I knew that there was a better way to provide more consistent care. I knew to help people be more connected with their self and their providers, the care had to be on a daily basis, not just a monthly basis. One morning after a dream-filled night, I woke with the idea of KnKt’d.
Matt Holland, Co-founder
Name: KnKt’d
Location: Dallas, Texas
Website: https://www.myknktd.com/
Product / Service Offering: Health platform for behavioral health
Co-founder Interviewed: Matt Holland
Tell us a little about yourself with a focus on what motivates you?
I have worked in a broken system for many years, navigating the loop holes to provide care for my clients. I knew that there was a better way to provide more consistent care. I knew to help people be more connected with their self and their providers, the care had to be on a daily basis, not just a monthly basis. One morning after a dream-filled night, I woke with the idea of KnKt’d.
When there are close to 88 million people in America struggling daily with mental health and addiction challenges and only a little over 600,000 providers, the conversation has to change. We need to start thinking outside of the box to reduce the burden on both sides of the system. We need to connect our providers and patients in new ways.
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When did you establish your company and where did the idea originate?
When did you establish your company and where did the idea originate? We began as an LLC back in the summer of 2014 as we built our wireframes and vetted our idea with the community we are involved in. The idea came from me and my long experience in the behavioral health system. It came from learning and living amongst all the disparities and limitations in our system, and listening to the voices of the system. This grew the desire to change the way we provide care and to better connect patients to providers on a daily basis.
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With a little, ok, maybe a lot, of help from many people within the broken system, we sought to design a solution that would work to change the way we do business and provide care.
What need or needs does your company seek to fill for its customers?
We help connect patients with providers daily, while creating better engagement, better outcomes, increased provider revenue, and lowering the clinical burdens so many clinicians face today. We did this while trying to meet the Federal Triple Aim and Meaningful Use (MACRA) criteria.
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What is the one thing that sets your company apart from its competitors?
I think there are three major differences between us and our competitors:
- We are in this to truly bring change to people’s lives and the national system.
- Our team consists of amazing people who have a passion to see this happen, experience in some way, shape, or form in the system, and an amazing set of morals, ethics and values. They are rock stars at what they do.
- Last but most importantly, we built the system constantly talking with all levels the product was designed to serve. We constantly tweaked the system with feedback from all levels. They all continue to be our guiding light and will always.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while getting your company up and running, and how did you overcome it?
All entrepreneurs overcome huge hurdles every day of every week. It is hard to identify just one. I think that is part of the entrepreneur’s silently spoken creed “acknowledge, overcome and proceed”, oh and also “Never Slow Down”. The best advice I can give is to learn how to continually get up and dust yourself off, and also know when to walk away.
Are there resources you have utilized that other founders might find compelling or useful?
Get good mentors and good advisors. Make sure there is a market and know how hard it is to get your feet firmly planted into it. Make sure if you are going to pay for a system’s service that you have checked the competition for something better and/or cheaper. It will save you time and sometimes money.
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What steps have you taken to secure funding for your company and what, if anything, would you do differently if you had to start over?
We have been blessed and self-funded up until this point. It has given us the unique experience of being able to go beyond many limitations that would have otherwise been in our way. It also has given us the time to take a hard look at those we approach to possibly invest in our future, get to know them, and have them get to know us.
Have there been any questions you have had as an entrepreneur of a fledgling startup that you had a particularly hard time finding the answers to?
I have had a cornucopia of questions every day and still do. My only advice is never stop reading, learning, adapting and always find the answer, Just don’t let it be all consuming.
What challenges, if any, are you grappling with?
How do we clone the best portion of ourselves, so we have more time in the day and can spend more time with the ones we love! As soon as someone figures that one out let us all know.
What is the most helpful tip or “hack” you’ve ever learned, stumbled across, or been given?
Every day as an entrepreneur can be both a failure and success. You could be on cloud nine one moment only to be dropped on your face the next. You have to learn how to quickly re-center, pivot, and have good self-care and supports around you.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your company?
Most importantly, it is an honor and blessing to be part of the Health Wildcatters accelerator, which has amazing people, mentors and supports. We are always open to talking with anyone who is willing to be part of a good cause to help change the face of behavioral health.
Are you familiar with other startups you believe should be spotlighted? If so, we would like to hear from you. Tell us about them, sharing your comments below!
Sandra Sloan
Sandra has previous supply chain and business operations experience which she is leveraging as an author with FundingSage focused on spotlighting entrepreneurs and their startup efforts.
