In each issue of the New Tech Newsletter we feature a Spotlight Q&A with founders, angels, New Tech alumni presenters, and other people or companies in our community we believe you’d like to learn about. Reach out if you’d like to recommend a startup, founder, angel, accelerator, or New Tech alumni presenter for us to spotlight for the PNW tech community!
In this week’s spotlight we’re highlighting New Tech Presenter, Swatee Surve, Litesprite, an award winning digital healthcare firm that has built a therapeutic gaming platform that delivers data insights and improves clinical outcomes.
Why do you do what you do for a living?
To make a difference in the world by improving people’s lives.
Why did you start your company?
At the time, there were very few digital self-help tools available for people to improve their health.
What is the one piece of advice you would share today with your younger self before you started your company?
Building a startup is far from a meritocracy. The impact of bias and the power, both good and bad, of the network is much greater than you realize. Spend time before you launch anything cultivating and building deep relationships with a large circle of influential people who can help you mitigate the negative effects and help you make the necessary connections and get the funding you need. These people will be your superfans, staunch advocates in the room when you aren’t there. This is a nontrivial and very hard thing to do. Most people have done this through working together or social connections. If you can’t build connections this way, you’ll need to get creative on how you can do that.
What is something interesting and unexpected that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I write poetry, can juggle, and love dad jokes.
Reach out if you’d like to recommend a startup, founder, angel, accelerator, or New Tech alumni presenter for us to spotlight for the PNW tech community!
