She raised $1.3M, delivered real value—but still failed. Here’s what happened. | Mary Beth Snodgrass, Founder of Healthiby

Mary Beth Snodgrass shares the raw and real story behind Healthiby—an innovative healthcare startup that succeeded in delivering measurable health outcomes but ultimately failed commercially. Hear firsthand what went wrong, from unclear payer dynamics and sales friction, to macroeconomic shifts and storytelling gaps. This episode pulls back the curtain on why having a working product isn’t enough and why mastering the market dynamics is crucial to your startup’s survival.

Why You Should Listen

• Learn why even successful products can fail if the payer isn’t clearly defined.
• Understand the hidden hurdles in long sales cycles.
• Discover why storytelling and personal founder journeys are key.
• See how market timing and macro changes can dramatically impact your startup’s trajectory.
• Avoid the pitfalls of focusing solely on solving problems without a robust go-to-market strategy.

Keywords

product market fit, healthcare startups, startup failure, go-to-market strategy, founder advice, chronic conditions, startup storytelling, B2B sales, health tech, behavior change

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:04 Pivoting Fast

00:06:16 Finding Initial Users

00:08:53 Building a Behavior Change Product

00:13:55 Why We Failed

00:17:48 Navigating Complex Sales Models

00:19:56 Key Lessons

00:22:45 Final Advice for Early Stage Founders

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