The current was stronger than the vessel: How a diagnostics company found its buoyancy with the DVF framework

The founder and CEO of a diagnostic company told me that the product was "ready to hit the waves"

The technology or a rapid blood test for early detection of cardiovascular risk was proven, the team was in place, and early user feedback was positive. But when they approached investors and potential partners, the questions kept coming:

• Is there a real market?

• Can you deliver at scale?

• Will anyone pay?

In other words, the current looked stronger than the vessel.

This is a common challenge in healthcare. Great ideas with strong tech often struggle to stay afloat because they haven't been stress-tested for real-world conditions. This is where I brought in the DVF framework: Desirability, Viability, Feasibility.

Think of it as a three-point buoyancy test: if any one point is compromised, the product risks sinking.

Why DVF is your product's lifeboat

Healthcare is full of brilliant ideas. But only those that balance patient needs, business logic, and operational delivery break through. DVF is not just a checklist; it’s a way to test your assumptions before committing scarce resources.

• Desirability asks: Do patients, clinicians, or payers actually want this?

• Viability asks: Can it make financial sense over time? Can you build a sustainable business?

• Feasibility asks: Can we reliably build, integrate, and deliver it at scale?

Each one pulls like a current. Ignore one, and you drift off course.

Desirability: Are you solving the right problem?

In healthcare, desirability is more than just a slick user interface. It’s about clinical need, workflow fit, and health system priorities. A beautifully designed app will struggle if clinicians won’t review the data or if it adds to patient burden.

Project insight: Patients loved the idea of a quick finger-prick test, clinicians raised concerns: would the results fit into routine primary care workflows? Would GPs have time to act on the data? We worked out to embed reporting directly into the electronic health record, saving administrative time and reducing the burden on clinical staff. The product was no longer just a test but could become a seamless part of the health system.

So what does this mean for you?

Test for desirability early. Map the patient journey, speak with clinicians, and align with payer priorities. The goal is not just to prove your product works in isolation, but that it fits where care actually happens.

Viability: Can it sustain itself?

A product that patients love can still fail if the economics don’t stack up. Who will pay for it (Integrated Care Boards, providers, patients, insurers, employers)? What cost savings or health outcomes justify adoption? A solid business model isn’t about revenue projections; it’s about who benefits financially and building a clear pathway for them to act on it.

Project insight: The initial plans assumed NHS primary care networks (or PCNs) would purchase the test directly. Early feedback revealed that budgets were too constrained. Instead, I helped the company to reframe their model: focus on insurers and occupational health providers who valued early detection to reduce long-term costs. This shift transformed the revenue story from “nice-to-have” to “clear ROI.”

So what does this mean for you?

Stress-test your business model. Build for adoption pathways, not just market size (there is another blog on this topic here). Identify your true buyers and show them a clear financial return and operational benefits.

Feasibility: Can it be built and delivered at scale?

Feasibility goes beyond engineering. Can your product integrate with other existing systems? Does it meet complex regulatory standards? Can patients actually access it in real life, considering digital literacy, devices, and connectivity? Many solutions sink here, not because the tech fails, but because delivery was underestimated.

Project insight: The test worked really well in pilot labs, but scaling required additional quality assurance processes and integration with multiple IT systems. This wasn't just a technical challenge, but an operational one. Without resourcing these regulatory and operational steps early, they risked delays in adoption. A short notice shift of manpower and time were required to overcome the integration barriers.

So what does this mean for you? Map integration points and barriers early. Engage with procurement teams, compliance, and IT. A feasible product is not just one you can build, but one the system can safely adopt.

Putting DVF together: Stress-testing your model

DVF works best when treated as a cycle, not a one-off exercise. Use it like testing buoyancy at different depths:

• In early design, focus on desirability: Is this worth solving?

• As you plan the go-to-market, sharpen viability: Will the model hold water?

• Before scaling, pressure-test feasibility: Can we actually deliver consistently?

Each stage uncovers assumptions. Surfacing them early gives teams time to adjust course before the tide turns.

The takeaway: Don’t just swim, stay afloat

Project insight: The DVF lens helped the team surface assumptions that otherwise might have stalled their growth journey. Instead of pushing forward blindly, they corrected course at each stage — strengthening both their product and their business case.

So what does this mean for you?

Healthtech teams often put most of their energy into feasibility, proving the product can be built. But without equal attention to desirability and viability, even the best innovations sink.

Using the DVF lens helped this team surface critical assumptions and adjust their course, strengthening their business case and their product.

My role was to provide that lens, to pressure-test their model and help them build for buoyancy, not just for a splash entry.

Want to stress-test your own healthtech innovation? Get in touch and let's discuss how we can apply the DVF framework to your project.