Reinventing Vet Care from the Ground Up

"So finding a way to just let it happen. Do my best and release that ego... I have to love that I am going to grow and that's how I'm gonna grow."

• Steven learned to accept challenges and uncertainties.
• Emphasized personal growth over ego.
• Founders should embrace the journey's ups and downs.

"So I think my mantra now is, you know, seek wisdom. Not advice."

• Steven advocates for learning from others' experiences.
• Emphasizes personal responsibility in decision-making.
• Founders should embrace making their own choices.

"It's just that we can have a lot more control in the consistency of your work environment if we build it versus we bought an old one."

• He sought full control over the service environment.
• Ensured consistency and quality by building clinics.
• Founders may build rather than buy to align with vision.

"We are very clear about what we stand for, what our values are... we want people who want to join us to do that."

• Steven highlights the importance of shared values.
• Attracts employees committed to their mission.
• Founders should clearly communicate their vision.

"He loved the vision and so in our mid-twenties aspiring entrepreneurs, he says, hey, I will fund this idea, let's go for it."

• Steven secured funding through a partner's belief in their vision.
• Networking led to a critical investment.
• Founders should leverage their connections.

"We did a bunch of different marketing stuff... but within about a month, we had to stop doing everything to get more customers because we were full."

• Steven tried various marketing tactics.
• Rapidly reached capacity due to high demand.
• Early-stage founders should test various channels.

"It requires everyone rowing in the same direction... we are very clear about what we stand for, what our values are."

• Steven clarified the company's mission and values.
• He built a shared culture committed to change.
• Alignment helps teams innovate effectively.

"So the idea of membership was we're going to remove the exam fee."

• Steven identified exam fees as a barrier to care.
• He introduced a membership model to eliminate fees.
• Removing friction increased customer visits and loyalty.

"We built our own electronic medical record system... that's been wildly valuable today with AI where we are able to now point AI at a lot of different problems to eliminate a lot of the work."

• Steven built custom systems to leverage AI effectively.
• AI helped automate tasks and summarize complex data.
• Investing in AI can improve product offerings and operations.

"And as an investor, you know, I'm looking at the data, right, and it's obvious to me, I don't think people want this thing."

• Steven realized his initial product wasn't resonating.
• He pivoted to meet customer needs better.
• Founders should use data to guide product decisions.