VR Business Ideas In Brain & Mental Health

My guest today is Amir Bozorgzadeh, Co-founder & CEO at Virtuleap. Virtuleap combines neuroscience and virtual reality to help increase attention levels, and address cognitive illnesses, disorders, and learning challenges. They have created a library of virtual reality (VR) games designed by neuroscientists in order to test and train a range of cognitive abilities and make that data accessible through our enterprise platform. Virtuleap works with leading institutions, like the VA Health Care System and the Pacific Brain Health Center, to validate their solution as an effective diagnostic and treatment for attention deficit and cognitive decline.

In this episode, Amir teaches:

• VR business & startup ideas to improve brain and mental health
• How VR can be used in digital therapeutics & digital health
• The story behind Virtuleap
• Why pivot into the health space as an Entrepreneur
• Challenges faced by Entrepreneurs new to the health sector
• The one thing that will help your startup sell
• Why the health sector doesn’t like disruption
• Lean startup marketing strategies

“You don’t know what you don’t know”

Wise words I heard this week from a CEO, which reminded me of an earlier conversation I had with Amir, who describes entering the health sector as “brutal”.

Amir actually advised me to create a checklist that helps guide Entrepreneurs new to the health sector to answer questions like:

Where are the real unmet needs?
What’s my value proposition? 
Who am I helping?
Who pays?
Who decides?
What are they looking for?
How do I ensure optimal product-market fit?
How do I overcome barriers to adoption? 
What if I prefer to become a solopreneur / lifestyle entrepreneur instead?

The way I see it, you have 3 options:

1. DIY, bootstrap… works well (if you want to be one of the many startups that sadly fail, or who go over their runway).

2. Bring on an advisor / expert… again, works well provided you choose right.

3. Follow a few steps in a short and free checklist, prepared by someone whose mission is to help Entrepreneurs create a healthier, happier world through their ventures. I’ve also created a training video to walk you through the checklist and accelerate your startup journey.

In Public Health, we are specialists in identifying and assessing needs, designing, delivering, and evaluating new health & healthcare products and services. By taking a systems thinking approach, we know the stakeholders, ask the right questions, and are acutely aware of the wider social, lifestyle, and environmental opportunities for truly moving the needle.

This week’s episode also highlights news of an ex-soldier and neuroscientist who is using VR to tackle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Watch the full episode here.