Dave Saunders
@nemock.bsky.social
Human girls and Samoyed Dad. Autodidactic. Nerd. Surgical robotics, MedTech, AI, greentech. Love to tell stories.
Pinned
Dave Saunders
@nemock.bsky.social
· May 7
[Video] How we created our surgical robotic assistant | Dave Saunders posted on the topic | LinkedIn
In this video, I discuss how we began with technology licensed from Johns Hopkins University, navigated through key development milestones, and ultimately…
www.linkedin.com
A story about licensing tech from a university and turning it into an FDA cleared surgical robot www.linkedin.com/posts/nemock...
Some thoughts on customers that just don't like you. It was inspired by a memory of a customer that really didn't like us. I mean it was personal but to be honest I think we learned a lot from him open.substack.com/pub/nemock/p...
The First Customer Who Didn’t Like You
Your first customers are usually forgiving.
open.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Some thoughts on customers that just don't like you. It was inspired by a memory of a customer that really didn't like us. I mean it was personal but to be honest I think we learned a lot from him open.substack.com/pub/nemock/p...
If you can't fit your priorities on a single page, you don't have priorities. You have wishes. Cut the noise. Focus on what actually moves the business forward.
December 1, 2025 at 4:20 PM
If you can't fit your priorities on a single page, you don't have priorities. You have wishes. Cut the noise. Focus on what actually moves the business forward.
Reposted by Dave Saunders
The first public tranche of Epstein emails - over 13,000 emails - was just released live on @offthehookradio.bsky.social with the folks from @2600.com: ddosecrets.com/article/epst...
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 AM
The first public tranche of Epstein emails - over 13,000 emails - was just released live on @offthehookradio.bsky.social with the folks from @2600.com: ddosecrets.com/article/epst...
Your roadmap is full of cool ideas. Your customers are asking for three specific things. Guess which one you should be working on? Finish what they want. Ship it. Then ask what's next.
November 30, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Your roadmap is full of cool ideas. Your customers are asking for three specific things. Guess which one you should be working on? Finish what they want. Ship it. Then ask what's next.
Cold outreach scares you. Pricing scares you. Firing that underperformer scares you. Do it anyway. The stuff you avoid is usually the stuff that matters most.
November 29, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Cold outreach scares you. Pricing scares you. Firing that underperformer scares you. Do it anyway. The stuff you avoid is usually the stuff that matters most.
Simple question I've started asking myself: if I looked at what I accomplished by Tuesday morning, would it actually move the needle? Monday's for catching up. Tuesday's when the excuses run out.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-tuesda...
nemock.substack.com/p/the-tuesda...
The Tuesday Morning Test
Most founders I talk to can tell me what they’re working on.
nemock.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Simple question I've started asking myself: if I looked at what I accomplished by Tuesday morning, would it actually move the needle? Monday's for catching up. Tuesday's when the excuses run out.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-tuesda...
nemock.substack.com/p/the-tuesda...
Hiring won't fix confusion. More people on a fuzzy problem just means more people spinning in circles. Get crystal clear on what you're solving, then hire to execute.
November 28, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Hiring won't fix confusion. More people on a fuzzy problem just means more people spinning in circles. Get crystal clear on what you're solving, then hire to execute.
Your uncle has opinions. Your mentor has opinions. Random Twitter followers have opinions. Your paying customers have data. Listen to the last group.
November 27, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Your uncle has opinions. Your mentor has opinions. Random Twitter followers have opinions. Your paying customers have data. Listen to the last group.
Perfect is the enemy of shipped. Get it out there. Let real users tell you what's broken. Then fix it. Iterating beats overthinking every time.
November 26, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Perfect is the enemy of shipped. Get it out there. Let real users tell you what's broken. Then fix it. Iterating beats overthinking every time.
You built a solution looking for a problem. That's backwards. Find people who are already bleeding. Solve that. They'll pay you to stop the pain.
November 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
You built a solution looking for a problem. That's backwards. Find people who are already bleeding. Solve that. They'll pay you to stop the pain.
Busy day: I've been scheduled to appear on 5 podcasts and it's not even lunch time!
November 25, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Busy day: I've been scheduled to appear on 5 podcasts and it's not even lunch time!
That cash in the bank isn't survival money. It's proof-of-concept money. You've got X months to show customers will pay. Use them wisely or start over.
November 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
That cash in the bank isn't survival money. It's proof-of-concept money. You've got X months to show customers will pay. Use them wisely or start over.
Speed without control is easy to cheer for, but it leaves real damage in its wake. Building durable systems takes patience, discipline, and a steady hand. The work is slower, but the results last.
November 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Speed without control is easy to cheer for, but it leaves real damage in its wake. Building durable systems takes patience, discipline, and a steady hand. The work is slower, but the results last.
You're not building this to work here forever. Whether you sell in five years or hand it off to your team, have the plan. Companies built to exit are built to last.
November 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
You're not building this to work here forever. Whether you sell in five years or hand it off to your team, have the plan. Companies built to exit are built to last.
Startup Theater Will Kill Your Company Faster Than Bad Product
The performance of being a founder vs actually building a business. What actually matters vs what looks impressive.
substack.com/@nemock/p-17...
The performance of being a founder vs actually building a business. What actually matters vs what looks impressive.
substack.com/@nemock/p-17...
Startup Theater Will Kill Your Company Faster Than Bad Product
I met a founder at a conference who had the perfect pitch.
substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Startup Theater Will Kill Your Company Faster Than Bad Product
The performance of being a founder vs actually building a business. What actually matters vs what looks impressive.
substack.com/@nemock/p-17...
The performance of being a founder vs actually building a business. What actually matters vs what looks impressive.
substack.com/@nemock/p-17...
Check the track record. Did they build something real? Did they finish what they started? Or are they just good at writing Medium posts? Learn from people who actually did the thing.
November 22, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Check the track record. Did they build something real? Did they finish what they started? Or are they just good at writing Medium posts? Learn from people who actually did the thing.
I’m really happy with this article. This is a story I’ve told in different forms for the past 20 years.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
The Team I Let Slip Away
I had the best team I’ll ever work with, and I watched them scatter while I was busy doing everything except leading them.
nemock.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:47 PM
I’m really happy with this article. This is a story I’ve told in different forms for the past 20 years.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
Whether you sell or keep it, the goal is the same. A business that runs without you is worth something. A business that needs you 80 hours a week is worthless. Build the first one.
November 21, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Whether you sell or keep it, the goal is the same. A business that runs without you is worth something. A business that needs you 80 hours a week is worthless. Build the first one.
This story started off as just a paragraph embedded in an email to somebody, and it occurred to me how many times and in how many different ways I have shared this story with other people.
It's probably one of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
It's probably one of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
The Team I Let Slip Away
Your best people don’t quit because they found something better.
nemock.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:09 PM
This story started off as just a paragraph embedded in an email to somebody, and it occurred to me how many times and in how many different ways I have shared this story with other people.
It's probably one of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
It's probably one of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
nemock.substack.com/p/the-team-i...
If it takes three paragraphs to describe your revenue model, you don't have one. Customers pay you for X. That's it. Get clear or stay broke.
November 20, 2025 at 3:12 PM
If it takes three paragraphs to describe your revenue model, you don't have one. Customers pay you for X. That's it. Get clear or stay broke.
How to tell the difference between a smart pivot and just avoiding hard work. The founders who "pivot" every six months and never ship anything. When to actually change direction vs when to just execute better on what you already have.
nemock.substack.com/p/youre-not-...
nemock.substack.com/p/youre-not-...
You’re Not Pivoting. You’re Stalling.
I know a founder who’s on his seventh pivot in three years.
nemock.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:57 PM
How to tell the difference between a smart pivot and just avoiding hard work. The founders who "pivot" every six months and never ship anything. When to actually change direction vs when to just execute better on what you already have.
nemock.substack.com/p/youre-not-...
nemock.substack.com/p/youre-not-...
When customers ghost you and the bank account is bleeding, your spreadsheet won't help. But knowing why this matters to you will. Get clear on your why before you need it.
November 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
When customers ghost you and the bank account is bleeding, your spreadsheet won't help. But knowing why this matters to you will. Get clear on your why before you need it.
Everything else is noise. You bring in money. You spend money. You have time before you run out. Know these numbers cold. Check them weekly. Make decisions based on them.
November 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Everything else is noise. You bring in money. You spend money. You have time before you run out. Know these numbers cold. Check them weekly. Make decisions based on them.
Okay, if Cloudfare is so essential to internet security, then what about the sites that appear to be unaffected by the outage?
November 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Okay, if Cloudfare is so essential to internet security, then what about the sites that appear to be unaffected by the outage?
The commentary in this video was a little bit more vitriolic than I expected, but it's exactly appropriate for the situation.
Phang: It is a fundamental premise of the law that there is no requirement that a criminal defendant be forced to testify to explain away the government’s evidence. Hallagan went to law school and knows better, but she’s so stupid that she made that misstatement of the law to the grand jury.
November 18, 2025 at 1:41 PM
The commentary in this video was a little bit more vitriolic than I expected, but it's exactly appropriate for the situation.