Ty Wang, cofounder and CEO of Angle Health, breaks down what it means to give back through public service, then shows how that same mindset drives his mission to modernize healthcare for small and midsize businesses. We get into why legacy health plans feel opaque and painful, what an AI native health plan actually changes behind the scenes, and how better data and workflows can create real cost stability for employers.

Ty shares his path from a federal scholarship and national service work to Palantir, and why he chose one of the most regulated, least glamorous industries to build in. If you have ever wondered why healthcare feels impossible to navigate, or why renewals can blindside a company, this conversation will give you a clear mental model of the problem and a practical view of what modernization looks like when it actually ships.

Key Takeaways

Healthcare feels broken because the infrastructure is fragmented, data is siloed, and even basic questions become hard to answer across inconsistent systems

Modernizing healthcare is not just about a new app, it is about rebuilding the operational core so workflows, claims, underwriting, and member experience can run on integrated data

Small and midsize businesses are hit hardest by cost volatility because they lack transparency, predictability, and negotiating leverage, yet health insurance is often a top line item after payroll

A strong approach to regulated markets is collaborative, treat regulators as partners in consumer protection, not obstacles to work around

Mission and impact can be a recruiting advantage, especially when the technical problems are genuinely hard and the outcomes touch real people fast

Timestamped Highlights

00:40 What Angle Health is, and what AI native means in a real health plan

02:05 The scholarship path that pulled Ty into public service and set his trajectory

04:06 The personal story behind the mission, the American dream, and why access matters

09:38 Why healthcare infrastructure is so complex, and how siloed systems create bad experiences

11:33 Why SMBs get squeezed, and how manual administration blocks customization at scale

13:20 The real pain point for employers, cost volatility and zero predictability before renewal

16:55 Why the tech can expand beyond SMBs, but why the SMB market is already massive

19:51 Lessons from building in a regulated industry, and why credibility and funding matter

22:26 Hiring for high agency, mission driven talent in a world full of AI companies

A line that sticks

“Unless you are lucky enough to work for a big company, these modern healthcare services are still largely inaccessible to the vast majority of Americans.”

Pro Tips for tech operators and builders

If you are modernizing a legacy industry, start with the infrastructure layer, fix the data model, integrate the systems, then automate workflows

In regulated markets, build relationships early, show how your product improves consumer outcomes, and make compliance a design constraint, not a bolt on

When selling into SMBs, predictability beats perfection, give customers a clear breakdown of what drives costs and what they can control

What's next:

If this episode helped you see healthcare and legacy modernization more clearly, follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and subscribe so you do not miss the next conversation. Also, share it with one operator or builder who is trying to modernize a messy industry.