The Decisions That Create Value Happen Before the Deal

You Can't AI Your Way to a Sale in Healthcare: Why Founders Must Sell Before They Hire

Most digital health founders know how to build. Some know how to raise. Far fewer know how to translate early traction into a repeatable revenue engine — and that gap is where companies stall, burn capital, and make expensive hiring mistakes. In this episode, Amanda sits down with Kirk Barnes, founder of TransPharMed and a digital health commercialization strategist with a career spanning pharma, startups, incubators, and innovation ecosystems. Kirk has spent decades helping founders navigate the difficult transition from founder-led sales to scalable commercial infrastructure — and he doesn't sugarcoat what most get wrong. They cover where digital health founders consistently misfire on their first sales hire, why healthcare is not generic SaaS, how a single bad hire can cost a startup $400,000 or more, why AI can support but not replace trust in complex sales environments, and why founders need to master the sale before they hand it off to anyone else. If you're a founder preparing to scale your commercial team — or an investor watching portfolio companies burn through runway on the wrong hires — this conversation is worth your full attention.   Topics Covered * Founder-led sales and when to transition * The true cost of a bad first sales hire in digital health * Why healthcare is not generic SaaS * How to structure your first commercial hire correctly * AI's role in sales preparation and workflow — and where it falls short * Why trust and human connection still drive complex healthcare deals * Capital allocation mistakes early-stage founders make * Why raising money is not a milestone worth celebrating   About the Guest Kirk Barnes is a digital health commercialization strategist and the founder of TransPharMed. He has worked across pharma, biotech, startups, and innovation ecosystems helping companies build the sales infrastructure and mindset needed to scale. Kirk also founded the Digital Health Sales Institute, a resource for founders learning to sell before they hire. 🔗 Connect with Kirk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkbarnes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkbarnes/]   About the Host Amanda Verner Thompson is the Founder & CEO of Madison Advisory AI and a former healthcare investment banker with two decades of experience advising healthcare services companies, founders, and investors on growth, strategy, and transactions. Through the Madison Advisory AI Podcast, Amanda leads conversations with founders, operators, investors, and executives navigating leadership, decision-making, and AI adoption across healthcare and founder-led businesses. 🔗 Website: https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/ [https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/] 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/]

The Long Build: How EyeQue Grew a Decade Without Venture Backing

Episode Summary Most healthcare technology companies are built on venture timelines. John Serri built EyeQue on a different premise — that the technology would eventually matter enough to justify the long game. Founded in 2015, EyeQue set out to make accurate vision testing accessible through a smartphone. Nearly a decade later, the company holds 35 patents, operates across direct-to-consumer and B2B channels, and is now integrating AI to reduce support burden, accelerate development, and improve testing accuracy. In this conversation, John and Amanda cover what it takes to build in a regulated healthcare market without venture backing — navigating FDA registration, evolving from D2C to a telemedicine platform, and making capital decisions across multiple market cycles. They also dig into EyeQue's current inflection point and how John is weighing equity investment versus a strategic partnership for the next phase of growth.   Key Themes * Building without venture capital — discipline and trade-offs of a decade-long independent build * D2C to telemedicine — how regulatory realities and COVID shaped EyeQue's evolution * AI as an operational tool — cutting support costs, accelerating development, speeding up testing * The vision care market — the myopia epidemic, aging population, and provider shortage * Capital strategy — equity investment versus strategic partnership at an inflection point * What investors get wrong — why understanding the technology matters as much as the return   About the Guest John Serri is the CEO and Founder of EyeQue Inc, which he co-founded in 2015 to rethink vision testing using smartphones, optical hardware, and telemedicine infrastructure. EyeQue has developed 35 patents, registered seven devices with the FDA, and scaled across D2C and B2B channels. John brings a background in aerospace and physics to healthcare technology and is based in Pleasanton, California.   About the Host Amanda Verner Thompson is the Founder & CEO of Madison Advisory AI and a former healthcare investment banker with nearly two decades of experience advising healthcare services companies, founders, and investors on growth, strategy, and transactions. Through the Madison Advisory AI Podcast, Amanda leads conversations with founders, operators, investors, and executives navigating leadership, decision-making, and AI adoption across healthcare and founder-led businesses. Website: https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/ [https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/]

Technology May Be Our Greatest Hope for Suicide Prevention

EPISODE SUMMARY As technology becomes embedded in daily life, the conversation around mental health has grown more complex. We hear constantly about the risks. But there is a less discussed perspective: technology may be one of our most powerful tools for improving mental health outcomes and preventing suicide.   Dr. Dan Reidenberg has spent decades at the forefront of suicide prevention. He serves as Managing Director at the National Council for Suicide Prevention and is the founder of Safe Online Standards — the world's first rating system for technology companies on mental health and wellbeing.   In this conversation, we explore the dual nature of technology in mental health, what leaders most misunderstand about suicide prevention, the responsibility of technology platforms, and why Dan believes AI may be the field's greatest source of hope. KEY THEMES •      The dual role of technology — risk and protective factor in mental health •      How algorithms amplify mental health vulnerability •      Why suicide never has a single cause — and what that means for prevention •      What leaders most misunderstand about suicide in the workplace •      Safe Online Standards: the world's first rating system for social media platforms •      AI as a protective factor — 24/7 access to support when clinicians aren't available •      The human-in-the-loop imperative in behavioral healthcare •      Why young people's willingness to talk gives Dan his greatest hope   ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Dan Reidenberg is one of the leading voices in suicide prevention and behavioral health. He serves as Managing Director at the National Council for Suicide Prevention and is the founder of Safe Online Standards — the world's first comprehensive rating system for technology companies on mental health, wellbeing, suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, released February 2026. Throughout his career he has advised technology companies, healthcare organizations, and corporate leaders on evidence-based approaches to prevention and breaking through stigma.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-reidenberg-9264864/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-reidenberg-9264864/] Safe Online Standards: https://www.safeonlinestandards.org/ [https://www.safeonlinestandards.org/]     ABOUT THE HOST Amanda Verner Thompson is the founder of Madison Advisory AI and host of the Madison Advisory AI Podcast. With nearly two decades of investment banking experience, she has advised founders, operators, and investors on healthcare and behavioral health transactions — from capital raises to sell-side M&A. Madison Advisory AI is a boutique advisory firm at the intersection of strategy, capital, and AI adoption, focused on healthcare services and behavioral health.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/] Madison Advisory AI Website: https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/ [https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/] CRISIS RESOURCES If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US) Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

The Decisions That Create Value Happen Before the Deal

Episode Summary Most founders don’t realize they’re leaving value on the table until a banker walks in the door and by then, much of the story is already written. In this episode of the Madison Advisory AI Podcast, Amanda sits down with Sterling Morris to discuss the decisions that shape enterprise value long before a transaction ever begins. Drawing from his background in investment banking and corporate development, Sterling shares a practical perspective on what founders in the $5M–$50M revenue range consistently overlook: operational discipline, transferability, and the hidden risks that surface during diligence. The conversation explores why many founder-led businesses become overly dependent on the founder themselves, how key man risk directly impacts deal structure and valuation, and why communication and judgment become even more valuable as AI automates more execution-oriented work. Amanda and Sterling also discuss the reality of AI adoption for smaller businesses: where it creates leverage, where it creates noise, and why founders need trusted advisors to navigate a rapidly changing environment. This is a grounded conversation about leadership, value creation, and decision-making under uncertainty, not just during a transaction, but in the years leading up to one.   Key Themes Value Creation Starts Before the Transaction: Many of the issues that impact valuation — financial reporting gaps, operational inefficiencies, customer concentration, and founder dependency — are created years before a sale process begins and become far harder to fix once diligence is underway. The Hidden Impact of Key Man Risk: Buyers are often evaluating whether a business can operate independently after the founder exits. AI as Leverage Not Replacement: AI can accelerate research, drafting, and operational efficiency, but it cannot replace trust, accountability, context, or human judgment. Communication as a Competitive Advantage: As more execution becomes automated, communication, critical thinking, and relationship-building become even more important differentiators for founders, operators, and advisors.   About Sterling Morris Sterling Morris brings experience across investment banking, corporate development, growth strategy, and founder advisory. Throughout his career, he has worked alongside founder-led businesses navigating growth, operational scaling, M&A processes, and strategic transitions. His current work focuses primarily on businesses in the $5M–$50M revenue range, helping founders think through the operational, financial, and strategic decisions that ultimately drive long-term enterprise value. Website: https://www.acuxcel.com/ [https://www.acuxcel.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinglmorris11/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinglmorris11/]   About the Host Amanda Verner Thompson is the Founder & CEO of Madison Advisory AI and a former healthcare investment banker with nearly two decades of experience advising healthcare services companies, founders, and investors on growth, strategy, and transactions. Through the Madison Advisory AI Podcast, Amanda leads conversations with founders, operators, investors, and executives navigating leadership, decision-making, and AI adoption across healthcare and founder-led businesses. Website: https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/ [https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/]

Growth, Differentiation, and Decision-Making in the Age of AI

Episode Summary In this episode of the Madison Advisory AI Podcast, Amanda is joined by Rob Lemos, SVP of Growth and Strategy at Mosaic Health, for a conversation on what actually drives growth, alignment, and decision-making inside complex healthcare organizations. Rob brings the perspective of an operator working at the intersection of strategy and execution. The discussion focuses on where growth efforts break down in practice — particularly at the interface between growth and operations — and why alignment across teams, incentives, and stakeholders ultimately determines whether initiatives succeed. Amanda and Rob explore what it takes to deploy AI effectively within healthcare enterprises, including a key distinction between organizations that aim to lead in AI and those that choose to be fast followers. Each path requires different structures, decision-making processes, and cultural readiness. They also examine how AI is raising the bar for executive clarity. As messaging becomes easier to generate, differentiation becomes harder to demonstrate. If leadership teams cannot clearly articulate what makes their organization distinct, no technology will compensate. Topics covered include: * The interplay between growth and operations, and when to involve operators in the BD process * Why alignment — internal, external, and personal — drives integration success * Evaluating partners and leaders when data is incomplete * Where judgment still outweighs analytics: hiring, narrative-building, and strategic decisions * What founders need to communicate clearly in the first 30 seconds * The evolving role of human judgment as AI capabilities accelerate This episode is for healthcare operators, founders, and investors navigating growth and decision-making in an increasingly complex and fast-moving environment. Connect with Rob Lemos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lemosrob/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lemosrob/] About the Madison Advisory AI Podcast Conversations at the intersection of strategy, capital, and AI — with founders, operators, and investors shaping the future of healthcare and behavioral health. Hosted by Amanda Verner Thompson, Co-Founder of Madison Advisory AI. Website: https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/ [https://www.madisonadvisory.ai/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-verner-thompson/]