From Investment Banking to Healthcare CEO (Ft. Travis Messina)
From Clinic to Startup: My Journey (and Yours) Into Doctor Entrepreneurship
Hi, I’m Dr. Rob Beck—Internal Medicine physician, podcast host, and all-around enthusiast for the incredible things doctors can do outside the exam room. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fellow clinician (or maybe just curious!) who’s interested in entrepreneurship, startups, and how to navigate bringing those “out-of-the-box” medical ideas to life.
Recently on The Interesting MD podcast, I brought on my first non-physician guest: Travis Messina. Travis is not just a longtime friend and former patient, but an accomplished healthcare entrepreneur who played a huge role in launching Contessa Health and now leads at Regent Surgical. I’ll be breaking down key lessons from our conversation—and my own experience—on how doctors can thrive in the startup world, even while still seeing patients.
Why More Physicians Are Turning to Entrepreneurship
Let's face it—medicine is an incredible calling, but it’s not always easy to balance the demands of clinical work with our curiosity, creativity, and drive to solve big problems. Burnout is real, and sometimes, we’re ready to try something new. For many of us, that “next step” involves entrepreneurship: launching a new solution, joining a startup, or consulting with an innovative healthcare business.
Travis reminded me, and I want to remind you: jumping into a startup is a major decision. Many physicians who try it love it, but some miss patient care deeply. You need to carefully consider if moving away from the bedside is right for you, or if there’s a way to “crawl, walk, run” and keep a foot in both worlds.
How Do You Go From Idea to Healthcare Startup?
One of the best pieces of advice Travis gave (and I can vouch for from experience): make sure your idea solves a real problem. Ask yourself:
Does this product or service fix something truly broken in the system?
Is it a “need to have,” not just a “nice to have”?
Is the market big enough for your solution to thrive?
When we founded Contessa Health (which provided hospital-level care in patient homes), we spent over two years researching, refining the idea, and pressure-testing its business potential. Here are the key steps we took—and that you should consider too:
1. Analyze the Clinical Need
Have you seen a recurring pain point in practice? For us, it was clear: not every patient admitted for CHF, COPD, or infection absolutely had to be in the hospital. We asked, could some recover just as well at home with the right resources?
2. Validate With Real Experience
If you’re the doctor in the trenches who’s lived the issue, you already have credibility—and you should leverage that. As Travis said, “Find someone on the business side to be your partner,” but don’t underestimate the value of your boots-on-the-ground insight.
3. Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Write protocols, map out workflows, and test if your solution can function safely. I spent months writing evidence-based care protocols before we ever formally launched.
4. Understand the Business Model
How will you get paid? What’s the reimbursement environment? This was a major hurdle with hospital-at-home care until we cracked the code on payer partnerships.
5. Build the Right Team
Do not try to go solo! Even with the best idea, you need business partners—and likely other clinicians—who complement your strengths. Investors want to see a credible team with real domain expertise.
What Do Investors Want to Hear from Physician Entrepreneurs?
Let’s say you’re ready to pitch your idea (or join a startup). Based on my hard-won lessons (see: awkward, failed first investor meeting), here’s what you need to clearly and concisely articulate:
What does your company do? Avoid jargon. Practice your one-sentence pitch.
How do you make money? Know your financial model, even if it’s just early projections.
How big is the market? Have a realistic assessment of your Total Addressable Market (TAM).
What’s your competition? Never say, “Nobody else is doing this.” Do your research and be honest.
And if you don’t have all the business answers? That’s OK—as long as you’re humble, coachable, and have the right partners by your side.
Crawling Before You Run: Low-Risk Ways to Get Involved in Startups
Not everyone needs (or wants) to quit their day job and leap headfirst into a startup. Here are some lower-risk ways to get your feet wet that Travis and I discussed:
Join local entrepreneurial communities. Most major cities have meetups, pitch events, or innovation centers looking for clinical experts.
Provide consulting or advisory services in exchange for equity or part-time compensation.
Volunteer as a clinical advisor for startups—help pressure-test their MVP or give feedback on their protocols.
Consider staying in practice part-time while supporting a startup as an advisor or chief medical officer.
Remember: as a physician, you have a safety net. If a startup fails, you can go back to practice—you “fail forward.” But be realistic: most early-stage companies do fail, and it’s harder work than you can imagine. Manage your risk, especially if you have loans or a family to support.
What Skills Do Entrepreneurs (and Investors) Look For in Doctors?
As a physician-entrepreneur, some of the most valuable skills you can bring to a startup include:
Ability to execute: Can you turn business ideas into actionable protocols or help validate the clinical side of new products?
Communication: Can you “translate” between business and clinical worlds—and advocate for patient safety and quality?
Adaptability: Startups grow fast, and your role may shift from creating protocols to managing large-scale clinical programs.
Leadership: Take on committee roles, lead projects, and build your resume in administration or clinical innovation.
And, if you’re interested in moving beyond advisory work or into executive positions (CMO, VP Medical Affairs), seek out training in leadership, quality improvement, or even consider an MBA if you’re truly interested in business fundamentals.
Final Thoughts: Try, Learn, and Don’t Let Failure Define You
If you’ve got an idea that could make healthcare better, safer, or more efficient—explore it! Get involved, ask questions, and build relationships with people you trust. Do the research, find the right partners, and know that your worth is not measured by your startup's outcome.
I’ll end with this: entrepreneurship is much harder than you think, it will take longer, and it never goes exactly as planned. But it’s also an incredible way to build new skills, grow your impact, and—if you’re careful—not burn out.
Have questions, want to connect, or interested in sharing your own physician side hustle? Email me at rob@interestingmd.com or reach out on socials. Let’s make medicine more interesting, together.
Cheers,
Dr. Rob Beck
Host, The Interesting MD Podcast
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