Trendspotting a Year of Healthcare Narratives
January 21, 2026
Happy 2026! Thought I’d start the new year with a quick look back at what made for strong healthcare narratives in 2025.
In 2025 I analyzed dozens of healthcare narratives, finding out what makes individual stories stick (or not). Where is their story clearest? Where could it be working harder? How do they differentiate from their peers?
Looking back across a year’s worth of stories, I’ve seen a few themes emerge. Each dimension is important and cascades into the next, but the patterns show where the strongest narratives are built, and where others lack clarity.
1) Approach vs. Point of View
Healthcare companies are generally very good at articulating their Approach – or how they work. Especially startups, where the leadership teams are often the founders who built the approach from the ground up.
When it comes to Point of View, however, many companies drift into a vague sameness. For example: “We believe that this class of medicines represents a powerful and unique modality with the potential to transform treatment.”
The POV dimension is an opportunity to express a view of the market and the world, and what needs to change. It sets up the rationale for your Approach, your Priorities, even your Purpose. The best POVs are bold, often provocative, and defensible.
2) Bold Purposes, Scattered Priorities
Most companies show up with a bold Purpose statement. (Some call it mission or vision or value prop – I simplify under Purpose.) Higher scorers state purposes using language like:
“…potentially delivering cures where only symptom management existed,” or “…to overcome the multifaceted challenges of solid tumors.”
Yet when it comes to stating their priorities, companies often want to talk about their many activities without any obvious prioritization or communication structure that threads them together. This can come across as a company that’s spread too thin. Companies with high priority scores choose unifying themes and are intentional about communicating what they’re focused on, and why.
Here’s how the biotech Signal Score narratives performed in 2025. Most cluster in the “Clear Signal” range, while only a few broke through as Strong.
3) The unexpected differentiator: Commitments
I was surprised to find that companies (and products) with the strongest overall scores have one high-scoring dimension in common: Commitments. These are the specific promises a company makes to its stakeholders.
Companies often play it safe and talk about their intentions, using language like “we aim to” or “we believe.” Companies with the strongest narratives, however, make explicit pledges. Not outlandish promises or unfounded claims (which will bite you in the long run). No, commitments are specific promises grounded in strategy, like “We will make development decisions based on pre-specified biological performance rather than exploratory platform potential.”
So what's emerged from a year of narratives? The strongest narratives don't promise more; they articulate a clear point of view, set focused priorities, and make commitments with built-in accountability.
