Vertical Expertise or Fresh Perspective: What HealthTech Companies Need
Two founders gave me the same assessment — "You're not from our vertical" — and drew completely different conclusions. Those aren't vertical problems. They're commercialization problems.
What's more valuable to a HealthTech company that's struggling to grow: deep vertical expertise or a fresh commercialization perspective? This week, I learned that two founders had completely different answers to that question.
Both companies operate in different areas of HealthTech.
Both told me the exact same thing:
"You're not from our vertical."
One company has seen revenue decline from 30 million to 15 million and is now on pace for roughly 12 million in revenue this year. The other has built an impressive business to 5 million, but growth has plateaued.
Same assessment of 5 Stones Growth Systems.
Completely different conclusions.
The first company decided they needed someone with deeper experience in their vertical. The irony is that the very commercialization approach they wanted to continue is what created the decline they're trying to reverse.
Their focus remained on tactical execution.
The second founder looked at the same situation and said something that stuck with me:
"I'm tired of hearing the same ideas from people who have spent their careers in our vertical. I don't need another expert in my market. I need a different perspective on how we grow."
The Challenges Are Remarkably Similar
That conversation reinforced something I've believed for years.
HealthTech is incredibly diverse.
The technologies are different.
The clinical workflows are different.
The reimbursement models are different.
But the commercialization challenges are remarkably similar.
Messaging that no longer differentiates.
Go-to-Market tactics that stops scaling.
Sales processes that depend on heroes instead of systems.
Marketing and sales operating independently.
Growth that becomes reactive instead of predictable.
Those aren't vertical problems.
They're commercialization problems.
The companies that continue to grow aren't always the ones with the deepest vertical expertise.
They're the ones willing to rethink the systems that drive growth.
Fresh perspective creates better questions.
Better questions create better systems.