The challenges we face in healthcare today cannot be changed with technology alone. It is the people behind the scenes, who are dedicated to advancing and pushing for change, that will make a real positive impact. This week we Meet the Orbiters – Billy Diggin, CTO.
Q: Why did you decide to join Orbit?
From a technology and engineering perspective – Orbit has it all. A cloud-based, app-based, device-linked, data-rich, AI-grounded platform. More importantly and from a non-tech perspective, Orbit works with People with Parkinson’s Disease with the goal to improve their quality of life through everyday technological solutions. These goals extend to other related chronic diseases. The why’s and how’s of Orbit are very close to my heart and deeply align with my technological interests.
Q: Since joining Orbit, what is something that surprised you about Parkinson’s or chronic diseases in general?
I am continually learning about these diseases – it is important that tech-heads always listen and learn so that we can continually advance the state of the art to help people with those conditions. We invest time to speak with clinicians and health care professionals, members of the Parkinson’s Network in various regions, People with Parkinson’s, and to their caregivers from various countries. We count on their generosity with their time, and their passion and dedication to deal with chronic diseases to help advance the state of the art. Their passion and dedication have surprised me the most!
Q: What makes you excited to come to work every day?
See answers to Q1 and Q2! Working with a great team of Orbiters is the icing on the cake!
Q: How do you stay up to date on the latest technological trends?
There is a balance between learning about the state of the art and leading the state of the art. In all cases, you cannot stay up to date unless you invest the time to read, understand, tinker, test, try, fail, eat your own dog-food, etc. You cannot truly appreciate trends unless you experience them. That said, it is important to select the right trends to trial and test and perhaps adopt – you have limited time on Planet Earth, so choose wisely. Ideally choose trends that educate you rather than entertain you!
Q: Where do you begin when building a healthcare technology platform?
The patient, the caregiver, the nurse, the physiotherapist, the speech therapist, the neurologist, the hospital/clinic, our partners, our team, and our investors. Listen, plan, build, check and deliver – then repeat! It is a virtuous cycle, there is no beginning, there is no end – only better and better.
Q: In your opinion, what separates Neptune from other Parkinson’s related solutions in the market?
My opinion does not matter in the slightest. What separates one product or service from another? The consumers or the direct users of that product/service. It is their opinion that matters, and only their opinion. Of course, through clinical evidence, great user experience, and compelling user benefits, can we positively influence not only their opinions but also their reality. That is my opinion!
Q: What is the one thing you can’t live without and why?
O2. I find that my body needs it to survive, however, it is generating CO2 and the more I exercise, the more damage I am doing to my knees and to the environment! Perhaps one should adopt a more sedentary lifestyle?
Q: What is something you spend too much time or money on but don’t regret?
Sports Gear – specifically running shoes. Their prices seem to be always rising, their lifespan seems to be always getting shorter and the need for different varieties of running shoes appears to be increasing. Before culling, I counted ~10 pairs of running shoes; triathlon, training, racing, road, trail, rock, waterproof, and gym varieties. It is a first-world problem and a fallacy where one expects that new running shoes will make one better at running. Instead, it makes one better at culling running shoes.
Q: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
Mediterranean – as long as I could be living on the Cote d’Azur for the rest of my (longer) life.
Meet the Orbiters – Billy is part of our Meet the Orbiters is a series dedicated on highlighting Orbit team members. To learn why they joined Orbit, what they think is unique about the culture and some fun facts along the way. Find new amazing opportunities on our LinkedIn Page and to learn more about Orbit and our digital solutions, check out our website today. Don’t forget to follow us on Medium and LinkedIn for future updates and articles.
