Banned! Inside919 kicked me out!
July 2, 2009 | North Carolina Startup Blog
I just got banned from a social network. But let me start at the beginning. Inside919 is a startup local online social community build on Ning …
Company profile: Starborn Solutions
June 29, 2009
After being on vacation and off the grid, I am back and have some new companies to profile.
Starborn Solutions is a startup founded by Randy Lynn. Randy is an IBM guy who has built an impressive team and is taking on the challenge of e-medical records for the home health industry. Randy spoke to me about his startup.
What is your company’s 30 second elevator pitch?
An average per day cost for a hospital stay is above $5,000. An average per visit cost for a home health visit is about $130. Whether it is privately or federally funded, home health will remain and will likely grow as a priority contributor to the complete health care team.
Starborn, recognizing this trend, and cost savings in the delivery of health care has studied, analyzed and concluded that the software and services are as much as twenty years behind where they could be for home health. There are certain operating characteristics of home health that are challenges unlike any other health care setting, yet at the same time it is those characteristics that offer an opportunity to drive efficiency, and move the quality of care beyond what only a few years ago was even thought possible.
We need to implement applications that filter data so that it becomes information, that transform information into knowledge, and that ultimately provide clinicians with wisdom based on that knowledge exactly when they need it. The existing software and systems were conceived and built decades ago. Not only do the agencies need us, the patients need us; now more than ever is there an opportunity to affect not only the bottom line, but the quality of life.
That is what drives us; the knowledge we can apply our technical skills to drive positive outcomes for the patient.
What has been your company’s funding & growth so far?
We are applying our software design and development experience, to the business domain of Home Health driving our software architecture and technical prototypes. The team is 9 strong right now, with the expectation to grow according to adoption of our product and processes in the home health industry. We are prototyping our first-generation products and services while developing customer relationships. Many have given advice, and the common thread is the importance of engaging your potential customers in the collaboration in design and validation of your product and services.
We have been approved for a Kentucky Enterprise Fund investment and We have made numerous presentations to various investment groups. Times have changed for the technical startup especially one built on software. Gone are the days of multi-million dollar budgets. It is our minds and ideas that are of the most value and the capital investment costs represent the time in exchange for our full-time effort. In that regard, we’re fortunate to be able to move our ideas forward with lower costs than other types of services or products, we could be and likely are, the traditional garage-startup (think Apple, Google and Microsoft).
What is the outlook for your business in the next eighteen months?
Starborn is focused on building customer relationships, building a technical prototype and then ultimately going through a BETA cycle with several customers. We cannot afford an extended development cycle and to that extent we’re focused on solving the most pressing need for home health. That is important; identifying the most pressing need and providing an economical solution. It is not enough to just be cost comparable, or even save a few dollars. You have to demonstrate substantial value – and when it comes to health care, you have to demonstrate an improvement in the quality of care.
What attracted you to entrepreneurship?
I believe in our product, I believe in our talent, and I believe in the future of home health. More importantly I love the idea that I can apply a passion of computers and software design and have a positive impact on a patient’s life.
So many business applications are just an abstract interface, a cog in a giant wheel. It’s difficult to recognize your value, assess your contributions to the world. It is a bit esoteric, but I think it is a characteristic of creative individuals to create not for the sake of making money, but for the sake of creation itself. It just so happens, that in this case our talent, passions and the market needs are aligned.
What have been the advantages and disadvantages of starting a high tech business in Kentucky?
One of our unique challenges is our distributed team. We have partners that live in Texas, Illinois, and Virginia complicating the design and prototyping ; but not an obstacle we cannot overcome. That is a unique challenge for our company that would exist regardless of the state we were incorporated in.
There is money in Kentucky, and there is talent; our challenge is embracing the risk/reward nature of entrepreneurship and connecting the two parties. It is more than a marketing campaign, it is more than an ordinance, legislation or an economic campaign; you cannot just create some innovation center, or business incubator. Some may remember the Silicon Central Conference started back in 2000. That conference is a classic example of the history of technology in Lexington and our efforts to not only garner local support, but advertise to the nation that we are building an innovators Mecca. We are building a culture that fosters, cultivates and expects innovation, and creativity. We have come a long way, and have a long way to go, but the first steps were taken many years ago.
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