move from an idea to a venture-ready healthcare startup. Register Here: https://startupphysicians.easywebinar.live/founders [https://startupphysicians.easywebinar.live/founders]   Startup Physicians Incubator A structured pathway for physicians who have startup ideas and want support validating, modeling, positioning, and building scalable healthcare ventures. Apply here: https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator [https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator]

Startup vs. Small Business for Physician Founders

What’s the difference between a healthcare startup and a physician-owned small business? In this solo episode, Alison Curfman breaks down how physician founders can choose the right path before they build. She explains why startups and small businesses differ from day one in their growth strategy, funding needs, ownership structure, scalability, and long-term outcomes. Alison shares lessons from her own founder journey, including how a healthcare concept can move from a small clinical practice idea to a venture-backed startup built for enterprise partnerships, rapid scale, and a multi-nine-figure valuation. This episode also covers why AI, tech-enabled services, financial modeling, product roadmaps, and human-centered care are becoming essential for the next generation of physician-led healthcare companies. For physician entrepreneurs, clinician founders, and healthcare innovators, this episode offers a practical framework for deciding whether you’re building a small business, a scalable startup, or something in between. RESOURCES Additional Resources for Physician Founders: https://www.startupphysicians.com/resources [https://www.startupphysicians.com/resources] Startup Physicians Incubator Program for Scaling Healthcare Startups: https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator [https://www.startupphysicians.com/incubator]    CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction 00:15 — Startup vs. small business: the core difference 03:05 — Why startups are built for scale from day one 05:39 — The four things startups do before launch 08:55 — Ownership, funding, and capital decisions 10:35 — Why AI and tech-enabled services matter now 15:15 — Frameworks for building in either lane 19:10 — Choosing the path that matches your goals 22:00 — Startup Physicians resources and incubator invite

The Startup Playbook Physicians Don’t Learn in Medical School with Venture Advisor Kim Sharp

Physicians are trained to solve complex problems, but most are never taught how to turn a clinical insight into a scalable company. In this episode of the Startup Physicians Podcast, Dr. Alison Curfman sits down with Startup & Venture Advisor Kim Sharp to talk about the startup playbook physicians don’t learn in medical school. They discuss what physician founders need before they pitch, build, raise capital, or launch — including financial models, MVPs, data rooms, cap tables, product strategy, advisor networks, and venture readiness. If you have a healthcare idea but feel overwhelmed by the startup world, this episode will help you understand what it takes to move from idea to launch with more structure, confidence, and support. CHAPTERS 00:00 — Why Physician Founders Matter 01:59 — Meet Kim Sharp 05:33 — Why Physicians Have a Startup Advantage 06:35 — What Doctors Need to Learn Before Building 09:33 — De-Risking Your Idea Before You Launch 13:08 — Why Investors Bet on the Founder 14:24 — Financial Models, MVPs, and Pitch Decks 22:35 — Data Rooms, Cap Tables, and Venture Readiness 26:00 — Building Advisors, Community, and Support 28:35 — Building for Scale vs. Starting Small 32:43 — Strategic Networks and Warm Introductions 35:16 — Preparing for HLTH and Investor Meetings 39:03 — Who the Startup Physicians Incubator Is For 42:14 — How to Apply to the Incubator 43:53 — Why the Incubator Does Not Take Equity 45:32 — Closing Thoughts Resources Apply to the Startup Physicians Incubator: https://startupphysicians.com/incubator [https://startupphysicians.com/incubator] Explore free resources for physician founders: https://startupphysicians.com/resources [https://startupphysicians.com/resources] Learn more about Startup Physicians: https://startupphysicians.com [https://startupphysicians.com] Connect with Startup Physicians on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-physicians/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-physicians/]