Sramana Mitra: When you moved to create this platform, what year was it and what was the competitive landscape into which you were coming with this platform? Paula Tompkins: It was non-existent at that point. Sramana Mitra: What year was it? Paula Tompkins: 1999. What you really have to understand is, we have always done
Sramana Mitra: What was the sweet sauce in your digital marketing offering? Paula Tompkins: I like to call it the next best thing to a sales call at a fraction of the cost. If you look at the shopping process for a car, as an example, you want to see how the vehicle looks, you
Sramana Mitra: Let’s talk about from the point of view of building this company. You said the company started in 2009? Olivier Hua: The company started in 2007. Sramana Mitra: At that point, the product was the thermometer? Olivier Hua: Correct. Sramana Mitra: How long did the company function in that one product mode and
Sramana Mitra: What year is that? Paula Tompkins: 1985. Sramana Mitra: Tell us a bit about the idea and how you came up with it. Paula Tompkins: As I mentioned, the idea was that personal computers were gaining popularity. In 1985, there were about 10 million personal computers. There was the Macintosh, which had just
Sramana Mitra: How do you go to market? Are these sold as consumer devices? Are they sold as devices to doctor’s offices? How is the go-to market strategy structured? Olivier Hua: Initially, our products were sold through pharmacies. Sramana Mitra: A thermometer being sold through a pharmacy makes sense, but you’re talking about ECGs and
Sramana Mitra: What was the startup in 1981 and what was the environment in which that startup was coming together? Paula Tompkins: It was a very interesting time, around the birth of the personal computer. Adam Osborne had introduced his luggable computer. It was a CPM machine. The man that I went to work for
If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Connected Medical Devices is an emerging trend in Healthcare. Read on to see how a company from France has been navigating and pushing that trend. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the very beginning of your journey. Where are you from? Where were you born, raised, and
If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Paula Tompkins started her bootstrapped digital marketing venture in 1985. She has navigated massive industry level shifts, three significant downturns, and has managed to remain relevant. The company today does $20M+ in annual revenue. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the very beginning of your journey. Where