“Think of your current position as a tour of duty with a mission oriented around the impact you want to have over a certain period of time.”
We’re thrilled to welcome Satwik Seshasai, IBM veteran and Founding CTO at preventive medicine practice Atria Health, as our newest Executive in Residence.
After learning programming basics on the family computer as a child in the 1980s, Satwik earned three degrees and a PhD from MIT, leaning on his interest in politics to examine how technology and policy interact. He also got involved with artificial intelligence, studying under pioneer Marvin Minsky, early exposure he’s built on ever since, identifying opportunities where AI can amplify the impact of individuals.
Satwik spent the first decade of his career at IBM, where he helped launch the company’s first software-as-a-service application and saw up close the product’s deep impact on some of the world’s largest industries. Identifying potential SaaS acquisitions gave him a window into the startup ecosystem, which he eventually joined in 2012.
Since then, Satwik has played a central role in deploying technology to drive change in several industries, including life sciences at NextDocs, financial services at Segovia and Clearco (where we first had the opportunity to meet with him), e-commerce at Spring, real estate brokerage at Compass, and health care at Atria.
An early stage investor who’s also experienced acquisitions and IPOs first-hand, Satwik has a wealth of experience to share with founders. We sat down with him to discuss the importance of being technologically ambitious, his stint in television, and why he sees his jobs as “tours of duty.”
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU
I appeared on a late night comedy show in the US, as a paid segment actor. I was in the audience and got pulled up, but then they paid me to be in it a couple more times. You may even find it if you search hard enough!
CAN YOU SHARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OR FAILURES THAT YOU LEARNED FROM?
Looking back at some of the companies I’ve been at, where we had a moderate outcome, I’ve wondered how it could have been a grander success. One pattern I noticed is that we didn’t focus as much as we could on the company’s deep technical capabilities that we had market permission to build.
It’s always a balance to think about: build, buy or integrate technologies. In certain cases, it’s more commercially expedient to buy or integrate. But then, you often don’t go back and think about the opportunity to build when you have sufficient capital and market permission to do it.
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU RECEIVED IN YOUR CAREER?
Think of your current position as a tour of duty with a mission oriented around the impact you want to have over a certain period of time. And look at the company as a vehicle for having that impact, instead of looking at yourself as that company’s employee. It forces you to really recommit and contemplate whether there is another opportunity you want to pursue.
WHAT’S A QUESTION YOU WISH PEOPLE ASKED YOU MORE OFTEN?
I wish I heard more from people asking about the connection between company culture and commercial success. Generally, questions about how to build a great culture focus on establishing good values. It feels like the right thing to do, but the conversation often happens in isolation—discussed as a standalone topic rather than in relation to business outcomes. But if you also see it as an opportunity to drive commercial success, you might get further than you would otherwise.
WHAT ENERGIZES YOU? HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF?
Finding fulfilling experiences with my children around common interests gives me energy. My son and I go camping quite a bit and attend a lot of sporting events. My daughter is heavily involved in various STEM activities, and I try to attend and participate with her.
IN YOUR ROLE AT INOVIA, WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD FOUNDERS ASK YOU?
- How should they think about the future of the industry they’re operating in rather than simply delivering on the stated requirements of that industry. If you want to build a lasting generational company, you should be thinking about the future of your customers that even they may not yet envision.
- How can they maintain perspective on AI systems and technology fundamentals while taking advantage of the latest and greatest tools and capabilities?
- For founders considering potential outcomes for their company (going public, acquiring, scaling, etc.), how do they navigate what will create the best opportunity for their product and their people?
- How can founders build a strong network of trusted individuals who will grow with them across ventures—both as a way to foster community and to de-risk their company?
On a personal level, I’ve been very fortunate to have individuals I’ve brought with me as I moved forward from company to company, which is both personally satisfying and one of the best ways to de-risk a company. I’m always happy to help founders think through how to build that kind of community within their own teams!