The Shape of Work

#204: Michael Moore on leaving medical school and doing a medical device startup that aims to automate on-site cancer screening and diagnostics

March 11, 2022 Springworks Season 1 Episode 204
The Shape of Work
#204: Michael Moore on leaving medical school and doing a medical device startup that aims to automate on-site cancer screening and diagnostics
Show Notes

Our next guest is a real-life superhero who saves lives. We welcome Michael Moore, Founder & COO of Pathware Inc. 

Pathware is a medical device startup focused on creating custom solutions for digital pathology. They aim to automate on-site cancer screening and diagnostics by assessing the quality of biopsies in real-time. 

Michael’s journey into the entrepreneurial world started after his father was diagnosed with cancer and with a series of events that followed it. He is now on a mission to improve the quality & efficiency of healthcare globally through the seamless integration of medicine and machine.

Episode Highlights:

  • What does a Pathware-enabled world look like?
  • What were the challenges faced while building Pathware?
  • Advice to the founders

What does a Pathware enabled world look like?

Pathway enabled world is going to bring diagnostic services closer to the patient. It will have its systems deployed in a number of settings such as nursing homes and community health centers. The ultimate aim of Pathware is to provide a personalized healthcare approach and to improve clinical decision-making.

What were the challenges faced while building Pathware ?

One of the challenges they faced during the initial days was when there was no market for their tool. They collected feedback from some of the researchers and clinicians which helped them plan and kickstart their company to address the results of the feedback. 

Another challenge was when they hired the wrong team for some tasks which affected some of their milestones. Michael shares that the key to successfully overcoming challenges is adapting to the changing circumstances of the world.

Advice to the founders

Michael highly recommends against falling victim to the pitch book effect. Leaders should primarily focus on building networks and relationships, money will follow eventually. 

He advises founders to take care of themselves emotionally. Some days they might feel like they're at the top of the world. On other days, they might feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. He also recommends speaking to a therapist to help them through this challenging process of building an organization.

Follow Michael on LinkedIn.

Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Moshe Vhanunu

About Springworks:
Springworks is a fully-distributed HR technology organization that is building tools & products to simplify recruitment, on-boarding, employee engagement, & retention. The product stack from Springworks includes:
SpringVerify — B2B verification platform
EngageWith — employee recognition & rewards platform that enriches company culture
Trivia — a suite of real-time, fun, & interactive games platforms for remote/hybrid team-building
SpringRole — verified professional-profile platform backed by blockchain, &
SpringRecruit — a forever-free applicant tracking system.