You probably started your company because you wanted to change the world — to make people’s lives healthier, easier, or better. That mission is what drives most digital health founders. But the market you’ve stepped into is cutthroat. New apps and platforms launch every week, most with slick interfaces and big promises. A product that people simply “like” won’t cut it anymore.
To stand out — and to survive — your solution has to do more than look good. It has to be sticky, it has to create measurable outcomes, and it has to prove its impact in ways investors, payers, and users can trust. Without that proof, even the best ideas struggle to scale.
The problem is that traditional research methods were designed for drugs and medical devices, not digital products that evolve rapidly. They take years, cost millions, and often stall innovation. That’s why new, more practical approaches to research are emerging. These methods can help you generate credible evidence faster, refine your product, and create stronger proof for growth.
Here are three approaches to watch — and what they could do for your company.
Real-World Evidence (RWE) Studies
Real-world evidence is exactly what it sounds like: proof your product works in the daily lives of the people you built it for. Instead of testing in ideal lab conditions, RWE looks at how your solution performs in natural settings — in people’s homes, on their devices, alongside their routines.
What this can do for you:
- Show payers that your solution delivers results in real life, making reimbursement conversations smoother.
- Give investors confidence that your outcomes are scalable, not just pilot-stage.
- Highlight retention and engagement among real users, strengthening your case for long-term adoption.
Example: We worked with Bend Health on a large-scale study exploring how a pediatric digital mental health intervention impacts caregivers as well as children. Among more than 6,500 caregivers, nearly half reported elevated burnout and nearly a third reported missing work due to their child’s symptoms. As their children engaged in Bend’s digital therapy and coaching, caregiver outcomes improved dramatically: burnout decreased for 69% and absenteeism decreased for 87% of those at risk. These insights create a powerful story for fundraising and payer discussions. Read the full study here.
RWE answers the question every founder faces: does my product make a measurable difference in people’s everyday lives?
Hybrid and Adaptive Trial Designs
When most people hear “clinical trial,” they picture multi-year studies with multi-million-dollar price tags. That model isn’t realistic for digital health startups. Newer approaches like hybrid and adaptive trials offer faster, more flexible paths to generating credible evidence.
- Hybrid trials combine scientific rigor with digital tools like apps, wearables, or remote participation
- Adaptive trials adjust as data comes in, instead of waiting until the very end to learn what worked
What this can do for you:
- Deliver credible results in months instead of years.
- Keep product development moving while evidence is being collected.
- Reduce costs and expand participation by making trials more accessible.
Example: We worked with Wayhaven to run a hybrid trial measuring the impact using their AI chatbot for 1 week on college students with elevated depression or anxiety symptoms. Even in that short timeframe, the research showed a significant decrease in depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. The company gained publishable results quickly — and used them to guide product improvements and strengthen market positioning. Read the full study here.
For founders, hybrid and adaptive trials are a way to build the evidence you need without putting your business on pause.
Mechanism-Focused Research (the “Why It Works”)
Most research stops at asking: “does it work?” Mechanism-focused research digs deeper and asks: “why does it work?” It looks at the pathways behind outcomes — whether that’s emotion regulation, goal-setting, or specific engagement triggers.
What this can do for you:
- Help you prioritize features that actually drive impact.
- Provide a stronger story for investors and payers, showing not just that your product works but how.
- Give you defensible differentiation in a crowded category.
Example: We partnered with Moment for Parents to create a chatbot for perinatal mental health. Ethnographic interviews revealed key needs — trusted resources, emotional support, and coping strategies — which directly shaped the chatbot’s content. In pilot testing, nearly 64% of users re-engaged after a break, and 40% returned three or more times, showing strong usability and relevance. By starting with mechanism-focused research, the company built content that met real needs and generated evidence that proved its value. Read the full study here.
For founders, knowing why your product works helps you double down on what matters most — and gives you a clearer path to sustainable growth.
The Bottom Line
Digital health is maturing, and the bar for evidence is rising. Real-world evidence, hybrid trial designs, and mechanism-focused research are three approaches that can help you:
- Earn faster traction with payers
- Build stronger confidence with investors
- Improve retention and engagement with users
- Refine your product strategy with data-driven insights
If you’re not investing in these approaches, you risk being left behind as the market shifts toward evidence-based growth. But if you do, you’ll have the kind of proof that sets your company apart and keeps it moving forward.
Founders’ Action Checklist
Here are three steps you can take now to start putting evidence on your side:
- Audit your current proof — What outcomes do you already track (engagement, retention, clinical improvements)? Which could be validated more rigorously?
- Pick a starting point — Decide whether real-world evidence, a hybrid trial, or mechanism-focused research would give you the biggest credibility boost right now.
- Plan for scalability — Think ahead about how you’ll share your evidence: in investor decks, payer conversations, or user-facing proof.
The founders who ask these questions now — and act on them — will be the ones leading digital health tomorrow.
Turn your vision into evidence that investors and payers can’t ignore.