One CMO's Journey from Academia to Entrepreneurship with Dr. Neel Shah

The podcast is back! New name, new brand, same mission.

You know I love a good conversation! That's why I'm so excited to (re)launch Leadership Rounds, a renewed version of my podcast shining a spotlight on exceptional clinician executives thriving at the intersection of business and healthcare.

For our inaugural episode of this rebranded and refreshed podcast, it was a joy to chat with my friend Dr. Neel Shah, Chief Medical Officer at Maven Clinic, the largest virtual clinic for women's and family health. Neel's journey from academic medicine to entrepreneurship and digital health leadership offers a fabulous blueprint for clinicians seeking to expand their impact.

In this episode, Neel and I have a wonderfully wide-ranging conversation where we discuss:

• His non-linear path from academia to entrepreneurship, and how activism is "Mendelian" in his family

• The challenges of transitioning from a decade in academic medicine to the fast-paced startup world

• What it truly means to be a Chief Medical Officer (and why there are "indoor cats" and "outdoor cats" - yes, I have completely co-opted this framing!)

• How clinicians bring unique value to business environments but must learn to speak a new language

• Managing the tension between clinical integrity and business growth

• The liberation that comes from learning to delegate and trust your team

• Why healthcare needs both evolution and revolution

I could quote many favorite pearls of wisdom from our conversation but this one stands out:

"I think when you're trying to find your way, it's often hard to know if you're on the right path. But if you are compelled by trying to make healthcare better because the current state of healthcare makes you crazy mad, you're going to be on the right path."

— Neel Shah, MD, CMO at Maven Clinic

As Neel shares his experience moving from academic star to entrepreneurial maven, there are elements so unique on the one hand and yet lessons so universal on the other hand. Everyone stands to learn something from his tale. Whether you're a clinician feeling that tug toward innovation and looking to expand your leadership footprint or whether you are an executive wanting to better tap into the clinical experts on your team, my conversation with Neel delivers the perfect prescription for navigating today's healthcare leadership challenges.

I hope you'll listen, subscribe, and join me on this journey as we explore the wisdom and insights of exceptional healthcare leaders, one candid conversation at a time.

You can find Leadership Rounds on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

And feel free to share topics or guests you’d like to see on future episodes. Just drop your thoughts in the comments!