The inside stories of 10 elite physician-founded startups
You'll discover:
1. Why startups thrive with physicians in leadership.
2. The two ingredients for a great healthcare startup.
3. How to succeed as a doctor in the startup world.
Based on exclusive interviews with the MD founders of 10 category leaders
Software Companies
• UpToDate: The nephrologist who turned his textbook into a technology
• Doximity: The MD/MBA who built a multi-billion-dollar physician network
AI Companies
• Viz.ai: The neurosurgeon who solved “AI for radiology”
• Abridge: The cardiologist who built the leading AI scribe
Medical Practice Companies
• ChenMed: The primary care doctor who sought out the hardest cases
• Crossover Health: The emergency physician who redesigned primary care
Devices / Robotics Companies
• Shockwave Medical: The cardiologist who saw opportunity in a balloon
• Conceivable: The fertility doctor and the robots
Biotech Companies
• Spark Therapeutics: The hematologist who bet her career on gene therapy
• Regeneron: Two MD/PhDs who followed the science to blockbuster success
The data
Of the 100 most valuable healthcare companies founded in the US since 1985, 51% had a physician founder.¹ Yet only 17% of healthcare startups overall have a physician founder.²
This means that companies with physician founders succeed about 3x as often as expected – an outperformance of 200%.
Praise
"Makes the startup world feel accessible. A standout read and one I’ll be returning to."
– Keith Sakata, MD, psychiatry at UCSF
"The case studies are engrossing, educational, and best of all, inspiring."
– Matt Williams, MD, fellow at Scrub Capital
"A must-read for doctors and anyone who wants to improve America's healthcare system."
– Julia Jezmir, MD, Chief Medical Officer at AristaMD
About the author
David Lortscher, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist trained at UC San Diego and Washington University in St. Louis. As co-founder and CEO of Curology, he helped grow the company to $1 billion in cumulative revenue and over 5 million patients served.
Get the book
Why Doctors Win is available in hardcover, Kindle, and Audible.
1. Source: 100 most valuable healthcare companies of last 40 years
2. Source: Percentage of all healthcare startups with a physician founder