It’s not surprising that Oliver Kharraz, the CEO of healthcare startup Zocdoc, talks about the importance of change, innovation, and disruption. You might think he’s talking about his leadership approach for his company, but he is also describing his life story. He built his first startup out of high school. He studied philosophy at a Jesuit monastery and then went to medical school in Germany where he became a physician specializing in neuroscience. Seeking a return to business, he joined McKinsey and Company. During his seven-year stint there, he developed new ways for healthcare institutions to serve patient needs. When he saw the power of technology to create better patient experiences, he cofounded Zocdoc in 2007. He became the CEO 18 months ago.
The New York-based company is now valued at nearly $2 billion. More than six million patients use Zocdoc every month.
Kharraz says his current priority is to “maintain the startup credo and the startup agilities” at Zocdoc. “We as a technology company need to accept that life is constantly changing for us,” he explains. “What we build today has a half life of two years. We will have to disrupt ourselves.”
To listen to more of our interview with Zocdoc’s CEO, watch the video above.