Adapt or Be Absorbed: Why CEOs Must Lead the Leap—Not Just Manage the Model
Hinge Health isn’t competing with physical therapy. They’re redefining what care means—and rewriting the game in the process.
Recently, the noise around Hinge Health’s IPO stirred up an old question in our industry:
“Are they trying to deliver physical therapy?”
Let’s be clear:
They’re not competing with traditional physical therapy.
They’re redefining what it means to deliver care.
And that should concern us more.
Because this isn’t about technology.
It’s a classic Clayton Christensen disruption playbook:
“Disruption happens when new players target overlooked segments with simpler, cheaper, more convenient solutions.”
That’s what Hinge is doing:
Convenient access
Digital continuity
Cost sensitivity
They’re not trying to beat you at your game.
They’re changing the scoreboard entirely.
What Happens to Clinics That Stay Static?
Another Christensen warning applies here:
“Established players keep improving for their most demanding customers… until they become vulnerable from below.”
You and I know one-on-one, high-touch, high-skill therapy is incredibly valuable.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
For low-acuity cases, it might be more than the patient actually needs.
And if your model can’t flex… it breaks.
Adding AI or going virtual doesn’t change that.
If your model doesn’t evolve, you’re still playing the old game—just with fancier gear.
Where Clinics Can Compete—and Win
You won’t out-tech Hinge.
But you can win where they can’t go:
🔹 Multi-Dimensional Relationships
Not just transactions.
Real trust. Human nuance. Long-term behavioral insight.
Care that’s relational, not just functional.
🔹 Innovate the Delivery Model
Remove friction in the patient experience.
Make it easy to say yes, stay engaged, and complete care.
Free up clinicians to focus on clinical judgment and human connection—not admin tasks.
🔹 Reimagine the Service Around the Job-to-Be-Done
Don’t define value by diagnosis or CPT codes.
Define it by intent:
“I need to get out of pain”
“I want to return to performance safely”
“I need a plan I can trust and stick to”
Design services for each job.
That’s how you stay relevant.
The Real Point: CEOs Must Lead the Leap
If you’re still stuck in daily operations, running a high-complexity, low-margin machine…
this leap is going to feel impossible.
But the job of the CEO is to see where the game is going—and move the team toward it.
Not reactively. Not frantically.
Intentionally, with clarity.
Because your team can’t prepare for a future they can’t see.
That’s your job.
Quiet Clarity Beats Loud Hustle
This isn’t about panic.
It’s about posture.
Adaptation doesn’t mean abandoning your values.
It means delivering them in a way that still makes sense—in the world you’re actually in.
Curious where your model is strong—and where it’s vulnerable?
I do a limited number of strategy conversations each month with founders serious about adapting their business for where the industry is headed.
If you’re wrestling with complexity, margins, or team clarity…
We’ll run the numbers, look at the systems, and map what’s true.
→ Message me “Adapt” to start the conversation.
Quiet. Simple. On your terms.