7 Common Mistakes Health Entrepreneurs Make — And How to Avoid Them

In the bustling tech hubs of Nairobi, Lagos, Kigali, and Cape Town, health startups are sprouting faster than Nairobi's roadside hawkers when kanjo comes calling. Everyone is building the next "Uber for healthcare" or "AI-powered hospital in your pocket." But just like eating hot ugali without blowing it first, many healthpreneurs rush in without thinking — and get burned.

As the old Igbo proverb goes, “He who fetches firewood infested with ants should be ready for lizards’ visits.” In short, if you start your health business without wisdom, prepare for the problems that will follow. So let’s unpack seven common traps health entrepreneurs fall into — and how to dodge them like a boda-boda weaving through Nairobi traffic.

1. Building for Donors, Not for Users

You’d think you’re creating a digital health solution for expectant mothers in Kisumu, but your interface needs WiFi, English fluency, and a PhD in patience. Why? Because your real user is that nice mzungu from Geneva with the grant.

Avoid it: Design for the person who’ll actually use your product — not just the person funding it. Go down to the community level. If your app can’t run offline or isn’t in local languages, then who’s really benefiting?

Good read: Why designing for the end-user matters – Center for Global Development.

2. Chasing Foreign Validation Before Local Traction

Some folks spend more time pitching to Silicon Valley VCs than talking to the mama mboga down the road. They’ll say, “We’re in stealth mode,” but really, they’re in struggle mode.

Avoid it: Get your first wins locally. As the Swahili say, “Mtoto wa nyoka ni nyoka” — the baby of a snake is still a snake. Build trust where you’re rooted.

Check out Villgro Africa and Healthcare Innovation Africa — platforms that support early-stage African health ventures.

3. Ignoring Regulation — Until It's Too Late

Many health startups treat compliance like a bitter herbal tonic — delay it until absolutely necessary. Then one day, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board knocks like a debt collector during January.

Avoid it: Engage regulators from day one. Kenya’s Digital Health Act and Nigeria’s NITDA guidelines are good places to start. Build a compliant product now or risk having it banned later.

4. Hiring ‘Tech Bros’ Instead of Healthcare Experts

Some of you are trying to cure malaria with a chatbot built by someone who has never entered a dispensary. Health is complex. Periodt.

Avoid it: Interdisciplinary teams win. Pair your coding wizard with a nurse, public health officer, or clinical officer. One understands the code, the other the cough.

Take notes from mClinica and Zipline — real-world examples of strong tech-health partnerships.

5. Overengineering Simple Solutions

You created an app with blockchain, AI, machine learning, and… zero users. You’ve spent more time naming your startup than understanding the problem. You call it "MediCure360.ai." Mama Achieng calls it "confusion."

Avoid it: Start lean. Use WhatsApp before building an app. Use Airtel Money before inventing your own coin. Let the solution evolve naturally.

Read: Simplicity in Digital Health — Healthcare IT News.

6. Neglecting Mental Health — Yours and the Team’s

Health entrepreneurship is no child’s play. One minute you’re winning an award, the next your grant is delayed and your co-founder has relocated to Canada "for family reasons."

Avoid it: Prioritise mental wellness. Don’t kill yourself trying to save others. Engage in therapy, peer support, and wellness check-ins. Try local platforms like AfyaRekod or Wazi in Kenya.

7. Forgetting the Power of Storytelling

You’ve built a solid health platform, but your pitch deck reads like a WHO report. Where’s the passion? The lived experience? The goosebumps?

Avoid it: African storytelling sells. Remember, even Jesus used parables. Tie your solution to a real patient, a village elder, a health worker. Be human.

Resource: Learn how Doctors Explain Digital Health Co. LTD amplifies African health stories.

Final Word from the Village

Dear healthpreneur, “A man who uses his teeth to count his neighbours’ children will eventually bite his tongue.” Mind your own journey. Learn from others, but adapt to your unique context. Africa doesn’t need a copy-paste solution from California — it needs YOU. Grounded, focused, and clever enough to dodge these avoidable mistakes.

Now go forth, innovate, but don’t forget — listen before you launch. Or as Auntie Wanja says, "You cannot make soup with hot air."

References

Center for Global Development. (2019). When the user is not the user: Designing digital tools for real healthcare delivery. https://www.cgdev.org/blog/when-user-not-user-designing-healthcare-digital-tools

Doctors Explain Digital Health Co. LTD. (2024). Amplifying Africa’s health innovation stories. https://doctorsexplain.digital

Healthcare Innovation Africa. (2024). Powering Africa’s digital health revolution. https://healthcareinnovation.africa

Healthcare IT News. (2022). Why digital health solutions should be simple. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/why-digital-health-solutions-should-be-simple

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council. (2023). Digital health policy & regulations. https://www.kmpdc.go.ke/resources/digital-health-policy/

mClinica. (2024). Transforming pharmacies in Southeast Asia and beyond. https://www.mclinica.com/

NITDA. (2022). Nigeria data protection and digital health frameworks. https://nitda.gov.ng/

Villgro Africa. (2024). Incubating African health innovations. https://villgroafrica.org/

Wazi. (2023). Affordable mental health care in Kenya. https://wazi.co/

Zipline. (2024). Drone delivery for health in Africa. https://www.flyzipline.com/