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Running a startup in Europe, we needed to find some hospitals as customers. We went to Berlin, the capital of EU startups and it was a PITA to get to talk to de

Running a startup in Europe, we needed to find some hospitals as customers. We went to Berlin, the capital of EU startups and it was a PITA to get to talk to decision makers in large hospitals. The arrogance, disinterest for tech and speed of answer left much to be desired. Then we got some contacts in the US and every major hospital decision maker was a phone call away with a very fast answer if they find use in us or not. Not soon after we incorporated in Delaware. While you might have two valid points, saying that this is all it comes down to is a gross oversimplification.

rapsey 4y ago
In the US hospitals are companies not public sector. A very different market.
- vetinari 4y ago
  It is just an example, I have similar stories in other industries. European customers are very conservative, they won't even talk to you if you don't have several references in the same industry. Which is hard, when you are starting up. US customers, on the other hand, are not afraid to try new things and see for themselves, if they help them or not. That's the reason, why there are products and services, that come from US, are used by Europeans, but only after they were success in US. The willingness to be an early adopter is simply not there.
  - debugnik 4y ago
    It's not just an example, the EU public sector has much stricter processes to spend its budget than any private company. In particular, public contracts usually involve a design contest; a startup can't just phone a hospital and land a contract. Agreed with the rest though.
- 0xBDB 4y ago
  The majority are. I pay taxes to a hospital district which operates public hospitals, in Texas no less. Parkland, where JFK died, is a public hospital. Sort of an aside: my experience is that most people who have no experience of the American healthcare system believe a lot of things about it that are not true. The one true thing is that overall, it isn't very good. But how it's not very good and why varies significantly in different contexts and different parts of the country.
raverbashing 4y ago
You're not wrong looking at the big picture, but assuming the hospitals in Berlin would be technologically friendly is not how it goes. Quite the opposite. (in the same way, the most prestigious hospitals in the US are not in SV)
- albert180 4y ago
  Well Helios is there, the biggest hospital operator in Europe. But they use the crappy Oracle Cerner i.s.h.-med SAP Add-On. Then there is Asklepios not far away in Hamburg 2nd biggest operator in Germany, they develop their software inhouse (Meierhof). And the big university hospitals use usually something they developed on their own (which is sadly nicer and usually more user friendly and useful than the vendor solutions). I guess there's just not that much of a market left
za3faran 4y ago
What's the nature of the startup if you're able to elaborate?

rapsey 4y ago

In the US hospitals are companies not public sector. A very different market.

vetinari 4y ago
It is just an example, I have similar stories in other industries. European customers are very conservative, they won't even talk to you if you don't have several references in the same industry. Which is hard, when you are starting up. US customers, on the other hand, are not afraid to try new things and see for themselves, if they help them or not. That's the reason, why there are products and services, that come from US, are used by Europeans, but only after they were success in US. The willingness to be an early adopter is simply not there.
- debugnik 4y ago
  It's not just an example, the EU public sector has much stricter processes to spend its budget than any private company. In particular, public contracts usually involve a design contest; a startup can't just phone a hospital and land a contract. Agreed with the rest though.
0xBDB 4y ago
The majority are. I pay taxes to a hospital district which operates public hospitals, in Texas no less. Parkland, where JFK died, is a public hospital. Sort of an aside: my experience is that most people who have no experience of the American healthcare system believe a lot of things about it that are not true. The one true thing is that overall, it isn't very good. But how it's not very good and why varies significantly in different contexts and different parts of the country.

raverbashing 4y ago

You're not wrong looking at the big picture, but assuming the hospitals in Berlin would be technologically friendly is not how it goes. Quite the opposite. (in the same way, the most prestigious hospitals in the US are not in SV)

albert180 4y ago
Well Helios is there, the biggest hospital operator in Europe. But they use the crappy Oracle Cerner i.s.h.-med SAP Add-On. Then there is Asklepios not far away in Hamburg 2nd biggest operator in Germany, they develop their software inhouse (Meierhof). And the big university hospitals use usually something they developed on their own (which is sadly nicer and usually more user friendly and useful than the vendor solutions). I guess there's just not that much of a market left

za3faran 4y ago

What's the nature of the startup if you're able to elaborate?