From Coding Bootcamp to Pioneering CTO - Damien Kan of Meeko Health

The recent CTO Talk session featuring Damien Kan, CTO of Meeko Health, focused on the company’s mission to provide ketamine-assisted mental health therapy as a novel benefit for employees. In the conversation, moderated by John Davison, Kan shared insights on the challenges and motivations behind Meeko’s journey and provided a clear overview of the company’s goals, the difficulties of selling innovative health benefits, and his own experience in the tech and startup world.

Introduction and Background

Damien Kan has been deeply embedded in the Bay Area startup ecosystem, having founded multiple companies over the years. He is now the CTO of http://meekohealth.com/, which focuses on providing ketamine-assisted mental health therapy for larger companies. Kan explained that while startups often experiment with innovative benefits, they don’t have the resources to pay for premium services like ketamine therapy. Therefore, Meeko has targeted larger companies that can afford to invest in their employees’ well-being through unique and potentially life-changing therapeutic options.

The Origin of Meeko Health

The idea behind http://meekohealth.com/ didn’t come from a sudden “eureka” moment but rather a gradual realization of the impact of psychedelic therapies, particularly ketamine, on mental health. Kan discussed how, over the years, he saw people close to him—including his brother—benefit from psychedelic therapies. His research into these treatments showed that many successful, wealthy, but unhappy individuals found peace and well-being through these types of therapies. This motivated him to explore how more people could access these potentially life-changing treatments.

In early 2023, Kan reconnected with a former colleague who was working on similar ideas around psychedelic therapies. That meeting led to the birth of http://meekohealth.com/, with the mission of developing an employer-funded model for ketamine therapy. They believed that, given the high cost of these treatments, companies needed to offer them as part of their health benefits for them to become accessible to more people.

Meeko Health’s Model

http://meekohealth.com/ offers a unique approach to mental health by partnering with employers to provide ketamine-assisted therapy as a benefit. Kan explained that the core value proposition is rooted in making these treatments affordable through employer sponsorship, as opposed to being prohibitively expensive for individuals to access on their own.

He highlighted that Meeko’s solution involves three main stakeholders: the employers, the employees (who are referred to as members), and the clinics providing the care. The technology Meeko has developed facilitates this entire process—from scheduling therapy sessions to managing benefit plans and reimbursement through employers.

One of the challenges Kan noted was the complexity of selling such a novel concept to HR departments and company decision-makers. It requires a long sales cycle, especially since most companies make decisions about benefits only at specific times of the year. Additionally, Meeko’s model needed to prove its value, not just in terms of employee satisfaction but also in terms of financial return on investment (ROI), particularly for self-funded employers.

Damien’s Approach to Building the Company

Kan emphasized that while http://meekohealth.com/ is a tech-enabled service, its core mission revolves around providing care, and the technology serves as a means to facilitate that care. He described Meeko’s early Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage, which involved basic tools like scheduling systems, member portals, and employer-facing platforms that enabled companies to offer these benefits. While much of what Meeko has built isn’t revolutionary in terms of technology, it addresses important logistical and legal issues in delivering mental health services.

Throughout the session, Kan made it clear that Meeko’s focus is primarily on solving real-world problems—ensuring people get access to mental health treatments—rather than creating cutting-edge software. He acknowledged the pressures of being a startup CTO, balancing the need for quick iterations and tests (often with suboptimal code) with ensuring that the essential parts of the system, like billing and data security, are built correctly.

Lessons on Fundraising and Sales

When asked about fundraising, Kan was candid about the difficulties of raising capital, especially for a company in the mental health and psychedelic space. He noted that while a select few investors were interested in Meeko’s mission, many were hesitant due to the unconventional nature of psychedelic therapies and the perceived risk. Some investors, for example, compared psychedelics to “vice” industries, even though ketamine therapy is FDA-approved and well-documented for its efficacy.

Kan also offered advice to those navigating the startup world: be direct in your asks, don’t shy away from hearing “no,” and always ask for introductions. In terms of sales strategy, he stressed the importance of understanding what a potential client values—whether it’s ROI, employee satisfaction, or differentiation in a competitive talent market.

Challenges Ahead and Future Outlook

http://meekohealth.com/ faces the typical challenges of any early-stage startup: long sales cycles, the need for validation, and building a sustainable business model. Kan explained that the company is currently still in an MVP phase, continually testing its assumptions and refining its services. He acknowledged that breaking into the employee benefits space is tough, as many companies are hesitant to be the first to adopt something as unconventional as ketamine therapy, preferring to wait until larger companies take the plunge.

However, Kan remains optimistic, believing that as more data comes out supporting the efficacy and financial feasibility of these therapies, more employers will see the value in offering them. He also expressed hope that as ketamine and other psychedelic therapies become more mainstream, http://meekohealth.com/ will be well-positioned to lead the way in this emerging space.

Conclusion

Damien Kan’s discussion of http://meekohealth.com/ provided valuable insights into the world of startup leadership, product development, and the evolving field of mental health therapies. His pragmatic approach to building a company that solves real-world problems while navigating the complexities of a novel market showcases the determination and adaptability required to succeed in today’s startup landscape. For anyone interested in the intersection of mental health, technology, and business, http://meekohealth.com/ represents a fascinating case study in innovation and resilience.