Dr. David Albert, an Oklahoma native, is a physician, inventor, and serial entrepreneur who has developed life-saving technologies and products over the last 30 years. AliveCor, founded by Dr. Albert has become synonymous with personal ECG devices. Its product line includes a pocket-sized, AI-enabled, machine learning-powered ECG sensor that delivers real-time medical-grade heart data, allowing patients to manage and share data, as well as to connect with cardiologists for comprehensive cardiovascular care.
Dr. Albert knows how to be capital-efficient—with just $200,000, his team at AliveCor built fully functional prototypes and developed an app, too. Thanks to their frugal-yet-effective approach, they built AliveCor from a startup into a significant business.
Dr. Albert knows the power of a good prototype. “Talking can only get you so far. It’s showing something tangible that really makes people understand your vision,” he says, and it’s a lesson learned firsthand. When Dr. Albert was preparing for a consumer electronics show, he made an unscripted four-minute video of a prototype on a whim. “I just happened to click the box that said, ‘Send the link to my LinkedIn connections,’” he shares, “I had three or four hundred.” His video became a viral sensation, garnering 300,000 views in just two days and capturing attention from national media. ”I had ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘Fox and Friends’ and all these people calling me to come to CES,” Dr. Albert shares.
This was far from a lucky break. Dr. Albert shared the right content with the right audience. The professional network he had cultivated up to that point was obviously a substantial asset in making the video a viral sensation. But that’s not all—it highlighted another key principle: taking advantage of opportunities. “Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to advance your innovation,” he advises.