How to Know Which Advice You Can Actually Trust for Your Dental Startup
If you’re building your own practice, you’ve likely found yourself asking: “Whose advice should I listen to?”
There’s no shortage of opinions out there. Consultants. Podcasts. Facebook groups. Even your dental school buddy who swears by that one startup coach from a webinar he watched once.
But here’s the challenge: Not all advice is created equal—and when you’re talking about your livelihood, your name on the lease, and your family’s future, bad advice isn’t just annoying. It’s expensive.
In this episode of the Ideal Practices Podcast, we unpack how to identify trustworthy guidance and how to sidestep the well-meaning, but dangerous, noise.
The 3-Part Filter for Reliable Startup Advice
Whether you're building a fee-for-service boutique or a high-volume PPO model, these three criteria can help you separate the signal from the noise:
Credibility: Has the person actually built startups? Do they understand the dental landscape today, not five years ago?
Relevance: Is their advice specific to startups—or are they generalizing from a totally different type of practice?
Alignment: Are they invested in your long-term success, or just selling a product or service?
Real Talk: When Advice Goes Wrong
In this episode, I share a story that still sticks with me—a doctor who trusted the wrong person, made a real estate decision too early, and ended up $30,000 deep in a lease that didn’t align with his vision. Worse? He didn’t realize the mistake until it was too late.
This is why startup decisions deserve better than surface-level shortcuts.
You’ll Learn:
How to avoid accidental bad advice (even when it sounds good)
When it’s worth paying for expert input
A cautionary tale about a doctor who faced bankruptcy from poor guidance
Three vetting questions to evaluate every opinion you get
A $30k real estate trap—and how to steer clear of it
The Clearer Path Forward
You don’t have to navigate this alone. In fact, we’ve built tools and resources that guide you step-by-step through the startup journey—without the guesswork.
Download your copy of The Startup Dentist Book — a straightforward guide written just for doctors like you
Explore the Startup Practice Blueprint — the same strategy we’ve used to help over 900 practices launch with clarity and confidence
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