Dr. Sarah Bechstein of FORMEL Skin: How Telemedicine is Revolutionizing Chronic Skin Conditions

About this episode

Dr. Sarah Bechstein made a remarkable discovery: many chronic skin conditions can be diagnosed and treated remotely – often even more precisely than in traditional practice. As CEO and co-founder of FORMEL Skin, she's building Germany's largest dermatologist – not as a traditional practice, but as a tech startup.

The Vision: Dermatology Reimagined

FORMEL Skin's concept is as simple as it is revolutionary: patients can take pictures of their affected skin areas and send them in. What might look like a simple photo app at first glance is based on solid medical insights. Sarah explains that this approach often enables more precise diagnoses than traditional doctor visits.

Sarah's fascination with founding started early, but her path deliberately led her away from her own practice toward a health-tech startup. This decision allows her to help significantly more people while simultaneously digitalizing dermatology.

Telemedicine Works – Even Without Direct Doctor Visits

One of the most frequent questions FORMEL Skin faces is skepticism about remote diagnoses. Can a diagnosis really work without a direct doctor visit? Sarah answers this with a clear yes – at least for many chronic skin conditions. The combination of high-resolution images and structured medical history questionnaires enables dermatologists to make well-founded diagnoses.

Corona as a Catalyst

The Corona pandemic acted like a catalyst for FORMEL Skin. Suddenly, patients and even skeptical doctors were ready to accept digital solutions. What previously had to be painstakingly explained became a necessity overnight. This phase accelerated not only growth but also the acceptance of telemedicine in Germany.

From Doctor to Founder: The Role Evolution

Sarah's experiences from everyday life as a doctor make her a better founder. She knows patients' pain points firsthand and understands where the healthcare system works inefficiently. These insights flow directly into product development.

Her role has evolved significantly since founding. While she initially made diagnoses herself, she now focuses on the company's strategic leadership. The transition from operational work to the CEO role was an important learning process.

Germany Lags Behind in Telemedicine

When it comes to telemedicine, Germany is still at the beginning. While other countries are already well advanced, German startups still struggle with regulatory hurdles and traditional thinking patterns in healthcare. FORMEL Skin sees itself as a pioneer breaking through these barriers.

Networking as a Success Factor

For Sarah, networking plays a central role. Exchange with other founders, investors, and healthcare experts is crucial for success. Particularly valuable are authentic relationships that go beyond superficial networking.

Teamwork Makes the Difference

A good founding team is characterized by complementary skills and shared values. At FORMEL Skin, Sarah and her team overcame various obstacles by complementing each other and working together on solutions.

Advice for Other Founders

What would Sarah have liked to know earlier about founding? Her most important insight: founding is a marathon, not a sprint. The willingness to continuously learn and adapt is more crucial than having the perfect idea at the start.

For other founders, she has clear advice: truly understand your problem and make sure you're offering a real solution. At FORMEL Skin, it was the deep knowledge of dermatological practice that made the difference.

Dr. Sarah Bechstein impressively demonstrates how medical expertise and entrepreneurial thinking can come together to revolutionize a traditional field. FORMEL Skin is more than just a startup – it's an example of how technology can make healthcare more accessible and efficient.