Guest post by Lance Kugler of Kugler Vision.
The first time I attended Big Omaha, I was struck by the collegiality and friendliness of the attendees—everyone was so eager to meet new people and share ideas. But I quickly began to recognize the same quizzical, and sometimes pained, expression on many of those new faces when we exchanged the standard greeting: “So, what do you do?” The young software developer, graphic designer, systems analyst or chief marketing officer was clearly anticipating I would respond, “I am a brilliant chief executive of a brilliant startup looking for brilliant talent such as yours.” My response was quite different, however.
“I am an ophthalmologist, an eye surgeon.” Stunned silence, confusion and—probably—mental anguish followed. “Why is an ophthalmologist at Big Omaha?” likely was the first thought. The second was probably, “This is going to be a painful conversation. This relationship isn’t going to do anything for me or my enterprise.” Even the lawyers and accountants in attendance had a clear reason for being there: an opportunity for shared services, new clients and projects. But an eye surgeon? Perhaps most ophthalmologists would feel out of place. I, however, felt as though I was returning home after a long journey.
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After growing up and graduating from high school in Omaha (Go Warriors!), I earned a degree in computer science at DePauw University in Indiana—keep in mind this was long before computer science was cool. After learning C++ and Perl on a VAX I was ready to graduate in the summer of 1997. The tech bubble was inflating rapidly and the possibilities were endless. My fellow computer science classmates were receiving incredible job offers from consulting firms, and anyone who understood the Web was considered invaluable by corporate America.
Despite the opportunities in technology, I had always been drawn to medicine as a career, and I chose that path. As much as I enjoyed technology and science, I also thrived on being part of the human experience. My analytical mind realized medicine was not something that could be done as a hobby—either I was all in or I was out. I also knew the chance of returning to medical school at a later date was not realistic. It was now or never.
Medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, proved to be a tremendous experience. Ophthalmology was the obvious specialty of choice for a computer science maven. The integration of technology was incredible: lasers, optics, algorithms and diagnostic imaging.
After entering group practice I quickly learned some harsh business realities:
- Having the greatest product or service is irrelevant unless customers know and agree.
- The corporate environment is stifling.
- I do not do well working for others. I need to run my own operation.
These realities caused me to uproot my family and move to Nashville, Tenn., where I learned advanced laser surgery, business and marketing from a world-renowned laser eye surgeon. I returned to Omaha and started Kugler Vision, with the intent of creating a completely new approach to vision correction.
At this point it may be relevant to know I have been an Apple “fanboy,” by every conceivable definition of the word, since 2002. So though I did not consciously design Kugler Vision with Apple in mind, in retrospect I did implement many of Apple’s philosophies into our business culture:
- Uncompromising commitment to excellence. Only the best technology. Only the best people.
- Passionate commitment to the “why.”
- Relentless focus on user (patient) experience and results.
- No fear of cannibalizing our own products or services: If something can be done better, we’ll do it that way, regardless of the cost or consequence.
- Heavy investment in R&D (clinical trials for new products and procedures).
… Just like every other business at Big Omaha.
So, why is this eye surgeon passionate about Big Omaha?
Big Omaha is all about innovation. New ideas. New leaders. New solutions. New methods of tackling old problems.
I want to share some of the lessons learned from my business experiences and also learn new methods of tackling old problems from other attendees.
I love technology and new ways of thinking. I’m passionate about Omaha. And I’m grateful for all of the opportunities this community has given me.
I hope we had a chance to connect at the conference, and that I’ll see more of you next year. Until then, I hope we as a community can share in the passion we all have for helping each other succeed.
