If the journey on your career path is enjoyable, then you will emerge satisfied and successful, advises CEO Thomas Prescott. However, if one works simply to secure stock options, wealth, or position - then the course needs severe correction.

Align Technology CEO Thomas Prescott discusses the financing history of the company from its inception to initial product launch. Prescott points out a historical difference indicative of the roaring 1990's - namely, $280 million in financing before the company turned a profit. Today, virtual product models and increased pressure on profitability would make this heavy financial front-loading difficult to achieve.

Despite being a self-professed failure as an entrepreneur, Thomas Prescott, CEO of med-tech firm Align Technology, points out the value of having a solid operations person at a growing start-up. According to Prescott, first-to-market entrepreneurs face great challenges to capture market share, and an effective operator can help build healthy growth.

Thomas Prescott, CEO of Align Technology, used to believe a company was launched with a good idea and then a team was assembled to bring that idea to fruition. He now feels strongly that an "A" team must first be assembled, and then brilliance will roll out from their collaboration. Everything starts with having the right team around the table, and that team - including yourself - will always be evolving.

Where should entrepreneurs in the field of medical technology be casting their nets? Thomas Prescott, the CEO of Align Technology with years of experience in med-tech operations, points toward cardiac health, cancer, pulmonary disease, and type-2 diabetes as lucrative problems for med-tech to solve. Prescott also discusses opportunities in informatics, genetic profiling, and the convergence between medical device engineering and medical professionals.

When introducing a new medical device such as "invisible" orthodontics, it can be a struggle to bring the medical community on board. Align Technology CEO Thomas Prescott discusses the necessity of clinical research documentation and sales and marketing materials targeting both patients and practitioners as essential tools for product push. Prescott points out introducing new devices is particularly challenging when the technology does not improve patient mortality.

Align Technology CEO Thomas Prescott urges entrepreneurs, particularly those operating as small fish amidst sharks, to keep asking themselves what someone else working in the field would have to do to out-innovate or out-perform your best efforts. Always know the answer to this question: "How can someone else satisfy your customer better?"

Maturity is the basis for a complimentary relationship between a new operations person and founders, says Align Technology CEO Thomas Prescott. Both parties need to respect one another's strongest skills, assets, and objectives, and keep the health of the company as the overarching goal. Additionally, it's a good idea for both founder and operator to consider when they, too, will need to be replaced by those with better skills to achieve new levels of scale.

Before you create a revolution via a business launch, have an idea of how you're going to build an enterprise and capture profit, says Thomas Prescott, CEO of Align Technology. He quotes Clayton Christensen who advises entrepreneurs to, "Be patient for growth; don't be patient for profitability." Know from the onset how the company can be scaled and how it will be exited. Prescott says this is the difference between a company with longevity and one with simply an interesting product.