Doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, investor, Dr Snehal Patel makes all of your accomplishments seem a bit underwhelming. However, his path wasn’t the easiest or the most traditional.
When we asked Dr. Snehal what was most interesting about him, his answer had nothing to do with his degrees or qualifications but was that he’s traveled to 81 countries and backpacked across most of them. In fact, rather than look for inspiration in business leaders, he follows the wisdom of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who embodied the innate curiosity and sense of wonder about the world.
His company MyDoc, embodies this spirit as well, with an aggressive plan to change healthcare across Asia. Along with his co-Founder, a doctor as well, Snehal saw gaps in healthcare from the professional and patient side, which he felt needed a solution that was not on the market already. Thus, MyDoc was born.
When he’s not in the office or traveling around the region, building the MyDoc network, you’re most likely to find Snehal rock climbing somewhere.
Read what else he had to say.
1. Sell us your company/service in 300 words?
One of the key products we’re offering is MyDoc@Work, a mobile and web service that is focused on making employees healthy. The service offers companies the opportunity to provide comprehensive health and wellness services through our digital platform.
How it works, is that we use our proprietary technology to bring all the services you need to make your company healthier and more productive. This includes doctor consultations, online prescriptions, and medical certificates, as well as other corporate health services like fitness, dental and eye health.
This makes it simpler and more cost-efficient for employers to provide comprehensive healthcare for employees. The product’s main benefit for corporates is taking away the complexity of providing healthcare and allowing employees the opportunity to manage their entire health experience through a single service.
2. What is stopping you from having the largest company in the world?
I don’t think there is anything that significant stopping us, to be honest. We see the opportunity in front of us, because in every industry or for every service you have a choice whether or not you’ll use. You don’t need to buy the latest phone or use ride-hailing businesses, there are alternatives. However, healthcare is the only industry where every single person in the world needs it.
This is why I am so excited about the industry and the potential. However, realistically we know the challenges of scaling a heavily regulated and complex business, so we are entering relevant markets and setting up the groundwork for large-scale expansion.
3. If you could change one thing about the tech industry in Southeast Asia, what would it be?
Innovation needs to be embraced, not looked upon with a tinge of fear and trepidation just because it is different. We’re seeing a gradual shift from the regulatory side, even in healthcare, but there are too many technology companies and institutions that don’t nurture or look to push real innovation.
There is a strong business culture of risk aversion in Asia, with maybe China being the outlier, having developed and embraced different technologies faster than most markets in the world. However, their boldness has not influenced many other markets in the region.
New entrants or technologies in the market usually struggle, unless it is a recognizable brand with a tried and trusted service. This does inhibit new innovation in the market and doesn’t allow markets in the region to become first-movers.
4. Name one person in the region, who is making a difference in Technology?
Masayoshi Son – the legendary founder of SoftBank.
5. What would you want people to remember you for, 100 years from now?
A person who saw a problem and fixed it, so no one will ever know there was a problem in the first place.’
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About Dr. Snehal
A qualified lawyer, doctor, entrepreneur and healthcare investor, Dr Snehal has sufficient qualifications to run MyDoc by himself but focuses on business strategy and growth for the brand. He has built MyDoc into one of the largest digital health companies in Asia.
Prior to moving to Singapore in 2008, Dr Snehal practised law in the US and is a member of the Society of Kauffman Fellows.
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Views expressed by the interviewee are not necessarily shared by Tech Collective and some minimal editing is done for clarity’s sake.
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