Ep 221 The Challenges of Building & Financing Clinical Software | Dr Askari Townshend

Episode 221 hosts Dr Askari Townshend (Cosmetic Physician & an entrepreneur from London, UK) Like all cosmetic injectors, Askari needed a clinical management software to run his practice and database. But he couldn't find anything suitable for his needs. And so he embarked on building his own CRM system called 'Collums'. This proved very successful and future developments were planned to take Collums to the USA and other markets. But just three weeks ago out of nowhere, agreed funding for future investment in the software was pulled, leaving the future of Collums on a knife edge.  00:00 Introduction 01:54 Dr Askari Townshend 03:19 Karri's career journey   05:16 Columns funding shock   09:44 What Columns actually is   11:56 Building the software   14:01 Why other CRMs fail   16:30 Pricing and perceived value   26:58 Using software to compete   31:33 Retention over acquisition   37:20 Columns marketing automation   41:23 Onboarding With Discovery   42:39 Prioritizing Real Needs   43:31 Targeted Messaging That Helps   45:28 Avoiding Opt Outs   47:10 Automation Rules Done Right   48:05 SMS Fees And Hidden Costs   50:04 Training Time To Competence   51:43 Data Quality And Setup   54:11 Business Acumen And Metrics   57:32 Consultancy And Planning Gap   61:50 Building Product Without Bloat   64:28 Why Features Take Time   68:53 Funding Pulled New Strategy   73:06 Runway Investors Expansion   76:38 Founder Advice And Humility   80:09 Community Wrap And Outro ALL IA LINKS & CONTACT INFORMATION