ACCELERATING ONCOLOGY OUTCOMES.

Hitesh Goswami is dovetailing genomics with digital to transform the pillars of patient care, affordability and research in the domain of cancer. The secret ingredient in his potent potion? An Execution-Is-King approach. 

MEET THE LEADER 

Hitesh Goswami is Co-Founder and CEO of 4basecare (4basecare.com), an organization engaged in the development of affordable and accessible precision oncology solutions using advanced genomics and next-generation digital health technology. Hitesh’s team has developed unique set of comprehensive genomic panels which allow oncologists to choose optimal targeted therapies for their patients, thus personalizing patient care and creating affordable yet state-of-the-art solutions for cancer patients - while improving clinical outcomes and accelerating oncology research.

“We are devoted to the study of evidence retrieved from real-world settings and to understand malignancies, medicaments, therapies and cures. With a presence in India and Singapore, 4baseCare is the first Asian healthcare organization to be backed by Illumina, the Global leader in Genomics. We have also been selected for the 2nd Cohort of the AISEA accelerator, which is sponsored by Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India”, says Hitesh, outlining the scope and soul of his labor-of-love.

THE BIG MISSION 

We open our session by trying to understand the big goal or challenge that Hitesh wants to solve in the coming time. What is the big passion calling him into the future? Hitesh articulates the vision unfurling in his windshield with vivid clarity and steely conviction, “I want to provide technology which allows cancer patients to get personalised treatment and care in India and other developing countries in Asia.  We are decades behind west in terms of access to affordable technology.  Our speed of execution will make sure that we are able to build and provide advanced technology access to the cancer patients which will help improve clinical outcomes and their quality of life.”

ARTICULATING THE SUPER-POWER  

Character and personality, they say, are the most important fuels for a journey that aspires to be consistent, focussed and successful. We try to decode the essence of this intrepid personality. What are his defining strengths? Hitesh divulges crisply, “An individual’s decision-making ability plays a huge role in his or personal and professional growth.  One has to be extremely decisive and most importantly be prepared to learn and stand by the consequences of one’s decision.  One thing that defines me is my decision making ability and taking responsibility for all my decisions.”

REVISITING THE ROOTS 

Where do the roots of this ACTION-ABOVE-ALL attitude lie? Hitesh goes into flashback mode as he revisits the genesis of his journey. “Perhaps my early professional experience where I had an opportunity to be a part of the team that was building something new. That’s where I modelled my thinking in this way - Don’t just think, act! We were tasked with setting up a high throughput drug screening lab - the second one where we had just formed the marketing/sales team and had to form processes and strategies for market outreach and client acquisition.  Both these experiences allowed me to understand the situation, evaluate the results and based on the data and learn to take a decision on the right time for execution.  Execution allows us to gather more data which further helps in achieving perfection. Let me go on record by saying that yes - Execution is more important than chasing perfection.”

IMPACT OF HIS PHILOSOPHY 

It’s an approach that casts a pronounced influence on his day to day activity, and moulds his professional achievements tangibly. Hitesh explains exactly how : “If you are setting up a process, experiment, developing a product or a solution you don’t need to make it perfect in the first attempt.  Anything evolves over time and reaches towards perfection be it a relationship or a product.  Everything has a scope for improvement, so do not chase perfection, chase execution.  However, one needs to be good at taking decisions on when is the right time to execute such that you are not too early into execution, and this comes with experience and instincts. ”

We decide to delve deeper into the magic of execution. How exactly is his unshakeable, implementation-first philosophy impacting his business vitals? Hitesh candidly elucidates, “This mantra allows us to reach the market early. It also fetches us real world feedback on the areas of improvement earlier than our peers, which helps us fine-tune processes and product, and return to the market stronger and quicker than the competition – giving us a vital head-start.”

THE CAVEAT BEHIND THE GLORY  

Action indeed speaks louder than words in Hitesh’s universe. It is a powerful strategy, but is it fool proof too? In other words, is it invincible? As it turns out, it isn’t. Nothing in this world comes without a caveat, a philosopher will insist, and Hitesh’s credo is no exception. He openly underlines the ‘disclaimer’ that must necessarily accompany an implementation-centric culture. “For this kind of an approach to be consistently successful, you must convert it into your culture and DNA. And that starts by trusting your team. You must give them the confidence to fail.  Sometimes, learning from failure is far more valuable than gains from success. Some ideas do fail, important is to fail early. The backing that our team gets from us for taking right decisions at the right time and implementing execution is what we believe will make us immensely successful. ”

ADVICE FOR GEN NEXT 

So how well does his execution-is-hero concept work for the next / upcoming generation of leaders? Any advice for them? Hitesh shares in a reflective mood, “Keeping implementation front and centre isn’t a new mantra – just a rather poorly adopted one. After all, when your client asks for a POC, or your investors ask for an MVP, they are not really asking for the most perfect product or solution. They just want to see the first version of it – in as expedient a way you can present it. However, many entrepreneurs interpret it as a ‘perfection challenge’ and go on a wild goose chase. In the cycle of confusion that inevitably ensues, they miss the bus. The mistake they make is that they forget that perfection is a process. It’s a moving target that keeps evolving. So chase execution, I say, not perfection.” Golden words that will stand a new generation in good stead if only they are willing to set aside quixotic dreams and prioritize practicality and progress. 

A WORD FOR VOH

An edifying and inspirational session is coming to a close. It’s an understatement to say that we have been impressed by the actionable wisdom of this unique personality. As we take his kind leave, we request Hitesh for a short line or two about VOH, and how tribute profiles such as Idea Leaders are important to add direction, inspiration and positive energy to the healthcare community. The idea champion generously obliges, “VOH is a fantastic initiative of bringing thought leaders in healthcare together on a unified platform. Healthcare today is very conservative in its approach.  There is a need for some dynamism and out of the box thinking for healthcare to be prepared for the challenges of today and the future.  This can be achieved by sharing ideas, thoughts and collaborations across all healthcare segments and leaders.  Along with this, though the government has surely started supporting healthcare through various initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, still healthcare needs better and comprehensive insurance coverage, especially for critical illnesses like Cancer.”

*This story is published by VOH team*