JPM Health Conference: Why Networking Sometimes Beats Building

This past week, San Francisco hosted the JPM Healthcare Conference, the healthcare industry’s marquee event. Ironically, most attendees aren’t even invited.

Over the last 40+ years, JPM has grown into a one-week “gold rush town” for everything healthcare industry, attracting key decision-makers, founders, and innovators.

It began as an exclusive gathering for top executives but evolved into a self-reinforcing ecosystem. Today, people flock to San Francisco simply because everyone else is there.

Industry leaders—biotech CEOs, digital health pioneers, private equity partners, startup founders, and more—pack the city, booking meetings, attending side events, and networking over coffee or food.

With over 60 public events each day (and as many private ones), the city buzzes with healthcare connections and opportunities.

JPM’s Expanding Focus

Traditionally, the conference has centered on biotech and medical devices, but digital health is rapidly claiming its space, especially with the rise of AI.

Startup founders often avoid conferences unless they’re just entering the industry or have a more established business to showcase.

For us, having JPM in our backyard allows us to reconnect with old friends, book key meetings, and attend very select events.

Doctors in Healthtech

I met many doctors across the healthtech spectrum. One had founded and led several billion-dollar companies. A few were still ideating their first venture, unsure where to start. Clinician-founders shared stories of navigating Series A funding, balancing their practice, and building companies on the side.

One of the more interesting patterns I noticed was doctor as a salesperson or in partnerships roles. It’s a surprisingly natural fit. Healthtech sales isn’t about pushing products but about understanding providers’ needs and offering solutions that improve outcomes, reduce costs, or streamline operations.

Doctors bring credibility, trust, and problem-solving skills, making them ideal for these roles. For physicians without tech experience, healthtech sales is a perfect starting point, leveraging their expertise while immersing them in the industry and building valuable connections.

Building Connections

Conversations with non-physician founders and engineers were equally inspiring. Our YC partner, Surbhi Sarna, shared her decision to leave mentorship and start a new AI company helping simplify life sciences paperwork. She said it was the most exciting time to build she’d seen. An engineer at Apple Health echoed this sentiment, planning to launch her own startup soon.

Funding came up in a few conversations. Beyond seed stage, raising capital remains challenging. One founder with a great product, multiple FDA approvals, and even their own CPT codes, still can’t close a Series A. Another, working on a robotics startup, secured funding at a lower-than-expected valuation despite strong revenue.

Hustling Our Own Event

Amid the whirlwind, we decided to create our own event. A last-minute idea to bring everyone we wanted to see into one room.

We had just 5 days from making our decision to hosting the event. I got a little nervous. I began second-guessing our initial confidence to pull off a quality 50-person meetup on such short notice.

Pulling off our event in five days felt like chasing a moving target. First, we picked a location before securing confirmation we could use it… A risky bet that paid off just in time. But by day four, we had 200 sign-ups, quadruple our venue’s capacity. Securing speakers and food came down to the wire, event day, but ultimately everything fell into place.

The event was a success. Guests said it was one of the best they attended during JPM. Our speakers gave us a great talk, and attendees formed useful connections. For us, it led to a few potential partnerships and even an invitation to present to Uzbekistan’s healthcare leaders this spring. 

It was a reminder that we don’t have to wait for opportunities. We can create them.

Takeaways

Although I wanted to focus on building this week, rather than networking, nearly every conversation and connection proved valuable. The JPM Conference underscored a simple truth: proximity to people and ideas is priceless.

Whether it’s attending big events, creating your own, or just staying open to serendipity, the relationships you build will define the opportunities you get.

This week, I left with ideas to act on, partnerships to build, and inspiration to share. Now it’s your turn. What’s the next room you’re walking into? What opportunity will you create?