Vital Signs with Jacob Effron and Nikhil Krishnan

by Redpoint Ventures
  • 5.0 (50)
  • INVESTING

On Vital Signs, Jacob Effron and Nikhil Krishnan dig into cutting-edge trends in healthtech and the people shaping them. Every two weeks they’ll explore a new sub-sector and trend with policy leaders, startup founders and industry executives. Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss any of it!

  1. OCT 1

    Ep 63: Narayana Health Vice Chairman on Scaling Quality Care in India and Tech’s Role

    This episode features Viren Shetty, Vice Chairman of Narayana Health, discussing how his father founded a cardiac surgery hospital in India 25 years ago that revolutionized healthcare delivery by applying manufacturing efficiency principles to drastically reduce costs while maintaining quality. The conversation explores how Narayana Health scaled from one cardiac center to 19 multi-specialty hospitals across India and one in the Cayman Islands by implementing supply chain optimization, standardization of care, physician specialization, and high-volume operations—enabling them to perform cardiac surgeries at a fraction of Western costs. Shetty discusses the challenges and opportunities of operating in India's largely out-of-pocket healthcare market, the hospital's expansion into insurance and primary care to become a fully integrated provider, their measured approach to AI adoption, and why their high-volume, efficiency-driven model wouldn't directly translate to the US healthcare system despite offering valuable lessons in operational excellence and cost reduction.   (0:00) Intro (1:20) Founding and Growth of Narayana Health (2:48) Cost Reduction Strategies in Indian Healthcare (6:04) Challenges and Cultural Shifts in Standardization (8:16) Scaling and Expansion Bottlenecks (14:10) Impact of COVID-19 on Narayana Health (19:15) Medical Tourism and the Cayman Islands (23:03) High Patient Volume in Indian Hospitals (24:29) Exploring Healthcare Ecosystems (25:25) Automating Healthcare Administration (26:39) Challenges in US Healthcare (28:18) Innovative Healthcare Models (30:28) AI in Medicine (33:22) Driving Efficiency in Hospitals (37:48) Opportunities in Indian Healthcare (40:34) Quickfire   With your co-hosts:  @jacobeffron  - Partner at Redpoint, Former PM Flatiron Health  @patrickachase  - Partner at Redpoint, Former ML Engineer LinkedIn  @ericabrescia  - Former COO Github, Founder Bitnami (acq’d by VMWare)  @jordan_segall  - Partner at Redpoint

    46 min

  2. SEP 29

    Ep 62: Merck KGaA Chief Data and AI Officer on Scaling AI in Pharma and The Future of Enterprise Software

    This episode captures Walid Mehanna's perspective on how Merck KGaA has approached enterprise AI adoption through a federated strategy that prioritizes people over technology. The core message is that successful AI implementation requires building organizational capability across three dimensions - people, processes, and technology - rather than seeking a single transformative solution. Walid argues that companies must establish a broad foundation of AI literacy (exemplified by their internal MyGPT tool reaching 25,000 users) before pursuing specialized applications, while maintaining human accountability to prevent complacency. He emphasizes that AI works best when it's treated as an experimental, iterative capability distributed across the organization rather than controlled centrally, with success depending on persistence through the inevitable J-curve of initial productivity drops. The conversation reveals how a large multinational navigates the practical realities of AI deployment - from managing regulatory complexity across different geographies to making pragmatic build-versus-buy decisions - while maintaining focus on the fundamental principle that AI should augment human expertise rather than replace human judgment and responsibility.   (0:00) Intro (0:29) How AI is Used at Merck (2:18) AI Applications Across the Value Chain (4:31) Challenges and Risks of AI Implementation (5:35) Federated Approach to AI Prioritization (6:44) Future AI Use Cases and Data Challenges (10:38) Building and Partnering for AI Solutions (15:11) AI in Drug Discovery and R&D (26:47) Quickfire   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    33 min

  3. SEP 22

    Ep 61: Co-Founder of Chai Discovery Joshua Meier on 99% Faster Drug Discovery, BioTech’s AlphaGo Moment, Building Photoshop for Molecules

    In this episode, Jacob sits down with Joshua Meier, co-founder of Chai Discovery and former Chief AI Officer at Absci, to explore the breakthrough moment happening in AI drug discovery. They discuss how the field has evolved through three distinct waves, with the current generation of companies finally achieving success rates that seemed impossible just years ago.    The conversation covers everything from moving drug discovery out of the lab and into computers, to why AI models think differently than human chemists, to the strategic decisions around open sourcing foundational models while keeping design capabilities proprietary. It's an in-depth look at how AI is fundamentally changing pharmaceutical innovation and what it means for the future of medicine.   Check out the full Chai-2 Zero-Shot Antibody report linked here: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.05.663018v1.full.pdf   (0:00) Intro (1:25) The Evolution of AI in Drug Discovery (5:14) Current State and Future of AI in Biotech (10:08) Challenges and Modalities in Therapeutics (14:44) Data Generation and Model Training (22:52) Open Source and Model Development at Chai (29:52) Open Source Models and Their Impact (34:36) How Should Chai-2 Be Used? (38:53) The Future of AI in Pharma and Biotech (42:46) Key Milestones and Metrics in AI-Driven Drug Discovery (47:20) Critiques and Hesitation (54:01) Quickfire   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    57 min

  4. JUL 31

    Ep 60: General Medicine's Elliot Cohen on Lessons from PillPack and Amazon and The Future of AI x Healthcare

    Elliot Cohen—PillPack co-founder and now co-founder of General Medicine—joins Jacob Effron and Nikhil (Out-of-Pocket) to unpack what “best care” really means in 2025. He explains why General Medicine is building a broad front door to care. Elliot also revisits the PillPack vs. PBMs saga, what Amazon Pharmacy got right (and what was unexpectedly hard), and how AI is already raising the bar in intake, clinical prep, and follow-up.   (0:00) Intro (0:58) Simplifying Healthcare with General Medicine (1:53) The Importance of Triage in Healthcare (3:22) Consumer Empowerment in Healthcare (5:10) Patient Experience and Structured Forms (6:27) Challenges in Healthcare Pricing Transparency (8:28) Diverse Patient Needs and Quality of Care (10:00) The Philosophy Behind General Medicine (16:43) Consumer Directed Care: Pros and Cons (18:57) PillPack (35:53) Debating Insulin Search Results (38:16) AI in Healthcare: A New Era (39:15) Integrating AI with Clinical Teams (41:39) Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Therapeutics (58:21) Building a Healthcare Company: Lessons from Amazon (1:01:25) Quickfire   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    1h 8m

  5. MAY 23 · BONUS

    Flashback: Hinge Health CEO Daniel Perez on Effective Employer Sales, Patient Engagement and His Top Advice to Founders

    Flashback episode in honor of Hinge Health's IPO this week. In the episode, Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Daniel Perez, the Co-Founder and CEO of Hinge Health, a digital clinic for patients with joint and muscle pain. They discuss Hinge Health’s strategy for selling to employers, how digital health solutions can reach and retain users, the role of software x hardware in disrupting healthcare, and more.   (0:00) Intro (2:34) The Evolution of Employer Health Solutions (4:03) Challenges and Strategies in Digital Health (7:07) Focus on Musculoskeletal Care (9:51) Engaging and Retaining Patients (16:17) Marketing and Awareness Strategies (19:31) The Role of Independent Validators (22:27) Clinical Validation and R&D Excellence (23:04) Healthy Competition and Market Differentiation (23:59) Product Superiority and Customer Validation (26:05) Team Dynamics and Tough Decisions (29:49) Future of Hinge Health and Healthcare Automation (31:44) AI and Technology Integration (36:18) Hardware Innovations and Market Impact (39:19) Value-Based Care and Outcome Guarantees (41:14) Regulatory Challenges and Innovation Constraints (43:38) Closing Thoughts and Entrepreneurial Advice   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    45 min

  6. MAY 1

    Ep 59: Photon Health CEO Otto Sipe on the Future of Pharmacies, PBMs and GLP-1s

    Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Otto Sipe. Otto is the CEO and Co-Founder of Photon Health, which enables patients to select their own pharmacies with price and inventory transparency. The company has raised over $16 million from investors including Flare Capital Partners and Notation Capital. They discuss where pharmacies and PBMs are headed, the evolution of E-Prescribing, the impact of GLP-1s & AI, and more.   (0:00) Intro (0:51) History and Evolution of E-Prescribing (3:02) Challenges in Current E-Prescribing Systems (6:28) Photon Health's Innovative Approach (8:17) Patient and Provider Behavior Changes (11:21) Pharmacy Industry Landscape and Future (13:43) Interactions with PBMs and Market Dynamics (16:48) Future of PBMs and Drug Pricing (20:38) Quality and Marketplace Experience in Pharmacies (23:30) Advising Independent Pharmacies for Future Success (24:24) Challenges and Strategies in Retail Pharmacy (25:45) Pharmacy Economics and Supply Chain Issues (30:21) The Role and Potential of Pharmacists (36:01) AI in Pharmacy: Photon’s Approach (38:28) Quickfire   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    46 min

  7. APR 10

    Ep 58: Iora Health Former CEO Rushika Fernandopulle on Current State of Value Based Care Across Payer Types and AI’s Role in Primary Care

    Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle. Rushika is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Iora Health, a primary care provider centered around value-based care and Medicare that One Medical acquired for $2.1 billion. They discuss why we’re still in the second inning of value-based care, intersections of tech and healthcare, what it takes for VBC to succeed, and more.   [0:00] Intro [0:29] Early Days of Value-Based Care [2:34] Challenges in Commercial Value-Based Care [5:20] Adapting Care Models for Different Populations [13:08] Medicaid and Long-Term Care Issues [16:30] Big Tech's Foray into Healthcare [20:37] Amazon's Healthcare Strategy [21:09] Challenges in Serving Low-Income Seniors [21:43] Innovative Solutions for Patient Transportation [22:16] The Economics of Healthcare Visits [23:22] Building a Custom EHR System [27:34] The Role of AI in Modern Healthcare [33:17] Future of Primary Care and Policy Implications   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    39 min

  8. MAR 14

    Ep 57: Taro Health CEO Frank Wu on Direct Primary Care, The History of InsurTech and AI for Payers

    Jacob and Nikhil sit down with Frank Wu, the Co-Founder and CEO of Taro Health. Taro Health is a health insurance plan currently live in Maine and Oklahoma that offers unlimited primary care and mental health visits. The company has raised over $18m from investors like Hummingbird Ventures, Quiet Capital, and FPV Ventures. They discuss creating value in InsurTech, building a health plan for Direct Primary Care providers, what’s next for health insurance, and more.   [0:00] Intro [0:18] Frank’s Background and Journey [1:17] Introduction to Taro Health [2:50] Challenges and Strategies in Health Insurance [7:24] Direct Primary Care Model [13:01] Patient and Doctor Archetypes in DPC [17:01] Enrollment and Market Strategies [28:56] Generative AI in Health Insurance [35:31] Quickfire   Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/

    42 min
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About

On Vital Signs, Jacob Effron and Nikhil Krishnan dig into cutting-edge trends in healthtech and the people shaping them. Every two weeks they’ll explore a new sub-sector and trend with policy leaders, startup founders and industry executives. Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss any of it!

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