Parallel Paths: Where the Flavors Land

Each week in Parallel Paths, I look for what connects building a medical device to building a life.

Good food comes down to balance. A bit of acid, some richness, a spark of heat, something with texture. Put the pieces together the right way and the dish comes alive.

I kept thinking about that all week as our team was on a work trip to Melbourne. We stayed in Chinatown and ate our way across half of Asia as a team. Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian, Afghan and more. Several of the ingredients overlap, yet each region leans into them in its own way. Some dishes are bright and punchy. Others are slow and rich. Some are pure heat. Each element adds something essential.

Three years in, Prana feels the same. Our clinical, regulatory, and quality folks bring the acidity. They keep us sharp. They pay attention to the details that protect patients and the program. They see around corners and hold the line when it matters. Engineering brings the richness and the texture. They focus on details most people will never notice. They solve problems that haven’t existed before. They move between discipline and creativity in a way that shapes everything we build. The heat comes from my role. Selling the vision. Creating energy that moves the work forward. Keeping the temperature steady so things can develop.

When all of these parts show up together, the company feels balanced. Not perfect or polished. Balanced in the same way a good plate feels balanced. Everyone brings their own flavor and the whole thing works because of it.

This is a huge part of what I love about startups. The mix of caution and creativity. The spreadsheets and the dreams. The methodical and meticulous incrementalities that sit alongside the leaps. Each night in Melbourne gave us another version of balance on a plate, and it mirrored the balance I see in our team. Contributions from many perspectives and backgrounds, coming together over time, forming something that feels cohesive and purposeful.

Between the lines:

🛠 Medtech folks: Build the depth and texture behind the scenes.
🎧 Founders: Hold the vision and set the temperature.
👩🏻‍⚕️ Clinicians: Bring experience, judgment, and context to the table.