This presentation by Fadli details his journey from a determined, though initially unsuccessful, medical school applicant to a health-tech entrepreneur. He emphasizes the importance of innovation, driven by recognizing and addressing problems, particularly within healthcare. Drawing on personal experiences of discomfort (difficult university entry, limited early access to technology in a remote area), he highlights how challenges can build resilience and foster creativity. He recounts identifying the problem of patient isolation and the lack of peer support, leading him to develop "Pasienku," a mobile application connecting patients with similar conditions. The video covers the app's minimalist initial release, the value of feedback for continuous improvement, and its evolution into a platform with B2B partnerships, demonstrating a commitment to solving healthcare problems through technology.
Summarizing the Journey: From Medical School Aspirations to Health Tech Innovation
0:09 Speaker Introduction: Fadli introduces himself as a UGM Medical School alum (2008 entry), sharing his initial struggle to get accepted (took 2 years and 12 attempts). He now lives in Semarang with his wife but his team is still in Jogja.
0:24 Focus on Problem-Solving: His perspective in this talk is on problem-solving and development, contrasting with a business perspective shared earlier by another speaker.
0:44 Healthcare Innovation: He emphasizes the need for innovation in healthcare, giving an example of using drones for blood delivery in remote areas in Rwanda, Africa, to solve existing problems. Medical students are well-positioned to identify such problems.
5:52 Innovation Must Solve Problems: True innovation solves a problem; otherwise, it's merely a "short breath."
6:14 Professional Background: Besides being a doctor and the CEO of "Pasienku," he was a program manager for the 1000 Digital Startups movement (Ministry of Communication and Information) and currently manages the Google Business Group in Yogyakarta.
6:46 Advocating for Health Tech: He is the secretary of Altaid, an association of health tech startups in Indonesia, advocating for regulations that are more friendly to technological innovation, working with the Ministry of Health.
7:31 The Role of Discomfort: Innovation is born from discomfort. He illustrates this with his background from a small, remote town in North Kalimantan near the Malaysia border.
7:53 Early Tech Struggles: His first computer was old (IBM, needed floppies to boot) and internet access in 2001 was very expensive (cost equivalent to 4kg of rice per hour). This difficulty fostered an appreciation for technology.
9:17 DIY Connectivity: Due to expensive internet, he learned to extend WiFi signals using a "pancibolic" (a frying pan antenna) based on Onno W. Purbo's work, successfully connecting to a signal tower 3-4 km away. This necessity sparked creative problem-solving.
12:29 University Entry Struggle: He recounts failing 12 state university entrance tests over two years before finally being accepted into UGM medical school on his 12th try in 2008.
13:43 Connecting the Dots: Reflecting on his struggle, he applies Steve Jobs' "connecting the dots" philosophy, realizing that past difficulties, though painful at the time, built essential resilience and contributed to his later path.
14:49 Learning Contributes to the Future: Using Steve Jobs' decision to take a typography class after dropping out as an example, he highlights that seemingly unrelated knowledge can become valuable later, emphasizing continuous learning.
15:49 Sensing Problems: To be innovative, one must be aware of their surroundings and develop the ability to sense and identify problems experienced by people.
16:31 Career Dilemma: Towards the end of medical school, he faced a dilemma between pursuing a clinical career (specialist) or focusing on technology and entrepreneurship, negotiating with his parents for nearly two years.
17:23 Identifying Patient Isolation: Research for his app idea included meeting Mas Robby, a cancer patient who felt alone despite having family and friends, revealing a significant problem: lack of peer support among chronic patients.
18:06 Scale of the Problem: Ministry of Health data indicates millions of chronic patients in Indonesia could face similar feelings of isolation.
18:46 Impact of Peer Support: A simple interaction, like meeting a long-term survivor, can be life-changing for a patient, suggesting that support from peers with similar experiences is more effective than support from healthy individuals.
19:09 Problem with Existing Solutions: Existing digital solutions in 2015 focused on doctor-patient consultations, while peer support groups (WhatsApp/Facebook) lacked information verification.
19:51 Developing the App ("Pasienku"): He decided to build a mobile app for patient-to-patient support, choosing Android due to market share and patient convenience (e.g., waiting rooms). He learned Android development using limited resources (slow, secondhand laptop).
21:44 Initial Release: The first version of the app was very simple and incomplete, lacking many basic features (e.g., cannot change email, delete posts).
22:20 Release Strategy: Citing startup wisdom, he released the imperfect product ("if you're still embarrassed, release it; if not, you waited too long"), as the first version is guaranteed to have issues but is essential for gathering real-world feedback.
22:54 Value of Feedback: Negative comments on the initial release provided crucial feedback, such as the need for multi-disease communities, enabling continuous improvement and growth.
24:47 App Purpose: The app "Pasienku" connects patients who share the same illness so they can support each other, with peer interaction being the core value.
28:10 Impactful Story: The story of Diana, a heart disease patient who used the app to connect with peers, opened up to her family, and found purpose in helping others, validated his decision to pursue this path.
30:10 Platform Evolution: The platform has evolved beyond peer support to include B2B partnerships (e.g., with Novartis for clinical trial recruitment, not selling drugs), e-commerce, home services, and integration with hospital management software (via cek.id).
31:26 Innovation is a Must: Innovation is essential and requires staying ahead of the continuous wave of technological change (from machines to AI). Failure to innovate can lead to obsolescence (like Blockbuster).
32:20 Adapt, Don't Just Import: It's crucial to adapt and innovate based on local problems and context, rather than just importing foreign technology solutions.