It’s not unusual to start a story by revealing the end: “The end of the MedTech Startup School is just the beginning. It’s like a boot camp for the real life that comes after.” Our 2016 story just started with the first of ten lectures based on Steve Blank’s Lean Launchpad. To prepare our Junior Fellows for the next weeks our Seniors came along, shared their insights and gave some helpful advice.
4 pieces of elaborate advice
Did you already build your product? Is it certificated by the EU? Did you start your project already before the Startup School? How did you find your customers? How do you get along with your team?
When our Senior Fellows entered the room not a stone was left standing by our Juniors. Hundreds of questions preyed on their minds for days – now, finally, the time for answers had come. However, Ananta, Florian, Ferdinand and Bankim did not only share their impressions of last year’s batch but also gave some elaborate advice.
Make mistakes!
Ananta Kaelberer joined the team of the TMS Smart Coil. They found a way for a personalised stimulation of the brain for patients with neurogenerative diseases like depression. Ananta’s advice for the Junior Fellows is definite: “Put a lot of effort in it! Now you have the chance to try out everything, don’t waste it! Now I see the difference between being at MedTech Startup School and the world outside. Here you are in a great surrounding, everything is a little fluffy and you have the chance to make mistakes. Afterwards you still have all the helping contacts but it’s real, you have to go out!”
Ask questions!
Florian Lutz develops a life guard for over 50 million people suffering from epilepsy. The device detects epileptic seizures in daily situations and has the potential to enormously increase the patient’s quality of life. Together with Kevin he founded the company MONIKIT. At the moment they talk to a lot of investors and business angels in order to get more money in addition to their EXIST fund. Florian’s advice: “Ask experts and mentors everything you need to know during the MedTech Startup School! After the programme it can become really complicated and expensive to get these information.” To get to know more about Monikit click here!
Make it your idea!
Ferdinand Hofer is part of the Stroke App Team. They develop an app that supports medical doctors in increasing the speed and reducing the work load of clinical trials in order to make new therapies and drugs available for stroke patients. Ferdinand even shared three pieces of advice: “First: It’s all about you, it’s all about the team! That is certainly the most important thing. Second: Demo Day – the end of the MedTech Startup School – is just the beginning. It’s like a boot camp for the real life that comes after. Third: If you didn’t come up with your own idea then you’ll have to make the idea you work at your own idea!”
Find your motivation!
Bankim Chander from PainSol tries to improve patients who suffer from chronic pain by stimulating the spinal cord with light. Click here to read the interview with PainSol! Bankim’s advice is very personal: “Find your motivation! Afterwards everything else will fall into place. You will always come across difficulties and setbacks. On top of that you will always be distracted by your job or your research or whatever you do for a living. You will find more than enough options to switch to something else that you want to perceive at the same time. So find your motivation for your startup! Find your vision and believe in what you think!”
However, these valuable insights were just one part of our schedule. Daniel Bartel started out with Steve Blank’s Lean LaunchPad and finally set the hare rolling.
