Today's entrepreneur: Adam Odessky

Steven Loeb · November 15, 2019 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/4f1c

I wanted to create a lasting impact in the world

Today's entrepreneur is Adam Odessky, CEO and co-founder of Sensely, an artificial intelligence and chatbot company, whose platform helps guide members to insurance services and healthcare resources.

Sensely’s avatar and chatbot-based platforms assist insurance plan members and patients with the insurance services and healthcare resources they need, when they need it. With offices in London and San Francisco, Sensely’s global teams provide virtual assistant solutions to insurance companies, pharmaceutical clients, and hospital systems worldwide.

The company recently raised a $15 million round of funding, bringing its total funding to $26.8 million.

An expert in voice interfaces and conversation design, Odessky's background includes roles at Oracle, Microsoft, Scient, and TellMe Networks. He is a listed inventor on multiple issued patents in the areas of user interface systems, gestural authentication, and augmented reality.

Odessky holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. When he's not working, Adam can be found touring San Francisco’s best coffee shops, banging out Metallica guitar solos, or running after his young twin children.

I am a(n):

Entrepreneur

Companies I've founded or co-founded:

Sensely

Companies I work or worked for:

Microsoft, Oracle Corp, orange, Tellme Networks

If you are an entrepreneur, why?

I want to invent something cool.

My favorite startups:

Quora, Slack, Venmo

Why did you start your current company?

I wanted to create a lasting impact in the world. And also to do something that frankly seemed impossible.

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

The rewarding part is seeing the impact that your product is making and watching the company grow because of it, both in terms of revenue and people. Also, the creative process that comes from building an innovative and unique product is bar none. The frustrating thing is always time. It takes way to long to build what you want, sell it the right way, and wait for customers to give you that gratifying feedback. Long term patience is definitely an important virtue.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs make?

They think that a great product or amazing swagger solves all ills. In reality, those are just the seeds to a long and arduous journey where the entrepreneur has to keep an open mind and a humble heart to accept in the skills and value of others: members of the team, investors, advisors, etc..

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?