Don’t Wait for Epic: Own Your Buying Process

Every August, I hear some version of the same concern from health-tech founders: “What happens when our health system prospects come back from Epic’s annual conference?”

I’ve been competing against this dynamic for more than 15 years. And the concern is real.

Epic is a behemoth. Its influence inside health systems is enormous, and the belief that, given enough time, Epic can eventually solve almost anything can absolutely derail an innovative startup’s opportunity.

Where the Ripples Start

The ripples usually start quickly.

• “Maybe we should wait and see what Epic develops.”
• “Does this integrate with Epic?”
• “We really don’t want to add another vendor.”

And for an early-stage health-tech company, that integration question can be especially difficult. You may not have the traction or capital yet to build every integration a health system wants. And when you add the current frenzy around AI, it can get really scary.

So what do you do?

Lead the Buying Decision

You lead the buying decision.

You can’t control the Epic machine. But you can control whether you have a commercial system strong enough to help your champion navigate it.

That means doing a lot more than demonstrating a better product.

It starts with identifying the right Key Influencer — someone on the business side who has demonstrated the ability to lead change. Then you need a Commercial Message that gets the organization thinking differently about the problem and the measurable improvement that’s possible.

Next comes a defensible Business Case that creates consensus around the value of acting — and makes the cost of doing nothing impossible to ignore. And finally, you need a consultative engagement strategy that helps your champion lead the decision across the organization, particularly when business priorities and IT priorities collide.

The Integration Question

Notice what I didn’t say.

“Build the integration first.”

Sometimes integration is absolutely necessary. But if you don’t yet have the resources to build it, first create a compelling enough business case that the health system believes the problem is worth solving. Then the integration conversation has context.

Why Sequencing Matters

This is why I believe so strongly in sequencing.

Key Influencer → Commercial Message → Business Case → Consultative Engagement → Technology

Too many startups reverse that sequence. They lead with the technology and hope the product is compelling enough to overcome everything standing between them and a buying decision.

It rarely is.

Competing in enterprise healthcare is hard work. And yes, Epic makes that competition even harder.

But if you truly believe in your Why, don’t wait for Epic or the market to make room for you. Step up and own your buying process.

You may not be able to outspend Epic. You may not be able to out-“BFF” Epic. And you certainly aren’t going to out-"Epic" Epic.

But you can build a better commercial system for solving a problem that matters.