The healthtech founder's timeline shock is predictable. They plan for an 8-week MVP based on consumer app experience. Eight weeks pass. They're 40% done, with compliance work, vendor onboarding, and integration complexity stretching ahead.
Healthtech MVPs take 40-60% longer than equivalent non-regulated applications. This isn't because the code is harder. It's because healthcare adds entire work streams that don't exist in consumer apps: compliance architecture, regulated vendor procurement, and integration with legacy healthcare systems.
The Timeline Multipliers
Multiplier 1 - Compliance Architecture: Adds 20-30% to development time. Data classification, audit logging, access control architecture, encryption setup, and security testing all take extra time.
Multiplier 2 - Vendor Procurement: BAA verification, negotiation, and execution takes 1-4 weeks per vendor. With 3-5 vendors requiring BAAs, this can add 4-8 weeks if not parallelized.
Multiplier 3 - EHR Integration: If your product integrates with electronic health records, add significant time. First EHR integration typically adds 4-8 months to your path to first customer.
Multiplier 4 - Testing and Validation: Security testing, compliance validation, clinical user acceptance testing extend the testing phase from 1-2 weeks to 3-4 weeks.
Multiplier 5 - Documentation Requirements: Risk assessment, security policies, incident response plans, and training materials add 1-2 weeks often underestimated.
Timeline Comparison
Consumer Social App: 8 Weeks. B2B SaaS App: 10 Weeks. Healthtech App (Standalone): 14-16 Weeks. Healthtech App (EHR Integration): 6-9 Months. The jump from consumer app to standalone healthtech is 75-100%.
How to Plan Healthtech Timelines
- Define Scope Precisely - healthtech scope creep is expensive
- Start Vendor Procurement Immediately - don't wait for development to start
- Use the 40-60% Rule - add 40-60% to your instinctive timeline
- Build Buffer Into Each Phase - +50% for design, +25% for development, +100% for testing
- Identify Critical Path Blockers - HIPAA hosting, BAAs, auth provider, pen testing
- Phase EHR Integration - defer if not essential for initial validation
Red Flags in Timeline Planning
Timeline identical to non-healthtech. No vendor procurement time. Testing phase under 2 weeks. No documentation time. Single person estimate without legal/compliance input.
Key Takeaways
Healthtech MVPs take 40-60% longer than non-regulated applications. This is structural, not a sign of poor planning. Compliance architecture adds 20-30%. Vendor procurement takes weeks, not days. EHR integration adds months. Testing takes longer. Documentation is required.
The healthtech founders who succeed are the ones who plan realistic timelines and raise sufficient runway. The ones who fail often had good products - they just ran out of money before the compliance work was complete.
At NextBuild, we provide honest timeline estimates for healthtech MVPs before development begins. If you're planning a healthtech product and want realistic expectations, let's discuss your timeline.
