John Paul Mussalli: How One EMT's Scrappy Prototype Evolved Into an AI Tool That Won Over 20% of NYC's EMTs

In this episode, I sat down with John Paul Mussalli, the co-founder and COO of CareSwift, a Y Combinator-backed startup building AI-powered software to streamline documentation for EMT workers. 

JP and his cofounders brings a unique blend of technical expertise and entrepreneurial drive to the healthcare technology space, having previously worked across diverse fields from real estate automation to web development. 

Since co-founding CareSwift, he's helped scale the platform to serve over 2,000 EMTs in New York City alone, generating more than 90,000 automated reports. Beyond product development, JP leads go-to-market strategy and is currently pursuing EMT certification himself to deepen his understanding of the industry's challenges.

In this episode, we explore the journey from scrappy prototype to venture-backed startup and the critical lessons learned along the way. 

Key topics covered:

• How a ChatGPT prototype evolved into a venture-backed healthcare AI platform
• The hidden costs of poor EMT documentation: $1,800 per error and 11% industry revenue loss
• Why 25% of New York's EMTs organically adopted CareSwift without marketing
• Critical incorporation mistakes that can delay funding and how to avoid them
• The strategic decision to expand from narrative reports to full documentation workflow
• Why domain expertise matters when building AI for specialized industries
• Navigating regulatory compliance and the founder stack for healthcare startups
• The reality of Y Combinator: 996 work culture and rapid iteration cycles
• From 15-20 minute reports to 2-minute automated workflows saving hours per shift
• Why sometimes a bug in Apple Mail can redirect your entire startup journey

Where to find John Paul Mussalli 

- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpmussalli/
- X: https://x.com/jpm1126

Where to find CareSwift:

- Website: https://careswift.ai/

- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/careswift/

Where to Find David Phillips:

- X: https://x.com/davj

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davjphillips/

In This Episode, We Cover

(00:00) Introduction to CareSwift and Its Founders

(02:54) The Birth of CareSwift: Addressing EMT Challenges

(06:09) Impact of CareSwift on EMT Efficiency

(09:01) Navigating the Startup Journey: Lessons Learned

(09:35) Navigating Startup Structures and Legalities

(12:14) The Journey Through Y Combinator

(15:06) Daily Life as a Founder in Y Combinator

(17:13) Building a Founder Stack: Tools and Resources

(18:57) Future Plans

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