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Episodes
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BIO
It hurts to “wander around in the desert” looking for product market fit, but it’s an unavoidable part of the journey and it teaches you a lot of lessons. Trust your instincts as an entrepreneur. Keep iterating until you have something that customers snatch out of your hands, maybe even before it’s perfect.
Dorothea Koh is the founder and CEO of a healthcare technology company, Bot MD. Bot MD is a mobile-based AI chatbot that provides an interface for doctors to quickly access information related to hospital policies, formularies, check who’s on call etc. Along with her founder YC, Dorothea started Bot MD back in 2018 and joined Y Combinator’s summer 2018 batch. Prior to starting Bot MD, Dorothea rocketed up through the ranks at Medtronic and then Baxter, eventually holding the portfolios of country head for Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei and Myanmar. However, she chose to give that up and chose the unconventional path, resigning from her job to start Bot MD.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
Think twice before raising funds. Dorothea thinks of it like credit card debt - you can draw down as much as you want on it, but there’s a hefty interest bill to come later. Do as much as you can to stretch your funds. If your idea isn’t working, think about shutting the firm down rather than raising more money to keep a zombie company going.
It’s important for leaders to be on the ground, so that you know exactly what your customers want. Dorothea used to make her sales reps take her to the deepest parts of China with them to meet her customers.
What life was like at Y Combinator, and how it differs from the Stanford Biodesign courseWhat it was like pitching to her seed investors - and what seed investors are looking forWhat it feels like to “wander in the desert” looking for product market fitHow you know you have product market fitHow you should think about raising funds for your startup - it’s not a free lunchWhat Dorothea learned from working for established medical technology companiesHow Dorothea went to see the users of her company’s products in far flung villages - and the lessons this taught herSkills you should focus on learning when you are working for other larger organisationsWhat’s next for Bot MD
TOPICS WE COVERED -
BIO
Choosing a co-founder is one of the most important steps. In Dorothea’s words, it’s like being married and raising a baby together with your partner. Only you and your co-founder fully understand “how sucky it is when times are down”. It’s during these times that your co-founder might be vital in providing you with encouragement.
Dorothea is the founder and CEO of a healthcare technology company, Bot MD. Bot MD is a mobile-based AI chatbot that provides an interface for doctors to quickly access information related to hospital policies, formularies, check who’s on call etc. Along with her founder YC, Dorothea started Bot MD back in 2018 and joined Y Combinator’s summer 2018 batch. Prior to starting Bot MD, Dorothea rocketed up through the ranks at Medtronic and then Baxter, eventually holding the portfolios of country head for Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei and Myanmar. However, she chose to give that up and chose the unconventional path, resigning from her job to start Bot MD.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
Start by building low-code prototypes. These are prototypes that involve little to no code. The goal is to prove certain hypotheses before you get too caught up with building the prototype.
A startup journey might take 10 years of your life, with lots of stress and sleepless nights. So you need to ask yourself whether your idea is worth the pain of going through that process. Do people want it enough? What is your right to win, and why should you be building it? What’s the size of the market?
What Bot MD doesWhy Dorothea left her first job at EDBThe initial experiment Dorothea ran that made her realise that Bot MD was a good ideaWhy building a startup is a painful journey but a very instructive oneThe importance of having a co-founderWhat a cofounder relationship is likeWhat Dorothea does as CEOFactors to consider when starting a startupDorothea’s epiphany that turned the company around and helped them find product market fitBot MD’s breakthrough product in NUH
TOPICS WE COVERED -
Missing episodes?
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Dr Daniel Ting is the Consultant, Vitreo-retinal surgeon in the Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC), Head of AI and Digital Innovation in the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), and an Associate Professor in Ophthalmology with Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore. He is also the visiting Full Professor in Ophthalmology in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Eye Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, China; 2017-2018 US-ASEAN J. W. Fulbright Scholar to Johns Hopkins University, the EXCO of the American Academy Ophthalmology (AAO) AI Task Force and Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Studies (STARD-AI) Task Force. At present, he is the Associate Editor of Nature Digital Medicine, Section Editor (AI and big data) in British Journal of Ophthalmology (BJO) and the Editor of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Retina, Ophthalmology Science and Asia-pacific Journal of Ophthalmology.
To date, he has published >180 peer-reviewed papers/book chapters/conference abstracts, including >40 AI and digital technology articles in JAMA, NEJM, Nature Medicine, Nature Digital Medicine, Lancet Digital Health and others. Daniel holds several patents in deep learning systems for medical imaging analysis, and is also the co-founder of an AI spin-off company, EyRIS Pte Ltd. EyRIS has commercialised the Singapore Eye Lesion Analyser and to date has partnered with >20 optometry practices.
Perseverance is a fundamental ingredient for success. Dr Ting’s initial work was rejected numerous times, but he never gave up. He kept persisting until it was finally accepted into a big journal (Journal of the American Medical Association) - which was the break he needed to launch his career.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
Mentors are important, both in terms of giving you advice to guide your career and opening door and providing opportunities for you to build new skills and competencies.
If you want to learn new skills, you have to be ready to read a lot. Today this data is freely available on the internet. Apart from reading and listening to talks, you can also consider following the leading lights in the field on twitter for instance to get a feel for where the cutting edge developments are. -
Dr Ngiam Kee Yuan is the Group Chief Technology Officer of the National University Health System (NUHS) Singapore overseeing technology deployment in Western Healthcare Cluster of Singapore. He is concurrently the Deputy Chief Medical Informatics Officer at the National University Hospital of Singapore and has a special focus on artificial intelligence research and implementation in healthcare. He has certification training by the American Medical Informatics Association and has published in computing and medical journals on topics related to healthcare AI applications and technology.
Take a year out if you would like to explore an area that you want to go into. But be clear about what you want to explore and achieve. Keep in close contact with your mentor to ensure that you are not forgotten or lost. Speak to your employers to ensure that the additional skills you come back with are valued by the organisation and are rewarded accordingly.
Dr Ngiam is a Consultant Thyroid and Endocrine Surgeon and Assistant Professor at the Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore specializing in thyroid oncology and minimally invasive endoscopic and robotic thyroid surgery. Dr. Ngiam also engages in research into endocrine and metabolic surgery as well as artificial intelligence applications in healthcare.He promotes interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the NUS campus, particularly between the schools of medicine, engineering, and computer science for various healthcare applications. He has been awarded the ExxonMobil-NUS Research Fellowship for Clinicians and numerous teaching awards for his work in research and education.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
You don’t necessarily need to learn how to code to get started on a project - Dr Ngiam certainly did not know how to when he started. Instead crucially he surrounded himself with experts and became good at translating clinical questions into language computer scientists could understand. He picked up computer science concepts along the way - a much more practical way of learning.
Interesting spaces to look at for the future: (1) Automation of basic mundane processes in healthcare (2) Amalgamating data and giving clinicians tools to build better models and improve patient care.THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT
The origins of Dr Ngiam’s interest in AI and machine learningHow it became apparent to him that a lot of the problems that he was facing in his own research projects were replicated across the entire organisationThe size of this problem and how Dr Ngiam set out to tackle itGathering a team and building a community to tackle this problemBeing the person who translated the needs of healthcare professionals into language that computer scientists could understand and problems they could addressAcquiring skill on the job is a better way of learningGetting senior management buy in and support for the projectOther opportunities, including Medilot, that opened upThe need for clinicians to do more than just their clinical practiceStarting a new track for clinician innovatorsDr Ngiam finding ways to fund his passion - with grant funding and then a job title that gave him time to build this aspect of his careerTaking a year out to pursue other interests and not getting lost along the wayInteresting technological advances that will reshape the future of medicine -
Dr Deborah Wong is a mother, general practitioner, entrepreneur and fitness guru. Shortly after graduating from medical school, she took over a pilates studio (Breathe Pilates), turned it around and expanded it into a successful and highly profitable chain with 4 locations across Singapore. Breathe Pilates is unique in offering training programmes for pilates instructors in addition to standard pilates classes. Deborah maintains a professional interest in lifestyle medicine, and she has personally experimented with multiple training programmes, diets and supplements.
Before you get into any diet, take your time to analyze exactly what you want to achieve and how the diet will help you achieve the goal. Also, for pregnant and nursing mums, they need to be extremely careful before getting into any fad diets.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
Working from home is never an excuse for you not to exercise. Set aside 15-30 minutes daily to take a walk, go for a jog, or some light exercises like squats. People have no idea what a walk a day can do for their health.
Start with strength training. Strength training would build muscles which are more metabolically active, which means that your body will be burning more calories. It helps with cardiovascular health as well. And importantly, building muscles and being able to lift heavier weights is rewarding, encouraging you to persist with your exercise plan.TOPICS WE DISCUSSED
Exercises for people who want to stay lean Deborah’s big picture approach to nutritionThoughts about fad dietsKeto diets and whether you should use themIntermittent fastingDeborah’s thoughts on supplementsExercises for people confined to their homesAdvice for young doctors starting their careersAdvice to people who are just starting their business -
BIO
Raising capital: If you intend to venture into business, you need money. Many people have business ideas in their heads, and the only thing that hinders them is capital. Don’t be afraid to ask your family to chip in if they are capable of stepping in. You don’t lose anything by trying.
Dr Deborah Wong is a mother, general practitioner, entrepreneur and fitness guru. Shortly after graduating from medical school, she took over a pilates studio (Breathe Pilates), turned it around and expanded it into a successful and highly profitable chain with 4 locations across Singapore. Breathe Pilates is unique in offering training programmes for pilates instructors in addition to standard pilates classes. Deborah maintains a professional interest in lifestyle medicine, and she has personally experimented with multiple training programmes, diets and supplements.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
In entrepreneurship, you need to keep evolving and be innovative to remain in business, especially during pandemics. COVID has taught us things can change in a fortnight, and if you want your business to survive, you need to be strategic.
When building your business, it is essential to ensure that you have structures and processes that don’t need you always to be there to make it successful. Build a business that can run without requiring your presence all the time.TOPICS WE COVERED
How Deborah acquired the business and turned it aroundDeborah’s transition from doctor to entrepreneurHow Deborah learned what she needed to know about running the businessHow Deborah runs the pilates studio in terms of prioritising and making decisionsStrategies that Deborah and her partner adopted to deal with the challenges that came with Covid Why Deborah has hired a data scientistThe importance of having the right location in businessWhy Deborah decided to start training pilates instructorsGetting back into medicine after taking a break for a yearHow Deborah ended up practising medicine in ShanghaiBalancing full-time employment and running a business at the same timeThe benefits of autonomy and flexibility that being a business owner brings -
In this masterclass with A/Prof Ong, we discuss the fundamentals of leadership and mentorship.
You need to find the correct partners. In your career, you need to get the right people who will help you get better. People who will tell as it is and help you to remain focused on your goals.
BIO
A/Prof Ong Biauw Chi is Senior Consultant at Singapore General Hospital Department of Anaesthesiology. She was the Head of Anaesthesiology, SGH from 2009 till 2014 and the Director of Patient Safety and Director of Clinical Governance in Singapore General Hospital for a period of 9 years. She is also appointed Chairman Medical Board, Sengkang Health.
A/Prof Ong’s work has been recognised with the Public Administration Silver Medal in the National Day Awards, 2013 and the National Medical Excellence award for National Outstanding Clinical Quality Activist in 2014.
A/Prof Ong is also a member of the Specialist Training Committee for Anaesthesia (now Residency Advisory Committee) Ministry of Health, Singapore and chairs the Examinations committee for Anaesthesia Examinations in Singapore.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
Planning: I learned a lot from Prof Ong’s willingness to take the time to step back and look at the bigger picture of what she wanted to achieve. This was a habit built from an early age. She uses a short-term, middle-term, and long-term list. The short-term list is cleared daily. The medium-term list focuses approximately a month out whilst the long-term list is reviewed six monthly and charts her overall life direction and goals.
There’s no one right way to be a mentor. Instead it’s about spending time talking to your mentee, figuring out what makes them tick and pointing them in the right direction from there. -
In this episode, A/Prof Ong Biauw Chi and I discuss her on-the-ground style of leadership and the journey she took to become Chairman of the Medical Board in Sengkang Health.
Leadership is not always sitting in the boardroom and attending meetings. It involves going to the ground and seeing the truth for yourself. Sometimes it is difficult to know what’s really happening on the ground unless you are personally there. As a leader, you need to go see how things are on the ground.
ABOUT A/PROF ONG
A/Prof Ong Biauw Chi is Senior Consultant at Singapore General Hospital Department of Anaesthesiology. She was the Head of Anaesthesiology, SGH from 2009 till 2014 and the Director of Patient Safety and Director of Clinical Governance in Singapore General Hospital for a period of 9 years. She is also appointed Chairman Medical Board, Sengkang Health.
A/Prof Ong’s work has been recognised with the Public Administration Silver Medal in the National Day Awards, 2013 and the National Medical Excellence award for National Outstanding Clinical Quality Activist in 2014.
Prof Ong is also a member of the Specialist Training Committee for Anaesthesia (now Residency Advisory Committee) Ministry of Health, Singapore and chairs the Examinations committee for Anaesthesia Examinations in Singapore.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
So, how do you know when you need to go down to the ground to check things out for yourself? That’s where experience comes in - it gives you a gut feel for when something doesn’t quite fit, or when your presence as a leader might be needed.
Passion and curiosity: When you are passionate about what you do, you give it your all and become the best you can be. Curiosity goes hand in hand with passion. If you are passionate about something, you’ll always want to go the extra mile and learn more. Curiosity compliments passion. -
In this episode, Dinesh gives a masterclass on raising angel investment for your startup. He also shares his perspective as an investor on how he evaluates founders and companies who have approached him for investment.
BIO
Dr. Dinesh is a practicing medical doctor and scientist. He completed medical training at the National University of Singapore, during which he received the Wong Hock Boon Society for Research Distinction award - he has since published over 30 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals including Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, JAMA Ophthalmology, and IOVS, and is an active reviewer in journals including JAMA Ophthalmology. He is best known for his work as Head (Health Informatics) 2011-2019 in the Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study group, a project that spanned 10 years and used big data to address ocular tuberculosis, where Dinesh oversaw the collaboration of 25 hospitals across 10 countries.Dinesh has also co-founded Doctorbell, overseeing product strategy and medical affairs. His startup was acquired in 2018 by MaNaDr, MOH telemedicine sandbox. He currently provides independent consulting in health technology and invests in digital health start-ups such as AskDr.
At the seed stage, it is possible to raise money from grants and competition prizes - it’s worth checking these out. If you would like to meet angel investors, one possible way is to take your idea to hackathons or accelerator programmes. Not only do these connect you to the right people, they’re also structured in such a way as to help you think through your idea.Pick your angel investors carefully. The individual has to regularly meet, comment, and contribute to the strategy overall running of the company. If this person doesn't have the right expertise, background, and knowledge, they could be a huge drag.When raising money: Raise more than you need, and don’t forget that you need time to raise your next funding round. But also raise at a fair valuation - you can have subsequent rounds of funding that gives up less equity when your product is more proven and has taken some risks off the table.
3 THINGS I LEARNED -
I talk to Dr Dinesh Gunesekaran about his experience getting involved in a research project that used big data to gain insights into tuberculosis infections of the eye. From there, Dinesh got approached at a medical conference by his cofounders who wanted to start a telemedicine company. Dinesh shares his story about building his company, Doctorbell, and eventually selling it in 2018.
Expose yourself to opportunities: Dinesh’s entrepreneurial journey only started because he sought out an opportunity to do big data research in ophthalmology. That led him to cross paths with his cofounders at a conference. But more importantly, Dinesh worked hard to execute and complete the projects he was tasked with - which was why more and more opportunities landed in his lap.
BIO
Dr. Dinesh is a practicing medical doctor and scientist. He completed medical training at the National University of Singapore, during which he received the Wong Hock Boon Society for Research Distinction award - he has since published over 30 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals including Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, JAMA Ophthalmology, and IOVS, and is an active reviewer in journals including JAMA Ophthalmology. He is best known for his work as Head (Health Informatics) 2011-2019 in the Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study group, a project that spanned 10 years and used big data to address ocular tuberculosis, where Dinesh oversaw the collaboration of 25 hospitals across 10 countries.
Dinesh has also co-founded Doctorbell, overseeing product strategy and medical affairs. His startup was acquired in 2018 by MaNaDr, MOH telemedicine sandbox. He currently provides independent consulting in health technology and invests in digital health start-ups such as AskDr.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
It pays to be active on LinkedIn. Whilst trying to build his network in the startup / entrepreneurship space, Dinesh leveraged his LinkedIn network to share articles, communicate his interests, connect with people and listen to their ideas. It made me think about paying more attention to my own LinkedIn profile.
Much of Dinesh’s knowledge about building startups was self taught - he was averaging reading a book a week as he sought to develop the knowledge needed to grow the startup. Startup founders need to be masters of many fields - but pushed by necessity, it is possible to develop expertise in all of these domains. -
I speak to Buzz Palmer, Dario Heymann and Audrey Lok about how COVID-19 has reshaped the playing field for healthtech and medtech startups. We discuss interesting opportunities and ideas for founders to explore.
BIOS
Buzz Palmer (CEO, Medtech Actuator)
Buzz Palmer is one of Australia’s leading and most visible voices in entrepreneurship and MedTech innovation. Buzz is the co-founder and CEO of the MedTech Actuator, founding partner in Dialectica Group, co-founder of HealthTech Angels. Buzz is both a serial entrepreneur and a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Monash University. As a passionate technologist, Buzz enjoys mentoring startups execute on their strategy and commercialisation journey.Dario Heymann (Chief Research Officer, Galen Growth)
Dario leads the building and venture analytics of HealthTech Alpha; the most compelling database and analytics platform dedicated to HealthTech ventures. He also leads research engagements and leadership alignments with clients, such as Pharmaco, insurance companies, investors and tech companies. Dario is responsible for the overall research and market intelligence of the HealthTech ecosystem in Asia and has worked in drug discovery mainly for the development of novel drugs in oncology, both in pharma and academia in Singapore, China and Germany.
Every pandemic comes with a good dose of opportunities. Every startup should always be on the lookout for the opportunities that can favor them during an epidemic. For instance, COVID came with a lot of opportunities for teleconsultation. Some companies are currently thriving because of the pandemic, while others have run out of business.
Audrey Lok (Director of Healthcare and Biomedical at Enterprise Singapore)
Audrey looks at the development of the biomedical ecosystem and focuses on helping local startups and enterprises. Prior to this, she was the head of strategic planning at Spring Singapore and the Assistant Director at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
If you want to succeed as a startup, you have to go the extra mile. You have to stand out from the rest of the crowd and show the investors or partners why they have to fund or partner with you. We have seen people come up with solutions that are already in existence. The question you should always ask yourself is, “how does my solution stand out from the rest?”
Teleconsultation is a technology rather than a business. It’s not just enough to say you’re “providing teleconsultation” - what are you pairing it with? How are you leveraging it to help clinicians or patients in an innovative way? How do you build an ecosystem around it? -
I talk to Prof Francis about why we should do research, how to build a world class body of research work and how to go to attain the highest levels and become an internationally recognised expert.
Building a body of work: A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Take the time to start writing your research papers and be keen to keep improving.If you get to a point where you feel stuck, never shy away from consulting your mentor.
Dr Francis Seow Choen graduated with his MBBS in 1981, despite listing medicine as the fourth choice for admission. He obtained his FRCS in 1987 as an orthopaedic trainee, and thereafter immediately switched to general surgery, thinking that general surgery was a wider field than bones alone. He was one of the first two in the new Department of Colorectal Surgery, SGH when it started in 1989. He thought it easier to become someone big in a “small, new” specialty, rather than be a minion in a “huge, old” specialty. He became head of department in 1994. When he left for private practice in 2003, he had led the department to international recognition; with trainees from all over the world, and with a large numbers of research papers and regular international invitations to teach surgery; earning him the Excellence for Singapore Award 2000. Throughout this time, he continued his intense interest in entomology, having to date written nine books on stick insects and describing more than 200 new species. He was also chairmen of the boards of two charities, a school for displaced students and the founding chairman of Guide Dogs of the Blind, Singapore. He has been a member of the board of his church since the 1980’s.
3 Things I Learned
You can never become an expert by just sitting down and doing nothing regardless of how educated you are. You need to go out there and exercise your knowledge. You also need to get yourself into writing research papers that will earn your name recognition out there. You need to be an authority in your field. Get published as many times as you possibly can. Also, you have to be on a mission to show yourself to the right people.
Mentors play a significant role in our lives. They hold our hands and take us to incredible places that we never thought we could reach. Finding a mentor should not be a difficult task as long as you have the right attitude, a spirit of humility and a hungry spirit that is ready to learn. Most mentors are kind-hearted, and they are always open to giving people a learning opportunity. How you request for mentorship determines if you’ll get the chance. -
In this podcast, I talk to Prof Francis Seow about how to approach learning when starting out in a completely new field; what it means by leading a "balanced life"; as well as how to be a useful leader.
Developing a passion: We live in a world where we are always urged to follow our passion. Unfortunately, many people give up on their passion because they don’t get the support they need. For instance, if you are a parent and your child shows passion in a particular area, it is your duty to accord them support. On a personal level, you need to take time and cultivate on your passion. Always strive to get better.
Dr Francis Seow Choen graduated with his MBBS in 1981, despite listing medicine as the fourth choice for admission. He obtained his FRCS in 1987 as an orthopaedic trainee, and thereafter immediately switched to general surgery, thinking that general surgery was a wider field than bones alone. He was one of the first two in the new Department of Colorectal Surgery, SGH when it started in 1989. He thought it easier to become someone big in a “small, new” specialty, rather than be a minion in a “huge, old” specialty. He became head of department in 1994. When he left for private practice in 2003, he had led the department to international recognition; with trainees from all over the world, and with a large numbers of research papers and regular international invitations to teach surgery; earning him the Excellence for Singapore Award 2000. Throughout this time, he continued his intense interest in entomology, having to date written nine books on stick insects and describing more than 200 new species. He was also chairmen of the boards of two charities, a school for displaced students and the founding chairman of Guide Dogs of the Blind, Singapore. He has been a member of the board of his church since the 1980’s.
3 Things I Learned
Balancing life: Balance in life means that you have the time to do what you want to do. In life, it is always good to remember that doing a lot does not necessarily mean you will achieve a lot. Always take the time to try to find your equilibrium. Make sure by the end of the day, week, month, or year you are happy and satisfied.
Building a world-class department: If you want to develop a world-class department at your workplace, it is essential to make sure there is someone to lead the department, and that all the members of the department are recognized regardless of how junior. The department should not be the only person carrying the praise and shame of the team. It is also important to make sure that you go the extra mile that many people may not be willing to go. Always make sure you are steps ahead of your competition. -
Mr Abel Ang is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Advanced MedTech Holdings, a US$200M global player in Urology devices and services. Previously, Abel has also served as the Senior Advisor to the CEO of Greatbatch Inc (NYSE: ITGR), as well as President, Asia/Pacific for Hill-Rom Inc. a US$3B revenue medical devices company (NYSE: HRC) where he was responsible for leading, developing and implementing the strategy to expand Hill-Rom’s presence in the Asia/Pacific markets.
What’s most important for both companies and employees is to just get the job done. Think about what problems need solving and just go about solving them - no matter your title. Often the job that needs to get done centres around improving your product on offer to serve your customers better.
In addition to his role as CEO of Advanced MedTech, Abel is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Nanyang Business School in Singapore and Waseda University in Japan, where he teaches in their respective MBA programs. He also contributes a monthly newspaper column to The Straits Times, Singapore’s largest newspaper.
Abel has vast experience and a wealth of knowledge in developing and commercializing medical device technologies built up over years of work in this field.
3 THINGS I LEARNED
Abel / Advanced Medtech has a very simple formula for everything it does: CEC - MIS. Everything you touch needs to be Compelling, Engaging and Convincing. And then it needs to translate into Massive Impact and Scale. First refine your product to make it compelling, engaging and convincing (CEC) and then pursue the impact and scale.
Every business should follow its own path. Think carefully and clearly about your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re thinking of bringing a product to market yourself, consider if you have the capability to do so. If you’re thinking of partnering with an existing firm, think about whether you are a good cultural fit with them. -
I promised to be back on August 6 but better late than never... Alternative CV is RELAUNCHING with Season 2!
New this season:
In addition to the usual guests who have pursued interesting hobbies / side projects and careers, I make a special effort to focus on medical professionals who have done cool stuff alongside their medical careers, as well as more entreprenuers.Each week, my guests will teach a masterclass on a useful life skill that is not taught in school. Be prepared to learn lots about the world around you!I partner with Catalyst, a startup accelerator based in Singapore that focuses on helping clinicians get their medtech ideas off the ground. I'll be hosting and showcasing some of their events!New episodes dropping from September... stay tuned!
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Alternative CV takes a break, until August 6th. Work commitments have increased with the COVID outbreak, and I have to focus on what's most important right now, which is caring for patients.
Sign up to the email newsletter at http://alternativecv.fm/ to be notified when we're back with Season 2.
Until then - stay safe, and be responsible with social distancing! -
Alvin and I discuss how he built an online audience and transformed his blog into a business. Alvin also gives a crash course on insurance and investing, and he shares some tips about how he curates the information he takes in.
Take advice from those with a similar context - When starting his own business, Alvin consulted the heavyweight CEOs of our time like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. However, he found their advice was not as applicable to himself as a small business owner. Therefore, Alvin advises to seek out advice from people in a similar situation, or in a situation you hope to reach.
Alvin Chow is the CEO of DrWealth, an online platform providing investor education and portfolio management tools. What started as Alvin’s personal blog has grown to a full suite of offerings, and thousands of followers. He teaches courses on Factor-based investing, and has authored two books - Secrets of Singapore Trading Gurus and Singapore Permanent Portfolio.
3 Things I Learned
Start investing, the earlier the better - when it comes to investing, Alvin says the easiest and most effective variable to take advantage of is time. Starting early, no matter the amount, will almost always put you in a better position than starting later with more capital. Therefore, Alvin advises to start investing as early as your 20’s, when you can afford the volatility of the market.
Curate your email inbox - Alvin has the pleasure of enjoying his email inbox, because he purposely curated it with newsletters he is interested in. In a 24-hour news cycle, we now have our pick of information. Alvin suggests to curate that information into something useful and intellectually stimulating. -
On this podcast, I talk to Alvin Chow about 0ur motivation behind the financial choices we make, effective strategies to approach a brand new subject area you want to learn about, and Alvin's journey from hobby personal finance blog to full-time company.
Create structures that drive your behaviour - if you struggle to find motivation to make positive financial choices, Alvin suggests to put in safeguards to automate behaviour. So if you’re not a natural saver, set up direct transfers which force you to consistently save money.
Alvin Chow is the CEO of DrWealth, an online platform providing investor education and portfolio management tools. What started as Alvin’s personal blog has grown to a full suite of offerings, and thousands of followers. He teaches courses on Factor-based investing, and has authored two books - Secrets of Singapore Trading Gurus and Singapore Permanent Portfolio.
3 Things I Learned:
You don’t know what you don’t know - When developing new expertise, it’s very important to remain aware of your level of knowledge. If a resource is too difficult for you to grasp, it’s fine to disregard it for a later time - but you have to push through the not knowing in order to fully build a new bed of knowledge. You don’t know what you don’t know, so you have to persist.
Executing ideas is driven by your priorities - Alvin’s transition from passion to mission was driven by the fact that he had chosen to prioritise Dr Wealth’s growth. He goes on to say that the ideas you end up executing align with your priorities, so to be motivated to make changes, you first need to shift your priorities. -
About a year ago, I caught up with Ali Abdaal, who is a junior doctor in the Cambridge (UK) area who makes youtube videos about tech, productivity and tips for medical students. At that point in time had 200k subscribers on his Youtube channel. Today, he has more than 550k.
This episode contains some golden advice from Ali about how to get started on any project. It's especially useful for those thinking about starting creative, crowd-fronting projects (i.e. youtube channels, blogs, podcasts). - Show more
