Light-it: Empowering Healthcare through Purpose-Driven Digital Solutions

1. What is your company in 2–5 words?

Digital product agency disrupting healthcare.

2. Why is now the time for your company to exist?

There is no denying that the pace of innovation and technology has accelerated in the last decade. However, the healthcare industry has not evolved as quickly as other industries. It faces unique challenges, like a lack of agility, strict regulations, antiquated processes, and slow innovation. Although there are many people in the sector working to improve quality and accessibility, systemic problems and financial interests limit what can be achieved.

Our strategy is to bring agility to this setting by using our knowledge of technology, user-centric approach, and in-depth knowledge of the business to create software that is strategically planned, scalable, and cleverly constructed.

3. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem?

When we first set out, we were quite excited about developing digital solutions that prioritized the needs and wants of users and delivered genuine value. By then, we collaborated with businesses in every sector of the economy, including real estate, retail, food, entertainment, agronomy, retail, and finance. Even though we've produced incredible products and gained a lot of knowledge from the process, we believed that focus and mission were still lacking.

In 2020, during the pandemic, we made a strategic shift and decided to focus 100% on healthcare, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the industry, gain specialized knowledge, and, most importantly, have a shared, meaningful purpose. This change gave our entire team a compelling mission and a defined path. Who wouldn't find satisfaction in working on initiatives for a sector of the economy that ultimately saves lives?

I guess that’s what I love most about the team and why we are the ones who solve problems. We’re a team of focused, knowledgeable, and creative people with a shared purpose: improving healthcare.

4. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing?

I would probably be building another startup. I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a teenager, so I’m sure that if Light-it had not succeeded, I would be building something else.

5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics?

We work with OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and they are measured quarterly. We have company-wide OKRs and OKRs per department. They help us stay aligned with the same goals quarter to quarter.

6. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom?

In broad terms, we partner with our clients to help them ideate, design, and develop healthcare digital products. The challenge we resolve is the lack of expertise in developing healthcare software with a product mindset and keeping strategy, budget, compliance, and user experience in mind.  There are hundreds of software development firms with no experience in healthcare, which can lead to short-term gains at the expense of long-term scalability and maintenance. We at Light-itadopt a unique strategy. We follow industry best practices, implementing scalable models across several platforms and providing end-to-end product development services with extensive user experience support and consulting.

Since we have an agile approach, startups are our bread and butter. Nevertheless, our interactions with health systems have also been excellent. Our introduction of an agile vision and innovative mindset has been extremely effective in these circumstances, given their customary bureaucratic and slower ways.

Finding a reliable partner is usually difficult for a healthcare organization, but finding someone who can offer both high-tech development and strategic advice is much more difficult. That's what makes us unique.

7. What’s most exciting about your traction to date?

**Light-it'**s traction has been steadily growing year after year, an incredibly encouraging trend. Last year was particularly exciting for us as we forged partnerships with industry giants like ABInBev Foundation, the world's largest beer company, and Inviza, a groundbreaking RPM and DTX product for the US Air Force.  These collaborations are not only about business and transactions – they validate our position as leaders in our field and serve as a powerful encouragement to continue our hard work.

8. Where do you think your growth will be next year?

We have been collaborating with startups, supporting them through the entire product development process, from launch to scaling. Now that we are collaborating with Health Systems, we plan to continue doing so because we have seen such a positive impact.

We don't intend to expand the company too quickly because, as a team, we want to keep our boutique approach. We aim to keep our crew size between one hundred and two hundred.

We always have new projects coming up. In my opinion, one of the biggest promises in health technology is generative AI. Puppeteeris a spinoff company we launched last year, and it is the result of the realization that 2024 was going to be the year of generative AI and that humanity will either have to accept it or perish. Our first round is presently being raised, and we have high hopes for it this year.

Regarding our long-term future, Light-it's DNA will always embrace new technologies and pathways, so who knows what else might emerge! "You win, or you learn" strikes a chord with me. Every new endeavor, whether it succeeds or fails, adds to our development and resiliency. I'm committed to establishing a positive work environment that prioritizes curiosity, boldness, ownership, and dedication to ongoing development while also considering the well-being of our team.

9. Tell us about your first paying customer and revenue expectations over the next year.

The first paying customers we had were family members and friends building e-commerces. Since then, we’ve worked with startups from pre-seed to Series D, with Fortune 500s and some of the biggest health systems in the world!

In terms of revenue, we expect to keep growing at the rate of 50% per year.

10. What’s your biggest threat?

We have all heard that AI will replace software engineers, so I guess that should be my biggest thread as a software development company owner. Still, I’m convinced that our team has minds that no AI can substitute: Empathy, strategy, and creativity are some of the skills needed in a product team that AI can't substitute.