How to Validate Your Idea Rigorously: Interview with Flow Medical CEO Jennifer Fried

Medsider: Learn from Medtech and Healthtech Founders and CEOs

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Jennifer Fried, co-founder and CEO of Flow Medical. Her startup is developing an advanced catheter designed to treat pulmonary embolisms.

Jennifer started her career as a healthcare venture capitalist and consultant at Bain & Company. Before co-founding Flow Medical, Jennifer was the CEO and co-founder of ExplORer Surgical, a surgical software platform spun out of research at The University of Chicago. Under her leadership, ExplORer grew from an idea to a global product, earning accolades, like being named one of the Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEOs, and partnerships with major medical device companies. Jennifer successfully exited the business in 2021, when it was acquired by GHX.

In this interview, Jennifer shares insights on navigating M&As, raising capital, and tips for validating ideas. She explains why engaging early with potential acquirers is key, how challenging your assumptions can save years of effort, and the importance of tailoring your pitch and building lasting investor relationships.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

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Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Jennifer Fried.