Jordan Pollack, biomedical engineer, entrepreneur and CEO of Sub-Q Bionics. Jordan began his career at Boston Scientific, later founded VeinWay in Israel and is now focused on building a new treatment paradigm for lymphoedema in cancer survivors.

In this episode, we explore what actually creates momentum in MedTech, from networking with intent to building the resilience needed to survive the founder journey. Jordan shares why conferences alone rarely deliver results, how warm introductions and targeted roadshows outperform generic networking and what he had to unlearn after leaving corporate structure behind to become a startup CEO. He also offers a brutally honest take on entrepreneurship, explaining why the role is not for everyone and why persistence, resilience and equanimity matter more than titles or ambition alone.

We also go deep into the story behind Sub-Q Bionics and why Jordan chose to focus on lymphoedema, particularly in women recovering from cancer treatment. He explains the clinical reality of the disease, the lack of meaningful treatment options beyond maintenance, and why reimbursement, not just good technology, is often the deciding factor in whether a device company succeeds. Along the way, he shares sharp insights on women’s health being chronically underfunded, the differences between the U.S. and Israeli startup ecosystems, and why mission-led companies are far more likely to stay the course when things get hard.

Timestamps

[00:00:32] Why Generic Conferences Rarely Create Real MedTech Opportunity
[00:02:05] How Networking Shaped Jordan’s Move from Boston Scientific to Israel
[00:03:29] What Corporate MedTech Taught Him and What He Had to Unlearn
[00:05:54] Why Being a Founder Is Not for Everyone
[00:08:49] The Origin of Sub-Q Bionics and the Shift Toward True Disease Treatment
[00:11:53] What Lymphoedema Actually Is and Why It Is So Devastating
[00:14:06] Why Women’s Health Remains Underfunded and Where Innovation Is Emerging
[00:18:25] Why Reimbursement Matters More Than Technology Alone
[00:20:58] U.S. vs Israel: Two Very Different Startup Ecosystems
[00:25:10] Balancing Founder Life, Health, Travel and Relationships

Connect with Jordan - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-pollack-81464827/

Learn more about Sub-Q Bionics - ⁠⁠https://subqbionics.com/

Get in touch with Karandeep Badwal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/karandeepbadwal/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Karandeep on YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@KarandeepBadwal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Dave Rosa, CEO and President of NeuroOne, medtech entrepreneur, board member and former executive at St. Jude Medical, Boston Scientific and C.R. Bard. With three decades in medical devices and more than $200 million raised, Dave brings a rare mix of operator, inventor and capital markets experience to the future of neurotechnology and pain care.

In this episode, we unpack one of the biggest mistakes medtech companies make: building technology without enough real-world user feedback. Dave explains why innovation for the sake of innovation often fails, especially in larger companies, and why the best products are shaped by how physicians and patients actually use them. We also explore NeuroOne’s unique approach of combining diagnostics and therapeutics through the same electrode, and why that kind of multifunctional platform thinking can be both clinically powerful and commercially strategic.

A major theme in this conversation is regulatory strategy. Dave walks through NeuroOne’s deliberate “diagnostic first, therapeutic second” FDA pathway, explaining why starting with an easier regulatory indication can de-risk the technology, shorten timelines and create a stronger platform for later therapeutic claims. We also discuss the value of reusing the same generator across multiple indications, how founders often wait too long to engage with FDA, and why platform leverage matters from both a business and development perspective.

We also go deep on chronic pain and lower back pain. Dave shares why today’s pain solutions often fall short, how different triggers require different treatment approaches, and where technologies like ablation, stimulation and smarter electrode design could shift outcomes. He also highlights how seemingly small user-experience issues, like frequent recharging, can destroy patient adherence and wipe out billions in company value.

Timestamps

[00:00:08] Why MedTech Companies Fail When They Ignore Real User Feedback
[00:02:04] Innovation vs Iteration: When “New” Adds No Real Value
[00:02:22] Combining Diagnostics and Therapeutics With the Same Electrode
[00:03:52] Why NeuroOne Chose a Diagnostic-First FDA Strategy
[00:05:21] Pain Management Today: Ablation, Stimulation and Complex Back Pain
[00:08:21] What Is Fundamentally Broken in Lower Back Pain Solutions
[00:09:26] How Small Patient Frictions Can Destroy Adoption and Valuation
[00:11:11] The Power of Reusing the Same Generator Across Multiple Indications
[00:13:00] The FDA Mistake Many Founders Still Make
[00:21:15] Where Neurotechnology and Pain Management Are Heading Next

Connect with Dave - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daverosa/

Learn more about NeuroOne - ⁠https://nmtc1.com/

Get in touch with Karandeep Badwal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/karandeepbadwal/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Karandeep on YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@KarandeepBadwal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Dr. Amel Havkic, founder of EvoMed Consulting and a lung and critical care specialist, hospital clinical lead. Amel works at the intersection of bedside medicine and MedTech strategy, helping innovators build clinician-approved solutions that scale safely across real healthcare systems.

In this episode, we unpack why “clinicians love it” is rarely enough to win adoption, and what hospital purchasing actually looks like when procurement, IT, finance, compliance and workflows all have a seat at the table. Amel breaks down why switching away from legacy tools is painful, how integrations can break care pathways, and why solutions that feel like a natural part of the hospital ecosystem win faster. He also shares a practical lens for building frictionless implementation by aligning with standards like HL7, FHIR and DICOM, while proving measurable value for patients and payers.

We also go deep on decentralising healthcare. Amel explains how the Dutch model centralises high-end expertise while decentralising access through remote monitoring and home-based onboarding, and why this becomes a winning approach as staffing pressures rise. On AI, he makes the case for reframing it as augmented intelligence, not autonomy, and shows where decision support can raise the baseline of care by supporting clinicians in time-critical situations, as well as offloading admin burden that drains capacity.

Finally, Amel shares the thinking behind the EMC StarMap framework, a navigation tool built from real-world patterns of what makes MedTech succeed or fail. His core message is simple: regulatory approval is a milestone, but clinical adoption is the real finish line.

Timestamps

[00:00:05] Clinician + Consultant Lens: Seeing Adoption and Safety Risks

[00:01:22] Why “Physicians Love It” Does Not Mean Hospitals Will Buy

[00:03:27] What Hospitals Consider Beyond Cost: Workflow, Integration and Training

[00:05:09] Frictionless Implementation: Standards, EHR Fit and “Team Player” Products

[00:06:24] Real Clinical Workflow: ICU Reality and Why UI Clicks Matter

[00:07:31] Decentralising Care: Centralised Expertise With Home-Based Delivery

[00:10:37] AI in Healthcare: Reframing as Augmented Intelligence

[00:12:55] Staffing Shortages: Where AI Can Remove Waste and Scale Expertise

[00:14:38] If You Could Change One Thing: Put the Patient Back at the Center

[00:16:59] StarMap: Measuring What Drives Clinical Adoption

Connect with Amel - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-havkic/

Learn more about Evomed Consulting - https://evomed-consulting.eu/

Get in touch with Karandeep Badwal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/karandeepbadwal/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Karandeep on YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@KarandeepBadwal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Podcast