Nobody Cares About Better, Cheaper, Faster with Jim Surek

In this episode of the Crux of Neuro podcast, Liz Moyles sits down with Jim Surek, a 33-year medtech veteran with seven M&A exits to his name, including Advanced Bionics' $3 billion acquisition by Boston Scientific. Jim shares the commercial playbook he's used to build and scale teams across spine, neuromodulation, and urology, from selling medical supplies out of a catalogue to leading the commercial strategy behind some of the biggest exits in the industry. He explains why "better, cheaper, faster" is a dead pitch, why he hires reps with zero medtech experience, and how founders should really think about selling to today's multi-headed customer. Key Topics: Why "better, cheaper, faster" fails as a value proposition in modern medtech Selling to the multi-headed customer: clinicians, purchasing, CFOs, and value analysis committees Hiring non-medtech sales reps and why conventional experience can be a liability Building program-based commercial strategies that go beyond the physician champion Navigating M&A as a CEO: what founders get wrong about acquisition interest Leading a distressed asset: Jim's playbook for turning Valencia Technologies around Related Insights: Why curiosity and courage matter more than a track record when hiring for startups The difference between solving pain points and creating unrealised gains for health systems How the value analysis committee process really works, and why the conventional track fails Lessons from US Surgical's training philosophy and how they still shape medtech sales culture Core Challenges: Medtech founders are still leading with product features instead of articulating real value across every stakeholder in a health system. The "multi-headed customer" demands clinical, economic, operational, and strategic value, not just a better device. Startups struggle to break into hospitals because they follow conventional sales processes. Jim argues that programme-based selling, where every stakeholder understands what they gain, is the only way to move fast and avoid getting stuck in 14-month VAC loops. 🎧 Tune in now to hear Jim Surek's unfiltered playbook on commercial strategy, hiring, M&A, and why the best medtech leaders make it about everyone but themselves. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx, visit https://www.thisiscruxx.com/ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; TTP plc -   / the-technology-partnership   With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, TTP plc can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at https://www.ttp.com/