On The Underdog Physician, Dr. Anish Desai talks with Tim Martens, a congenital cardiothoracic surgeon, and Alex Tang, a clinical strategy and innovation leader, about their work at Vaark Ventures backing clinician-led, early-stage healthcare startups.

What they cover

• Tim’s path from neuroscience to cardiac surgery, and the commercialization and FDA experience he gained through stem cell and tissue engineering research at Columbia

• Alex’s move from clinical practice into administrative and value-based care roles, and the payer and revenue-cycle perspective he brings to investing

• Why Vaark focuses on real pain points in healthcare and is wary of superficial AI buzzwords

• Advice for founders on timing, committed teams, validated paid pilots, distribution channels, and LOIs

• Scaling value-based care, go-to-market strategy, and the role of mentorship