Early-stage medtech companies need to stop chasing the whole market.They love to talk about market potential. “We’re going after an $800 million market and we’re going to own it by 2030.”That mindset sounds exciting in a pitch deck, but it’s a disaster in practice. You don’t have the resources. No one knows who you are. And you can’t win over everyone at once.In this episode, Ryan breaks down why you should stop trying to win the whole market and start by finding the right customers...your early adopters. The ones who get it, support you early, and become evangelists when you deliver.We talk about: • Why prestige targets can drain your runway • How to focus on early wins to build trust and revenue • The difference between market potential and actual tractionIf you’re trying to figure out where to go next, start here.This episode might just save your launch strategy.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, Cope and Ryan break down a critical mistake too many early-stage companies make:They lead with technical specs and features, and completely skip the part where they explain the problem they solve.Here’s the truth: specs help close deals. But they don’t start conversations.If you want to hook your ideal customer, you need to be the expert on their problem. Not just the clinical or operational side of it, but the pain it causes, the emotions it triggers, and the downstream impact on their team, workflow, or patients.When your marketing, website, and sales pitch all lead with that understanding, people listen. Because they feel like you get them.This episode covers: - Why features and specs come later - How to lead with the problem to earn trust faster - Real examples of messaging that opens doorsListen now and stop skipping the first date.
Before you go hiring a big-title VP or CRO, listen to this.In this episode, we bring on Dominick Pistone — a seasoned sales hunter who has been selling in the medical device and medical technology industries for over 40 years. Dom knows how to build a pipeline from scratch, get people talking, and close deals in complex environments.If you’re an early-stage medtech company and no one on your leadership team has a sales background, this is who you need first.We talk about: • Why the first sales hire should be a hunter (not a strategist) • How Dom approaches sales tactically • The difference between generating interest and actually closing deals • What too many startups get wrong in early sales hires
All the data says the same thing: you should be showing your product.But in medtech?
Most companies only talk about their products and show them when it’s convenient for them.
That’s not how you build trust. And it’s definitely not how you make people remember what you do or why it matters.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, Cope and Ryan break down:
• Why showing your product is essential in today’s market
• The fears holding companies back
• Practical ways to show your product (without it becoming a nightmare)
If med tech wants to escape the boring marketing echo chamber it’s been stuck in for decades…It needs to stop copying other med tech companies.
On this episode, Cope and Ryan talk about how looking outside the industry is the fastest way to spark new ideas—and actually stand out.
We break down a few real examples you can swipe and adapt:
– Building thematic campaigns that tell a bigger story
– Leveraging NIL and fresh partnerships to generate buzz
– Creating community and events that actually make people smarter
– Using digital visuals to show your product, not just talk about it
Other industries are ahead of the curve.
MedTech doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. It just needs to borrow a better one.
If your marketing doesn’t have a villain, your story is falling flat.
Not because your product isn’t good—but because your buyer doesn’t know what they’re up against (or why they need to act now).
In this episode, Cope and I break down why every small MedTech company needs a clear villain—and no, it’s not your competitor.
It’s the broken process. The outdated system. The costly status quo.
We cover:
Why a good villain makes your message stick
How to use emotion to drive decisions
And a simple process to help you start using this in your messaging, decks, and sales calls
People don’t just buy products. They buy the chance to defeat a villain.
Let’s help them do it.
On this episode of Breaking MedTech, Cope and Ryan break down how they’d approach launching a product or project today.
With over a decade around early-stage med device companies, they share what actually works (and what doesn’t). From practical steps to common traps, the message is clear:
Start talking to customers sooner than you think.
Then shut up and listen.
If you do that, you’re already ahead of most.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, Cope and Ryan break down one of the most overlooked truths in early-stage sales and marketing: if you want people to buy from you, they have to trust you. And trust doesn’t just show up — you have to manufacture it.
Whether you’re building a personal brand, launching a new product, or trying to get your first few customers… you need to position yourself as someone worth listening to. That means showing up as a creator or a curator.
They cover:
– The difference between creating and curating (and why both work)
– Why trust is the real currency in early-stage sales
– How to build credibility even if you’re just getting started
– And the dead-simple ways founders and small med tech companies can manufacture trust without spending big
In this episode, Cope and Ryan dig into a critical but often overlooked part of selling in MedTech: customizing your message for each stakeholder.
Everyone involved in the buying decision is part of the same story — but they experience the problem differently. Their pain points, motivations, and what success looks like aren’t the same.
You can’t talk to a surgeon about how your product saves time in sterile processing and expect them to care. Just like you can’t talk to a procurement lead about clinical outcomes and expect buy-in.
Ryan and Cope break down:
The common messaging mistakes small MedTech companies make
How it slows deals and creates confusion
Real-world examples of how Mark navigated this in the field
Simple ways to adapt your pitch without building five different decks
If you’re tired of lukewarm interest and want to start getting real traction across departments — this episode’s for you.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, Ryan and Cope talk about one of the biggest mistakes small medical device companies make: expecting the whole market to switch over at once just because their product is “better.”
That’s not how this works.
You’re not getting every case.
You’re not getting into every hospital.
Not every surgeon or department is going to jump on board.
What you need is a beachhead.
A focused entry point where you can win, prove value, build trust, and expand from there.
Because going from zero to $5 million in revenue doesn’t happen overnight — and it definitely doesn’t happen by assuming logic will carry the day.
It takes strategy. Focus. Persistence. And a clear understanding that better products don’t sell themselves.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, Ryan and Cope break down why founders can’t sit back and expect the sales engine to build itself.
You don’t need to cold call every day (unless you want to).
But you do need to be on the front lines—setting the tone and pace and making sure the entire company is marching in the right direction.
We talk about:
Why founders need to shape the messaging early and make it repeatable
How customer conversations give you more insight than any market report ever will
And why your job is to help your team find the right customers, sell product, and grow the business — because you’re building a company, not running a research lab.
Founders who avoid the commercial side slow the company down.
Founders who lean in? They build real momentum.
Hold
On this episode of Breaking MedTech, We dig into a painful truth:
Most small med device companies don’t have a sales problem — they have a messaging problem.
We break down
You’ll learn how to spot the symptoms of bad messaging —
Then we give you simple frameworks you can use right now to make your message clear, focused, and instantly understandable to your target audience.
If you want shorter sales cycles, better conversations, and more clarity across the board — it starts here.
If you don’t tell your 1099s what to say, they’re going to make it up — and that means you’re not just losing control of your messaging… you’re losing control of your brand.
In this episode, Cope and Ryan break down why small med device companies need to stop winging it with reps and start thinking like franchise operators.
We cover:
Why McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A don’t let people freestyle their message
How to build a simple sales + messaging playbook your 1099s will actually use
And why helping your reps helps you — because nobody wants to be left guessing
If you’re relying on reps to sell your product, this episode is your wake-up call. Give them the tools. Control the message. Grow the brand.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, we break down one of the most critical (and most overlooked) parts of early-stage growth: positioning your product for what it can do now — not what you hope it’ll do five years from now.
Too many founders attempt to tell a future-state story that sounds impressive but fails to resonate.
We’re here to talk about how to get focused, stay honest, and start gaining real traction with the audience in front of you.
We cover:
Why your positioning needs to match what your product can actually deliver today
How to evolve your positioning without getting stuck
The importance of trust and momentum early on
Why your narrative means nothing if your team isn’t aligned and repeating it consistently
If you’re serious about building a brand that earns attention and trust, this is where it starts.
Most B2B med tech companies assume the market knows who they are.
Spoiler: It doesn’t.
In this episode, Cope and Ryan break down one of the biggest blind spots in early-stage med tech — the belief that awareness already exists.
Because of it, companies go silent. They don’t share anything publicly. They neglect their outward-facing story. And they end up blending into a sea of lookalike vendors.
We talk about why this mindset is killing your momentum, what it’s costing your sales team, and how to flip the script. You’ll learn practical ways to build visibility, stand out as an innovator, and stop relying on hope as a marketing strategy.
If you want to be top of mind in your space, you have to show up. We’ll show you how.
Most small med-tech companies don’t put nearly enough thought into their buyers’ journey.
They assume sales will just “happen” if they push hard enough. Spoiler: It doesn’t.
In this episode, Ryan and Cope break down why understanding — and building — your buyer’s journey matters more than ever if you want to grow.
We cover:
Why small med-tech companies need to digitize the front end of the buyer’s journey to attract and educate a bigger audience.
How to creatively use marketing to support the back end — helping sales convert and delight more customers.
Simple steps to map out your buyer’s journey, even if you’re starting from scratch.
If you want to stop guessing and start building a sales and marketing engine that actually moves buyers forward, this one’s for you.
In this episode, Cope and Ryan dive into one of the most misunderstood parts of launching a medical device or med-tech solution—pricing.
Pricing feels like a guessing game if you’ve never sold anything before. Should you charge a premium out of the gate? Offer discounts?
We break down:
If you’re launching a product—or struggling to land those first few deals—this episode will give you the clarity and confidence you need to price with purpose.
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, we dive into why storytelling is the most effective marketing tool you’re not using and how to start integrating it into your brand.We cover: • Why you should be using stories in your marketing • The value storytelling brings to your brand • How it makes your company and product more memorable • How to evoke emotion and create a real connection • Simple ways to start using storytelling todayWant to go deeper? These books are a must-read: • Building a StoryBrand 2.0 by Donald Miller - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400248876/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk • This Is Marketing by Seth Godin - https://www.amazon.com/This-Marketing-Cant-Until-Learn/dp/0525540830 • Founder Brand by Dave Gerhardt - https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Brand-Story-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1544523408
In this episode of Breaking MedTech, Cope and I dive into one of the most underutilized but game-changing sales tools for small med-tech companies—virtual demos of physical products.We break down:- Why you should be using virtual demos – Cut travel costs, qualify leads, and put your best reps in front of the right people.- How to set them up – It’s easier and cheaper than you think. We cover the simple tech setup that makes a huge difference.- Why virtual demos help close more deals – When you finally send a rep in person, they’re meeting a high-intent lead, not just another cold prospect. - How to use them to scale sales without hiring a massive team – The right demo process helps you reach more prospects and close faster.Most small med-tech companies stick to old-school sales because they think virtual demos won’t work. The reality is they’re leaving deals on the table.Watch the full episode and start using virtual demos to sell smarter, close faster, and scale more efficiently.