XOOVA BLOG

Xoova's Coming Out Party

Ever since we changed our name, we've anticipated our first real announcement as "Xoova." Yesterday, at the Health 2.0 conference in SF, we got the opportunity to share the Xoova way with 500+ attendees...all peers working toward the same goal of improving online healthcare information, delivery, and actionability through Web 2.0 technologies.

That's a mouthful.

So we had our Xoova table, our 2-foot-high sign, our laptop, and high hopes as the conference room began to fill. And we weren't disappointed. We got overwhelmingly positive response from those who gathered around to see our demo during the breaks and lunch.

One of the panel moderators and popular blogger Dr. Enoch Choi came by, found himself immediately, and said, "This is the only physician directory here that actually has ME on it!" It felt Xoovalicious.

Tommy was interviewed by the folks at ICYou (see it here), we issued our first press release as Xoova, and we immersed ourselves in the conference.

There was a panel segment in which physician ratings were discussed. My highlight was this off-the-cuff comment by the CEO of a health comparison shop portal: "Our physician reviews fall in three buckets: Really good, really bad, and crazy." Where's the value in that?

Health 2.0, the sequel, is coming to SoCal in March of 2008. That's where we'll demonstrate how Xoova creates a climate where the patients share their experiences, physicians refer other physicians, and medical doctors aren't subjected to 1-5 star ratings. For more on Health 2.0, visit The Health Care Blog.

Why Don'tcha?

I think we can all agree that it's a thrilling but daunting time to be running an early stage Internet business, especially in the health sector. Not a day goes by without a groundbreaking news item that directly pertains to our business and drives us to work harder and faster to get this puppy off the ground and in the consciousness of the consumer who really does need to find the right local doctor.

That being said, there are a whole helluva a lot of distractions, too. The biggest one, and the one that cannot easily be ignored, is the "Why don'tcha?"

If you've ever been in product development, you've probably lived this. For Xoova, it's constant. "Why don'tcha incorporate a Facebook application?" "Why don'tcha make a widget?" "Why don'tcha have acupuncturists, chiropractors, physical therapists, and dentists on Xoova?" "Why don'tcha team up with Company A or partner with Company B?"

Most of the suggestions are valid, and we'd be irresponsible not to explore opportunities that could make us better. But what happens when you hear the same obvious suggestion a hundred times? What happens when it's "in the plan" but not happening today, tomorrow, or even this calendar year?

You be gracious. You don't act exasperated. And you make a mental note, "This person is probably trying to help us. Just smile and thank [stranger at party/fellow AOL expat/my mother] for the suggestion."

And stick to the plan. Because the last thing we need is, "Why don'tcha follow through on what you said you'd accomplish?"

The First Xoova Ad

It's a post-Series B luxury to have a renowned agency create the campaign that will put you on the consumer map. Until then, it's Chris D and me, hovering over sheets of blank paper spread out on his desk, charged with delivering a clean, simple concept for the Health 2.0 conference brochure. We were given only a few days notice by the conference organizers, and the deadline is today.

So we're back to Advertising 101. Who is our target audience? What will the ad convey? What images do we have to work with? And how are we going to do in a few hours what typically takes an agency team a month?

Okay. It isn't rocket science. We're not saving the world with an ad that we hope will simply catch the eye of  industry peers who are flipping through the brochure while waiting for the next panel discussion. Chris D jokingly came up with an ophthalmologist themed ad featuring Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (see above). I, in turn, came up with a dating themed ad that emphasized how doctors on Xoova share their expertise on their physician profiles:

Seeking someone who likes Pina Coladas

Seeking someone who walks in the rain

Seeking patients who need treatment for food poisoning as a result of eating tainted baby carrots.

Uh, no.

Another concept focused on the fact that Xoova is more than an informational website that tells you about conditions, treatments, and medical procedures. Xoova becomes the actionable step for the patient who reads the wikipedia entry on colonoscopies and now needs a local doctor to perform one. A  local doctor who has an enhanced profile with photo, special clinical interests, honors and awards received, and soon, testimonials and referrals, pricing, and appointment scheduling online. Ha!

It's hard to impart that in a pithy ad.

So, we're going with our logo, tagline, and the endorsements we've received from reputable sources that physicians and patients trust. And instead trying to say everything in an 8.5 by 10 inch ad, we'll let Tommy speak for Xoova at Health 2.0 on September 20th, and let the site speak for itself post-conference.

And next time, I'll leave the ad creation to the experts.