Business Issue
Google tasked Andy Strunk with establishing product-market fit and a go-to-market (GTM) strategy for its B2B clinician-facing product, Care Studio, and AI-driven data analytics platform for population health.
These solutions, developed within Google Research, lacked a dedicated sales organization, necessitating collaboration with the Google Cloud sales team to drive adoption.
Additionally, internal alignment was required between Google Cloud and Google Health, as both had developed similar-sounding solutions that served distinct use cases, creating market confusion and potential sales channel conflicts.
To ensure a cohesive strategy, a clear differentiation framework was needed to articulate each product’s unique value proposition while maximizing revenue opportunities across Alphabet Inc.‘s healthcare initiatives.
Action Taken
Mr. Strunk implemented a multi-faceted strategy to clarify market positioning, integrate the Health solutions into Google Cloud’s GTM approach, and ensure sales team alignment:
- Product-Market Fit & Messaging Framework: Created a message house that differentiated Google Cloud’s storage and compute-based revenue model from Google Health’s user-license packaged solutions, preventing internal channel conflict while positioning both offerings as complementary.
- Cloud-Based GTM Strategy: Designed a go-to-market approach that integrated Google Health solutions into the existing Google Cloud sales organization, ensuring adoption without detracting from core Cloud sales KPIs.
- Analyst Relations & Market Repositioning: Engaged industry analysts and key stakeholders to communicate Google’s broader commitment to organizing healthcare data, reinforcing its long-term strategy and market credibility.
“Andy has an exceptional ability to synthesize academic insights with practical implementation, making him a standout operator in the technology space. As someone who has worked at the intersection of Wall Street and healthcare innovation, I can confidently say that Andy’s expertise is what venture-backed companies need to succeed.
While at Google Health, Andy brought me in as an advisor and consultant to help align the product roadmap with real-world industry challenges. His ability to leverage Google’s vast information synthesis capabilities to tackle critical issues, like interoperability in healthcare, was impressive. Andy not only ensured that product development was grounded in solving the most pressing industry problems, but he also cultivated trust and alignment across stakeholders, from engineers and clinicians to business leaders. His action-oriented approach ensures that insights are not just theoretical but are implemented to deliver tangible results.
Andy’s work ethic, strategic acumen, and operator mindset make him a powerful asset for fast-growing firms. For venture capital and private equity leaders looking to drive success in their portfolio companies, Andy’s ability to guide strategy, align teams, and deliver impactful results is invaluable. I strongly endorse Andy as someone who can help firms navigate growth and complexity, and I recommend reaching out to him to explore how he can contribute to your organization’s success.”
Mahek Shah, MD, MBA
Harvard Fellow | Associate Faculty at Harvard & Physician Executive | Strategy Consultant | Venture Investor
Impact Delivered
The successful alignment of product-market fit, messaging, and GTM execution resulted in:
- New SKU revenue for Google Health solutions, establishing a sustainable B2B healthcare portfolio that complemented Google’s broader B2C offerings.
- Stronger Cloud sales alignment, ensuring Google Health’s packaged solutions were positioned as additive rather than competitive, increasing revenue across both organizations.
- Enhanced market perception of Google’s role in healthcare, reinforcing its broader mission of organizing the world’s data and making it useful in clinical and population health contexts.
By spearheading internal alignment, refining product-market fit, and executing a Cloud-integrated GTM strategy, Google successfully launched its B2B healthcare solutions, creating new revenue streams and reinforcing its leadership in AI-driven healthcare innovation.
