I also wrote Founder Profiles for LaunchVic's newsletter. Here's a sample:

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Company: HotDoc

Founder: Dr Ben Hurst

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The son of a GP and an ENT, Hot Doc founder Dr Ben Hurst was no stranger to how tough it can be to get a successful medical practice off the ground growing up. He often heard his parents discussing the red tape, payroll challenges, and bureaucracy of it all around the dinner table. So years later, in a bar in New York, when a friend mentioned the company ZocDoc and its mission to help New Yorkers access doctors’ schedules online, the idea for Hot Doc exploded in his head like a firecracker. 

 

Ben knew that Aussies would find a platform for connecting with their health practitioners online extremely useful. But creating that platform was going to be no easy feat. He was a doctor, and had no business experience (other than selling Lamingtons from his driveway when he was 9). So he read a lot, and tapped into Melbourne’s thriving network of successful and knowledgeable businesspeople. With the support of these founders and investors, and support from his friends and family, Ben was able to secure the backing he needed to get Hot Doc off the ground. 

 

He’s long admired GPs, and the work they do to help others. He’s been happy to see the way that HotDoc has genuinely helped them out. He and his team are very proud of the work they’ve done to help medical centres operate more sustainably. 

 

HotDoc’s first customers were all based in or near Melbourne, and were patient and encouraging as the business took shape. Ben credits them with helping shape HotDoc into the platform it is today. Speaking of Melbourne, Ben appreciates the humble and open nature of founders who hail from Victoria, and finds them enjoyable to work with. 

 

His next step? Ben and the HotDoc team hope to continue to make it easier for people to manage their health on their phones. 

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