At Fogarty, we often hear of our graduates publishing in influential journals. Today we are proud to announce that Surbhi Sarna, founder and former CEO of nVision, a Fogarty graduate, is releasing a book this spring. “Without a Doubt: How to Go from Underrated to Unbeatable” chronicles her fascinating and inspiring journey from a teenage cancer scare to reimagining women’s healthcare by founding a medical startup to detect early ovarian cancer. In the book, she shares advice for other would-be entrepreneurs, especially those facing doubts and obstacles.
An impressive path
While at Fogarty, Surbhi was recognized early on as an exceptional performer striving toward the goal of launching a successful startup. Others took notice of her talent, including the honor of being named one of “Forbes 30 under 30,” and Surbhi’s expertise, augmented by persistence and dedication, led to nVision’s acquisition by Boston Scientific in 2018.
Since then, she has remained a part of Fogarty’s talent bench, aiming to support the next generation, including becoming a host mentor for the Ferolyn Fellowship. Currently she serves as Y-Combinator’s first and only partner focused exclusively on healthtech, medical devices and therapeutics; and also sits on numerous private and public company boards.
Adding “author” to her list of accolades
While Surbhi was initially approached by a publisher several years ago, she turned them down, given her already full plate and desire to maintain her privacy. However, when she was invited to speak as a former honoree at a recent Forbes 30 under 30 conference, she noticed most of her fellow presenters were either women or first- or second-generation immigrants. “It dawned on me how important it is to share your success so that others who look like you can see themselves,” she said.
That prompted her decision to share her entrepreneurial journey and experience as a way to hopefully inspire others in similarly challenging fields or those who may be hesitant to tackle big challenges. The result is the forthcoming book, “Without a Doubt: How to Go from Underrated to Unbeatable.”
Personal stories and practical advice
“My goal was to inspire more innovation and entrepreneurship by sharing how I overcame consistent doubters as a young, brown woman without a medical degree, MBA or high-level industry contacts. It’s a very raw and honest book that includes a lot of obstacles I faced, such as trying to fundraise while pregnant and subsequently handle my son’s early birth. These are stories not everyone can tell, but that people need to hear.”
The book also covers a number of themes crucial to would-be entrepreneurs — from overcoming imposter syndrome to validating data, fundraising, hiring and nurturing talent and redefining work/life balance.
As the book summary states, “The very qualities that make you an outlier are, in fact, your strengths. Without a Doubt reveals that your power lies in recognizing the qualities that make you different and leveraging them to pursue your dreams.”
Next up Surbhi will be doing some fireside chats with the likes of CEO Adam Elsesser of Penumbra, who took the company to nearly $10 billion net worth.
The book will be available on March 7 and can be pre-ordered here.