As Indians, most of us have had this day where we decided to buy an insurance plan and by the end of the exercise, felt hopeless and clueless. Some of us have had to pay extraordinarily large sums for ourselves or our family members, which has often left us wondering why we did not avail healthcare service in time! Infact, India has one-of-the highest levels of Out-Of-Pocket Expenditures (OOPE) on health - of about 65%!

This is exactly what Matilde Giglio found during her research about the Indian healthcare space. To solve this, she founded Even.in. The company partners directly with the best hospitals in India to provide users with hospital cover, unlimited, cashless access to consultations, diagnostics and primary care. Even is backed by some of the world's leading investors including Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund and Nikesh Arora.

Matilde is also a well known and prolific angel investor, with a track record in the healthcare and fintech space. So far, she has invested in over 20 companies from Europe, the US and India. Prior to Even, Matilde was a Principal at Hambro Perks, a London-based VC & she co-founded Compass News, a venture-backed journalism startup with offices in London and New York. She loves solving hard problems, building great teams and improving lives through practical action.

What I loved about all my conversations with Matilde is that she is so full of energy and honesty. These traits have enabled her to build some incredible teams at both her startups at very early stages. 

For this podcast, I want to convey a special thanks to Mayank Banerjee, Co-founder of Even.in and Mati’s colleague who was kind enough to share his perspective on Mati’s work and leadership skills.

In this episode, we will learn -

• Matilde’s journey leading up to Even.in
• Choosing the right problem in a new country
• Decision-making for determining a company’s trajectory
• What to do when you do not know anybody in the startup ecosystem?
• Learnings from insurance markets in China and Latin America
• Building the best teams - factors to consider when hiring senior members who are experts in their respective fields and are spoilt for choice vs hiring junior members
• New ESOP structures
• Cultivating the habit of team building early on in your life
• Innovating as an outsider to an industry