The Hustle
Years in Tampa Bay
Articulate Labs is based in Dallas, TX.
Hustle (job)
Co-founder and CEO of Articulate Labs.
What do you do?
We develop medical devices that help turn everyday activity into on-the-go, convenient rehabilitation assistance.
Why do you do it?
I’m very stubborn, I’ll see this to completion. I’m very focused on getting this into market and onto the knees of people who can make use of it. But the other part is, this does genuinely have exciting potential for helping people. It doesn’t have to be just for knees. This is extensible to other joints to other musculoskeletal conditions – stroke rehabilitation, multiple sclerosis.
What was your Catalyst? (How did you get started?)
Our story started with my partner Herbie Kirn, who survived a motorcycle accident but lost his right foot, which led to him putting a lot more weight on his left leg. He wore down the cartilage in that knee and was at a state where he was advised to get his knee replaced, but he was too young for it and was advised to put off that surgery for as long as possible. He found physical therapy to be the most effective, but couldn’t get to all of the physical therapy that he needed. He wondered, “Why can’t I have some of the things I’m using at physical therapy – why can’t that follow me? Why do I have to come to it?”
What’s a common misconception or unknown aspect of what you do?
I’ve spent 10 years or so in Austin, Texas. We’re actually based in Dallas now. There is the view of the entrepreneur as the social gadfly; this image of people who are really enthusiastic about selling things that don’t exist and don’t matter to anyone. And seeing that made me really wary of identifying myself as the CEO of a start-up – I did everything I could not to, because that’s not me, and I don’t think that’s our technology.
What’s the most challenging part of your Hustle?
On a personal basis – pushing myself to network and reach out to others. Some really love that. I have to break it into sets and reps in order to get through it.
On a professional basis – the sheer complexity of regulation and reimbursement, managing clinical trials, trying to understand everything well enough so as to manage all of these processes.
What’s the most valuable piece of business advice/insight that’s helped you?
We’re all interim something – don’t get hung up on the title, take the responsibility seriously and be confident – but don’t take yourself too seriously.
Why Tampa Bay?
I met cohort director Richard Munassi at SXSW, he was one of several cities being represented at Bar on Sixth Street. I decided I’d come in and check it out. At that point I had not been accepted to any accelerators and was trying to figure out what was going to be our next step for getting this company off the ground. He saw something he really liked – something in me and/or something in the technology, enough that he really pushed me to be here and on his end pushed to have us be a part of Tampa Bay Wave.
