Fredrik Debong/Co-Founder mySugr

TF: What is mySugr about?

mySugr is a diabetes services company based on the idea of changing the philosophy of diabetes therapy – which is often very intense and based on negative feedback: do this, or else. We want to make it amazing, fun and engaging to take care of yourself as a person living with diabetes. I was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 4 myself, our CEO Frank at the age of 18 and actually almost half our company have this in common.

TF: How do you achieve your balance?

Life with type 1 diabetes is very data driven, we need to keep track of carb intake, blood glucose and insulin injections. You constantly have to keep these parameters in balance, it´s a very tedious therapy for this chronic condition. It takes time and diligence, but if managed correctly we live as full lives as any other person can!

TF: How does your service work?

All of our products, mySugr Companion for adults with diabetes, Junior for kids and their families, Quiz for everybody who’d like to learn more about their therapy and condition as well as importer for all who measure their blood glucose help us with diabetes to keep track and make sense of our therapy and life; to tame the “monster`, as we call it. We believe that one needs positive feedback and a beautiful experience to achieve and keep a good habit – so we have introduced elements you usually see in games in the products and solutions we offer. As well as a big chunk of humor!

TF: What are the borders that need to be dissolved?

I believe that we – people with diabetes – need to be part of the industry and development of diabetes therapy devices and technology. I think that this is something that has been missing for the last 50 years. We have never been involved in this process. I think there is a border between scientists and people with diabetes, between industry and people with diabetes and between innovation and people with diabetes. If we base the next step of technological advancement in diabetes therapy on patients and let the patients lead that work, let us lead that work, it will be so much better and much more effective.

TF: To what basics do we need to get back to?

I would not want to go “back to the basics”. With the basics, I’d be dead – just like most people diagnosed with diabetes back some 100 years ago. Without modern medical technology I would not be able to live the life I am currently enjoying.
Yet, I believe that a few things need to change in diabetes specifically as well as in the world in general. The world of technology is moving quite fast; we have a gadget or service assisting us in most aspects of our lives – yet we often forget a pretty basic thing. We need to strive to make people live longer and happier lives. That’s the foundation of it all, is it not? Or at least it should be. If more people made this their goal, instead of a short term reward of increased margins or better conversion rates etc, we’d change the world. So I guess – go back to the basics, so as to advance human kind.

TF: What is your vision?

My vision and that of mySugr is to make diabetes suck less. That´s a beginning. The next vision is to change the whole philosophy of diabetes therapy. That it´s no longer is based on negative feedback but that we with diabetes are led through positive feedback. If we achieve that, we have changed the philosophy of life for almost 400 million people.

www.mysugr.com

www.tedxpannonia.com/tedx-pannonia-2014