Some pitches flop not because the idea is bad, but because the delivery makes investors quietly click the mental “pass” button.
In digital health, this effect is magnified. The stakes are higher. The jargon is thicker. The scrutiny is brutal. Founders walk in with a pitch and walk out thinking the VC just didn’t get it.
Truth is, they got it. You just made one of the 10 classic mistakes that silently kill deals.
Let’s make sure you don’t.
1. Pitching the Total Addressable Market Instead of the Actual Beachhead
“Healthcare is a $4 trillion industry” is not a strategy—it’s a LinkedIn post.
VCs want to know where you’re starting, who your first customers are, and how you wedge into the system. If you can’t explain your beachhead market and why it’s the logical entry point, you’re out.
2. Glossing Over Regulation
Pretending HIPAA doesn’t apply because you’re “just a platform” is a great way to end a pitch fast. Same goes for FDA if you’re skirting the line on a clinical claim.
If you’re unsure, say that. If you’ve mapped it out, show your plan. Compliance doesn’t kill startups—denial does.
3. Ignoring the Buyer
You’re not selling to patients. You’re selling to payers, systems, or employers.
If you don’t clearly articulate who pays, how they pay, and what budget line it comes from, the VC can’t even model your path forward.
4. Too Much Product, Not Enough Problem
Founders love demoing features. But if you don’t hammer the problem first—and show you understand how painful, expensive, or urgent it is—the product becomes irrelevant.
The pitch should be 70% problem, 30% solution.
5. Overhyped Claims with No Evidence
Throwing out phrases like “AI-powered,” “clinical-grade,” or “proprietary algorithm” without proof gets you labeled as noise.
If you’ve got evidence, flaunt it. If you don’t, don’t fake it. Say what’s in motion.
6. Lack of Domain Expertise
No one expects you to be a cardiologist and a full-stack engineer. But if your team doesn’t include people with domain experience—or strong advisory firepower—your credibility takes a hit.
Don’t build in a vacuum. Investors know when you haven’t talked to real users.
7. No Clear Go-to-Market Plan
“We’ll just sell to hospitals” is not a strategy. Hospitals are massive bureaucracies with 18-month procurement cycles.
VCs want to see:
- Strategic partnerships
- Distribution hacks
- Who gets you in the door and why they say yes
8. Confusing Clinical Outcomes With Business Value
Yes, your product might reduce readmissions. But who benefits? Who pays? And how do you prove it?
If you can’t link the clinical impact to a business case, your pitch will land flat.
9. Pretending There’s No Competition
Every founder wants to say, “no one’s doing what we’re doing.” But investors know better.
Even if you’re novel, there’s an incumbent solution—Excel, a human, a workaround. Acknowledge it. Then show why your approach is 10x better.
10. Defensive or Evasive Answers
This one kills deals more than all the others combined.
If you get rattled by hard questions, or brush off concerns with vague promises, you create mistrust. Great founders lean into tough questions—they’ve already asked them themselves.
Wrap-Up: Be the Founder Who’s Real, Sharp, and Prepared
You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be credible.
Fix these 10 mistakes and you’ll instantly stand out—not just for the right reasons, but to the right investors.
Want to see what good looks like? Read: What Digital Health VCs Look For in Startups and Ultimate Guide to Raising Venture Capital.
He has invested in startups including American Well, Neuronation, Mimi, and most notably mySugr – which was recently acquired by Roche. Min-Sung is also a contributing writer for mediums including TechCrunch and Tech.EU and studied Business Economics at Witten/Herdecke, Harvard, St.Gallen, and in Seoul.