Voices of Augnito – feat Rustom Lawyer, Co-Founder & CEO

Rustom started his first company at the age of 19, pioneering clinical transcription services in the UK with the National Health Service (NHS). Over the course of 20 years, he has been committed to deep tech research and development, and has been associated with several businesses ranging from clean energy to agriculture.

Currently, Rustom is fully immersed in his role as Co-Founder and CEO of Augnito, the first Clinical Voice AI company born out of India. Augnito enables thousands of clinicians to generate patient notes faster and more accurately through proprietary technologies in Clinical Speech Recognition, Natural Language Understanding, and Generative AI. The intuitive SaaS-based softwares are revolutionising healthcare in over 25 geographies, including India, UAE, UK, USA, and Australia. Rustom’s mission is to democratise the use of voice-based artificial intelligence technology in healthcare and facilitate the creation of a truly centralised, digitised, and interoperable healthcare system.

Rustom’s academic experiences include executive education at Harvard Business School, Stanford University, and MIT, which have all contributed to his enhanced understanding of business, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and leadership. As a serial entrepreneur, he loves to engage with the startup community and has a keen interest in history, technology, and culinary adventures.

Key Insights From Rustom

What inspired the inception of Augnito in 2020 and how has your vision evolved since then?

Rustom begins by speaking about Scribetech – the first medical transcription BPO business that was set up for the NHS in the UK. He mentions that they have always been focused on the problem of clinical administration tasks that doctors are extremely burdened by. It was a key pain area that they came to understand deeply over the years. Around that time, Rustom started working with AI technologies like Speech Recognition to make the process of medical transcription very efficient.

Augnito launched in January 2020 as an amalgamation of all the information Rustom had gathered with his first company. He and his co-founder realised that the future was in Product. They set out with the vision to develop the ultimate AI assistant for doctors that could manage administrative tasks but also elevate clinical intelligence.

Can you share a major challenge you’ve faced as a CEO and how you overcame it?

Rustom highlights the key challenge faced by all entrepreneurs when setting up a business, especially in the early days – the barrage of negativity and skepticism that comes their way. He goes on to expound his philosophy of being an eternal optimist as well as a realist – ensuring you have the ability to pivot when needed. He recommends having an attitude that is truly relentless, enabling you to push through. Being stubborn on your big vision but flexible on the way you get there is his sound advice when it comes to this balancing act.

How do you cultivate company culture and how has it contributed to Augnito’s success?

Rustom definitively states that culture is critical for the success of any organisation. He goes on to explain that it can be cultivated through actions and not just what you say to your team. He talks about Augnito’s strong cultural pillar of customer centricity – right from the human-centric design philosophy employed in creating the product itself to the robust Customer Success function that demonstrates and measures the outcomes achieved for Augnito’s clients. Rustom also highlights the company’s focus on being bold and thinking long-term.

What strategies do you employ to sustain innovation and competitiveness at Augnito?

Rustom mentions Augnito’s consistent and sizeable investments in R&D – pinpointing the competitive advantage it brings. He explains some of the contrarian strategies that the company has leveraged – including the identification of India as a market for this technology that enabled a first-mover-advantage and the establishment of a solid foundation on which Augnito can now expand globally. At the heart of it all he believes in thinking different and then having the conviction to follow through.

How do you strike a balance between short term objectives and long term goals, and what factors influence your strategic decisions?

Rustom illustrates how leaders must be dexterous – looking at the microscope and telescope at the same time. It is a key skill that develops over years in the industry – and is critical to success. He says one must have the big vision that inspires the team and everyone on the journey, but also have the ability to go deep into the details.

A Look Behind The Curtain

This series has provided an insightful look into the remarkable individuals driving Augnito’s Voice AI innovations, highlighting their essential roles, diverse backgrounds, and the unified vision that propels the company forward. From the inventive minds in Product Design to the dynamic teams in Sales and Customer Success, each story not only underscores Augnito’s dedication to innovation and accessibility but also explores the personal journeys that enrich the company’s culture. These narratives collectively illustrate a team characterised by creativity, precision, and a meticulous attention to detail.

The #VoicesOfAugnito series goes beyond merely showcasing the company’s people-centric approach; it charts a course of continuous innovation and the development of empathetic technologies aimed at enhancing global healthcare. By shining a light on the individuals who form the backbone of Augnito, the series celebrates the team’s diversity and ingenuity while emphasizing the broader mission of improving patient care through advanced technology.

As we conclude this episode, let’s take a moment to reflect on the stories shared and the insights gained. This is an open invitation to explore career opportunities with Augnito and join us on this transformative journey in Medical Voice AI, where your contributions can help shape the future of global healthcare.