Physician Builder Spotlight: Radiology One COO, Kevin Kadakia

Since receiving an incredible response to our post about why more physicians should start companies, we've been shining a light on MD-entrepreneurs. Each week, we're featuring someone who's building a cool product or company that you definitely want to know about. Know someone else who should be featured? Reply in the comments or DM us on LinkedIn.

1. What inspired you to become a physician-entrepreneur?

Honestly? Need. In radiology today, we sub-specialize so much that I half expect someone to tell me they only read left knee MRIs on Tuesdays. And that’s fine—medicine is complex. But being a physician entrepreneur? That’s not a default setting for everyone. Not every surgeon is meant to run a startup, and not every startup founder should be holding a scalpel.

Me? I just happen to enjoy the entrepreneurial chaos and seem to have a knack for it. But let’s be clear — just because a physician doesn’t know how to build a pitch deck doesn’t mean you get to shortchange them. We don’t expect business folks to know how to remove a gallbladder — and when they’re under anesthesia, we don’t take the opportunity to renegotiate their equity either.

2. Tell us what your company does and the problem you're trying to solve.

There’s a national shortage of radiologists — some of it because we’re all aging (gracefully), some because imaging orders have gone up, and some because the government keeps cutting reimbursement like they’re trying to make radiology disappear via budget magic. Spoiler alert: it’s not working.

At Radiology One, we’re not just reading studies — we’re rewriting the script. We cut out middlemen like private equity and recruiters and give more of the reimbursement back to the radiologist. Revolutionary, I know — paying doctors to do doctor stuff. We think that if you pay people fairly and treat them well, they might just stick around, maybe even pick up an extra shift.

3. What's your advice to anyone who's thinking about pursuing entrepreneurship or a nontraditional career in medicine?

It’s hard. Like, “call nights during residency” hard — but with more spreadsheets and fewer snacks. The rewards come eventually, but you’ll wonder for a while if you’re just building a really complicated and expensive hobby.

With that said, don’t forget medicine is still the hardest part. The stress, the call, the emotional weight — it’s not something you just “delegate” when you become a leader. If you’re leading physicians, don’t pretend like you don’t remember that 2 a.m. page for a stat head CT. Because if you forget what that grind feels like, you probably shouldn’t be in charge.

4. What's one lesson you've learned since building your company about entrepreneurship that wasn't obvious to you before?

In medical school, you miss a question, you still pass. In real life clinical practice and with business, miss one critical detail and the whole Jenga tower collapses — sometimes in slow motion, while you're smiling on a Zoom call.

But I’ve learned that a lot of entrepreneurship is like prepping for a case you might never get. You plan, you prepare, and you build systems not knowing when — or if — they’ll be used. Then one day, opportunity knocks, and you’re like, “Oh hey, I do have a PACS-integrated solution with a cybersecurity audit plan and a 24/7 credentialed team.” And suddenly, all that prep feels like clairvoyance instead of compulsive overthinking.

Connect With Kevin on LinkedIn or learn more about his company here.