Episode 102 - Spencer Nam, Part 1: Disruptive Innovation

Spencer Nam has over 15 years of professional experience working with U.S. and international health care enterprises, most recently as an equity research analyst covering more than 50 medical technology companies. He also has advised numerous privately owned MedTech companies as well as the South Korean government on the future of the global telemedicine industry. Spencer’s Wall Street career included tenures multiple well known companies. Prior to his career in equity research, he was a consultant at Bain & Company advising senior management teams of Fortune 500 technology and financial services companies. As a member of the investment team at Technology Directors, he researched early-stage venture capital financed technology and life science companies. Prior to Bain, Spencer advised Partners Healthcare System in Boston on post merger integrations. Spencer holds a BA in mathematics from Harvard University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Show Notes

Personal and Professional Background

Spencer Nam is a Senior Fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to improving the world through disruptive innovation. He is currently responsible for research regarding disruptive innovations in the healthcare industry. Born in South Korea, Spencer moved to the Boston, MA area in which he currently works and lives. After getting his BA in Mathematics at Harvard University and MBA at the Harvard Business School, he spent time working on Wall Street.  He shares more about the transition from a for-profit world on Wall Street to a  to not-for-profit setting when he reunited with his mentor and former Harvard professor Clayton Christensen to focus on changing the healthcare system. His current research is geared towards identifying the continual growth factors in healthcare expenditures and introducing disruptions to the current models that will in turn lower costs. Spencer also talks about his goal to educate others and develop sustainable and lasting practice models in healthcare.

 

Quote

“Life is just a series of extenuating circumstances.” 

                          ~ Clayton Christensen

Spencer reflects on how the “daily grind” and the notion that focusing on the short term issues in life can get in the way of progress. He emphasizes the importance of taking a different perspective and long-term vision to positively elicit change.

 

Disruptive Innovation

 Spencer discusses the theory, it’s genesis and evolution, and a number of relevant examples of this simple but revolutionary theory:

  • Transistor Radios

  • Blockbuster vs Netflix

  • Interventional cardiology

  • Point of care diagnostics            

 

For more information on The Christensen Institute

 visit www.christenseninstitute.org 


The Innovator’s Prescription by Clayton Christensen

 

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