His secret to bypassing the broken venture capital model

I'm joined by Jeff June, MedTech Founder and Ecosystem Builder, as we explore the broken venture capital model in healthcare, why accelerator programs are failing early-stage companies, and his battle-tested strategies for building successful MedTech ventures through strategic partnerships and ecosystem development.In this episode, we dive deep into:The Funding Crisis Reality Check→ Why venture capital has transformed into private equity, abandoning true early-stage companies→ How founders are achieving FDA clearance and $500K revenue without raising venture capital→ The massive disconnect between what VCs fund versus what MedTech innovation actually needsThe Accelerator Industrial Complex Problem→ Why sponsor-driven programs select companies through the lens of corporate partners, not innovation merit→ How success metrics focused on "total funding raised" create perverse incentives that harm true innovators→ The power of micro-accelerators and peer learning over brand-name program marketingTechnical Founders Are More Capable Than They Think→ Why being told to "find an experienced CEO" is the worst advice technical founders receive→ How clinical founders should lead with their expertise story, not generic market-size slides→ The critical difference between selling yourself first versus selling your technologyThe Clinical-to-Consumer Healthcare Revolution→ How patient education and responsibility can solve healthcare's innovation adoption crisis→ Why great clinical innovations fail when they don't fit reimbursement models→ The untapped opportunity for consumer health technologies with clinical validationIschemia Care: A $15M Success Story→ How Jeff's stroke diagnostics company accomplished what others needed $120M to achieve→ Building ecosystems of clinicians, hospitals, payers, and strategics for maximum leverage→ The first blood test for stroke and lessons from commercializing breakthrough diagnosticsStrategic Partnership Acquisition Playbook→ Why M&A timelines have stretched to 12+ years and average deal sizes tripled→ How to build relationships with division presidents who have P&L responsibility, not BD departments→ The "we can do what you'll never be able to do" positioning that unlocks strategic partnershipsReimbursement Reality: The Two-Year Patient Turnover Truth→ Why payers optimize for getting patients off their rolls within two years→ How to speak the specific language of individual payers versus generic "healthcare system" messaging→ The critical distinction between clinical evidence for FDA versus clinical evidence for adoptionEcosystem Building Over Individual Excellence→ Creating comprehensive support networks that enable ventures to achieve more with less capital→ Why fractional experts who truly integrate with your team outperform expensive full-time hires→ Building relationships that become competitive moats in highly specialized healthcare marketsBest Quotes:"You are not an AI enabled solution. Stop it. Stop putting that as the first words describing your company.""There is no such thing as a healthcare system. Every hospital is individualized, they work with different payers. You are not saving 'the healthcare system' money.""The best people you will work with want to knock you out right away. They want to know what you know and you've got to lead them.""You're far more capable than you think you are. Trust your instincts more. You know more than you think you do."Want more insights on medtech innovation?Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss hot takes and insider tactics from the trenches of medtech startups.🤝 Join the #1 network for medtech innovators on the internet. Join for free using this link.Find vendors at MedtechVendors - https://www.medtechvendors.com/📈 FREE 5-day course: https://xomedtech.com/free-courseFIND SPENCER JONES ON SOCIALSpencer's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/medtech-innovation/ XO Medtech LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/xo-medtech/ FIND JEFF JUNE ON SOCIALJeff's LinkedIn Profile- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffjune/Ischemia Care - https://www.ischemiacare.com/ Episode Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction to Jeff June's three-decade MedTech journey5:00 - Why the venture capital model is broken for early-stage MedTech15:00 - Technical founders are more capable than they're told22:00 - The accelerator industrial complex diagnosis35:00 - Clinical-to-consumer healthcare transformation45:00 - What MedTech innovators consistently overlook55:00 - Building ecosystem partnerships over individual excellence65:00 - Reimbursement reality and payer psychology75:00 - Strategic M&A relationship building playbook