ASK THE EXPERT
COSMIN MIHAIU
At first glance , COSMIN MIHAIU may seem like your average 20-something millennial . But , at closer look , there ’ s nothing average about this young entrepreneur and tech expert from Romania . Mihaiu is the CEO and co-founder of Medical Interactive Recovery Assistant ( MIRA ) Rehab , which develops software that engages patients in interactive and therapeutic games , turning boring physical rehabilitation into a fun recovery experience .
In this Pulse feature , Mihaiu walks us through the road he has taken in his journey toward innovation .
Pulse : What sparked this innovative idea ? Cosmin : MIRA started when me and three friends ( Alina Calin , Andrei Dascalu and Andrei Cantea ) were brainstorming for an idea for the Microsoft Imagine Cup — a competition for Information Technology students around the world . I shared with them how , after I broke my arm when I was seven years old , I had to do simple yet repetitive and painful exercises to recover . We explored the physiotherapy market and realized specific videogames for people in need of physiotherapy would aid in their rehabilitation . We built MIRA for the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition , but I don ’ t think we were thinking about the business side of it then . We were more interested in building something great , something useful , worthy for the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals . After the competition and its great feedback , we decided to continue the project , eventually turning it into a business with the MIRA product .
P : What was the innovation process that led to the development of MIRA ? C : My colleagues and I saw how patients find physical therapy cumbersome and how some physiotherapists were using commercially available games for the Nintendo Wii or Microsoft Kinect for XBOX 360 to enlighten their patients ’ recovery . However , these games were meant for healthy people and some patients would find them too difficult . We decided to build something more specific , a tool for physiotherapists to help their patients . Furthermore , as each patient is different , we had to build MIRA as customizable software with many options so therapists
may adapt the software to fit their patients ’ needs .
P : As a young entrepreneur , what business tips can you share to those wanting to start their own business ? C : The best piece of advice I can think of is to have fun ! A startup is challenging , filled with ups and downs , which makes the experience exciting and demanding . It ’ s important to remember and celebrate the great moments . Also , no matter how exciting it is , I would suggest having some free time in other activities — it helps to bring new perspective and fuel the energy to keep going .
P : What has been your greatest challenge in creating and promoting MIRA ? C : I believe the health-care industry is a great field , although conservative . This is for a good reason , as products need to be safe before being used with patients . The process sometimes takes a lot of time before products can be trialed or tested and , because MIRA was a new concept , we had to find people who believe in it and are willing to test it . When MIRA started being used in institutions , one of the greatest feelings we had , and still have today , is when we see patients getting better with what we built for their rehabilitation .
P : Based on your research for the product , what were some of the factors that made it challenging for patients to follow their physical therapy treatment ? C : Some patients follow their physiotherapist ’ s advice and exercise at home as they are meant to . However , a few other
64 PULSE ■ June 2016