Unlocking an Era of Exponential Progress
While we’re racing ahead with technological advancements, we must pause and ask: Are we dreaming big enough?
A letter from our founders, Steven Krein and Unity Stoakes.
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Nearly 13 years ago, we set out to unite a global army of Health Transformers — superhero innovators, doctorpreneurs, scientists — and inspire collaboration to achieve health moonshots. Our belief is that together we can solve the world’s biggest health challenges.
It’s easy to be discouraged when we look at health outcomes data from the past few years (especially after the global pandemic). But the reality is, we’ve never been more optimistic about many structural advancements being made — and the potential for transformative impact in the years ahead.
Something extraordinary is happening. A new foundation is being laid for an Era of Exponential Progress, and for the first time we not only believe that our health moonshot dreams are possible — we are starting to understand how they will be achieved.
A new species of innovation is evolving in the form of advanced AI as it merges with allied technologies like genomics, biologics, material science, advanced sensors, and nanotech, to create super tools that are just starting to embed into the fabric of our lives at work and home.
But tools alone do not bring forth much progress. Significant leaps forward are usually driven by the power of human imagination and fueled by purpose-driven collaboration.
While we’re racing ahead with technological advancements, we must pause and ask: Are we dreaming big enough? Are we working together, bridging divides and disciplines, to truly realize our human potential?
In this issue of StartUp Health Magazine, we’ve posed this challenge to a dynamic blend of game-changing Health Transformers — patients, creative minds, seasoned professionals, investors, and thought leaders — within the StartUp Health community. Their perspectives are not just eye-opening but a clarion call for all of us to expand our horizons and break the confines of traditional thinking. These often unheard voices paint a vision for an emerging health renaissance.
However, it’s not enough to just envision. We need to act, and act collectively. If history has taught us anything, it’s that collaboration inspired by purpose can produce wonders. Whether it’s putting a man on the moon or eradicating a deadly disease, when humanity bands together with a shared dream, we make the impossible, possible.
Historically, humanity has been defined not just by its achievements but by its aspirations. The audacity to think bigger, to visualize what doesn’t exist, and to carve a path towards it has always set us apart. Right now, in this era of exponential progress, we urge everyone to ignite their imagination. It’s not merely enough to have tools; we must also dream about the myriad ways they can redefine our reality.
And as you dream, remember that the greatest of visions can only be brought to life when shared. This brings us to the power of health moonshot collaboration. Throughout our journey with StartUp Health, we’ve realized that when passionate minds unite under a single purpose, magic happens. It’s usually not the lone genius but the collective power of diverse minds that propel us forward.
So, what’s still needed to unlock exponential (health moonshot) progress?
Firstly, a more profound infusion of bold, creative thinking is needed. It’s the raw fuel that powers our ambitions. The limitations of the past shouldn’t define our future aspirations. Our imagination has been the foundation upon which humanity has built wonders. Now, more than ever, we need it to chart our next course for human health and wellbeing.
Secondly, the time is ripe for a renewed grand-scale, purpose-driven collaboration. In a world of increasing specialization, the melding of diverse minds brings about solutions that are greater than the sum of their parts. When a global community of Health Transformers rallies behind health moonshots — be it vanquishing Alzheimer’s, conquering diabetes, or extending a healthy lifespan universally — the combined might of shared purpose and innovative tools makes any challenge surmountable.
In essence, while we laud the astonishing progress of our era, we must remember that tools like AI, as potent as they are, need the guiding hand of human imagination and the binding force of collaboration.
This is our moment. An era where we’re not just witnesses but active participants in crafting our own evolution and health. We possess both the means and the methods. What we now need is an amplified will — to think bigger, to dream bolder, and to come together in an unprecedented way to advance human health.
Steven Krein and Unity Stoakes
Co-founders, StartUp Health
Page through the digital version of StartUp Health Magazine Issue 12: The Dawn of Exponential Progress here.
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