My best advice for young health entrepreneurs – Fredrik Debong, co-founder of mySugr (4 min read)

“It’s the combination of different backgrounds and perspectives, united under a common mission, that yields new ways of thinking and new results.”

Our first app was called “mySugr Companion,“ and we soon had about 200 users. Back then, that was a big deal. In 2010, when people heard of apps and healthcare, they just laughed. One of the companies we approached even called the idea ‘cute.’ Luckily, a big med-tech company understood our purpose and became our customer, even though the app wasn’t completely finished. Now, the landscape is changing. We’re no longer running door-to-door to get someone to listen to a digital health idea.

Right from the start, we had a great mix of talents. Our four founders had different backgrounds: business, computer science, design, and quality management. Yet we shared a common passion – or at least an understanding of each other’s passion. In our case, it was the struggle with diabetes. So we had common ground, but we approached it from different directions, and that is what made mySugr into what it is today. I think that really big innovations emerge from the intersection of at least two fields. It’s the combination of different backgrounds and perspectives that yields new ways of thinking and new results. We, for example, mixed diabetology, the science of managing diabetes, with psychology, data science, and mobile technology. This approach worked for us, and I think it will work for other start-ups as well.

“Above all, solving the problem matters.”

Of course, even with all of our combined knowledge, we still had a lot to learn. We had no background in the medical or pharmaceutical industries, and we were not prepared for the fact that processes would take such a long time. We also had to learn that when you build a company, you shouldn’t hire for skill, but for passion and culture. By culture, I mean how you work in a company, and what your priorities are. You can always learn skills, but you can’t learn passion. You can’t learn culture. If you get passion and culture right, you will eventually realize that, as a company founder, you do not really matter anymore. The company matters, the mission matters and, above all, solving the problem matters. You become less important.

As you build your company, you must also realize that it’s going to take time to achieve results. Endurance is one of the most important qualities founders can have. You’re going to have fantastic highs and lows, and it’s going to be an unbelievable roller coaster ride. But without endurance, you will bail ship.

This brings me back to the place where the ride of creating a start-up begins: Having a great idea, getting support, and turning it into a business that helps solve a problem. That’s exactly what the Sandoz HACk is all about, and that’s why I wanted to be a part of the program. I believe that people who have problems, and who see problems, are the best candidates to come up with real solutions. These are people who can have a significant impact, and often they just need a bit of advice and support to make a real difference in the world. That’s why it is an honor to be a Sandoz HACk judge, support the program’s mission and share my knowledge and insights.