#173 | Why getting regulatory approval won't guarantee commercial success, and the 1 thing you need to do to start getting sales instead

Clinicians saying they love your product doesn’t mean hospitals will adopt it — and that gap is where clinician-led MedTech companies burn cash and lose momentum.In this episode, Hakeem is joined by Mark Tudor (20+ years in commercial leadership and advisory roles in medical devices) to break down why technically strong products stall after launch, how hospitals really decide what to buy, and how to build the commercial foundations that drive adoption, sales, and export readiness.Learn why commercial planning must run in parallel with product and regulatory workUnderstand what hospitals actually buy (risk management, simplicity, and economic clarity — not “better performance”)Get a practical lens for stakeholder mapping, validation beyond friendly opinions, and avoiding “inventor syndrome”Helping clinicians simplify their go-to-market strategy so they can stop guessing and turn their working prototypes into international MedTech businesses.Decision point scenario: You’re advising a clinician founder with regulatory approval, two pilot sites, one keen-but-unproven distributor, limited runway, and 90 days before board pressure. You can only prioritise one focus — what do you choose and why? (Mark answers in the next episode.)If you tell me whether you want this episode to lean harder into adoption, hospital buying decisions, or export/distributor readiness, I’ll pick the best 3 titles from above and tighten them even more.Message me via DM on LinkedinBook a 30 min discovery call for the Healthcare Export Accelerator ProgrammeThis podcast is for clinicians turning medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, exporting, and scaling in international MedTech.