Jannik Lockl is a serial entrepreneur. A known innovator in the field of healthcare, he is set to change the way the world looks at the system. He holds a doctorate in business informatics and is the CEO of inContAlert, a healthcare firm that developed an mHealth device, which allows incontinence patients to regain control over their bladder. In an interview, he speaks on an array of topics. Excerpts:

Conception of inContAlert

Patients suffering from incontinence face the risk of an uncontrolled loss of urine on a day-to-day basis, since they do not realize when their bladder is full and when to empty it. “As a result, they run the risk that their bladder gets too full, that they lose urine, or that they over-distend their bladder in a health damaging way. Incontinence is a tabooed social stigma, and its consequences are inhumane. With inContAlert, we give patients back the lost knowledge on how full their bladder is so that they can reach out to a restroom in time and live a carefree life.”

inContAlert – the technology adapted

The technology of inContAlert helps people with bladder dysfunction to monitor the filling level of their urinary bladder. The mHealth device collects and analyzes data with the help of deep learning algorithms and displays the filling level of the bladder on an app. With the technology of inContAlert, patients can reach out a restroom when needed, says this professional. “Patients can avoid unnecessary catheters and diapers, needless emptying through nurses, as well as harmful over-distensions of their bladders.”

Case studies

“One of our key users is a young man who is suffering from tetraplegia since an accident when he was surfing. During his daily life, one of the burdens is to manage his urinary bladder, especially when it comes to events that must be planned upfront. By the means of inContAlert, the patient can figure out when it’s the best time to empty his bladder and plan his activities accordingly. “The experience with inContAlert inspires him and puts him in a positive mood that he can live in a more self-determined manner in the future.”

Leadership traits

“Personally, I think that leaders must develop a certain passion. People surrounding you must feel that you are deeply committed to the project. Letting people feel your passion will inspire them and foster their willing to follow your drive and commitment to the project.” Jannik also recommends that the key is to be transparent with own weaknesses and thereby, to also strengthen those people around you that can help you to overcome these weaknesses.

He urges leaders and their organizations to address the problem of failures at an individual and cultural level. “Failures must be addressed transparently on every hierarchical level and without the fear of ‘unfair’ consequences. In this way, employees and leaders become empowered to decide critical decisions to the best of their knowledge – and not to circumvent critical decisions in fear of the consequences of failure.”

Healthcare- the game changer

Healthcare is a special domain since everything takes a little bit longer. Leaders should be aware of huge regulatory and social barriers when introducing disruptive innovations. Technicians must learn to read and interpret regulatory burdens and fulfilling them in parallel to their main topic – the development. “Though, the healthcare domain provides huge opportunities to ultimately improve the health of people. Keeping this tremendous impact in mind drives healthcare leaders every day.”

Healthcare- creating cross-sectional experience

“Finally, I want to highlight that cross-sectional experience enriches the healthcare domain. From one of my previous ventures, for example, we learned a lot about the wishes and fears of the current generation of students when integrating them into sports franchises. The cultural and social factors that help motivating young sports talents and that ensure their commitment to their project are kind of familiar to the factors when encouraging high potentials in healthcare.”