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Tihana Petričević
Episode · #271

PAMETNA HRVATSKA Tihana Petričević

Guest Tihana PetričevićHosted by Boris ŽivkovićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Technology for the elderly often falls short of their specific needs, either too complex, too expensive, or not reliable enough for critical health monitoring. Tihana Petričević, founder of Silver Technologies, set out to change this with Silver Monitor. Her company developed a system that pairs a dedicated smartwatch with a caregiver application, built to deliver vital health data and a sense of security. What sets it apart is its deliberate rejection of common protocols like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; instead, the device uses a mobile network for direct, constant data transmission. This choice simplifies the user experience for seniors while providing families and professional caregivers with consistent, real-time insights. Petričević explains the precise engineering and business decisions behind such a product, from manufacturing considerations to the cautious approach of limiting early users to ensure stability. This conversation outlines the specific demands of building a health product for a sensitive demographic, and how clarity on core requirements can redefine what's possible.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Silver Monitor's core design choice was to forgo Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, opting for a direct SIM card connection to a mobile network. For a product aimed at the elderly, the technical decision isn't about feature count; it's about eliminating points of failure and simplifying the user experience to ensure critical data always gets through.
02
Standard smartwatches measure health data only a few times a day, but Silver Monitor records vital signs every fifteen minutes. When monitoring the elderly, the value isn't just in having data; it's in the density of that data, which allows for earlier detection of changes and more accurate trend analysis.
03
Most smartwatches cost upwards of $200, but Silver Monitor offers models for €70 or €100. For a product targeting the elderly, price isn't just a competitive factor; it's a barrier to access, and affordability is a design constraint as important as any technical specification.
04
Silver Technologies intentionally limited sales of its beta devices to around twenty, refusing to scale further until full safety and stability are assured. When building health technology, the imperative isn't rapid market penetration; it's absolute reliability, even if it means a slower path to growth.
05
Elderly users, while seeing the value in Silver Monitor, often express apprehension about using new technology. The solution wasn't to simplify the UI further, but to pursue a B2B strategy, allowing professional caregivers to introduce and train seniors, ensuring adoption where a direct-to-consumer approach might fail.
06
The Silver Monitor system extends beyond the wearer, providing a web application for caregivers—from family members to palliative care professionals—to access real-time and historical health data. For health tech, the user isn't always the primary consumer of information; designing for multiple stakeholders multiplies the product's utility and market reach.
07
Silver Monitor charges €23 monthly for its software, framing it like a mobile phone subscription that can bundle device repayment and data. For a health-monitoring product, the business model isn't a one-off sale; it's an ongoing service where the device is just the entry point to a continuous relationship.
08
When Silver Monitor's alarm is triggered, it instantly transmits the wearer's location and vital parameters to caregivers within seconds. In emergency situations, the value of a monitoring system isn't just alerting; it's delivering actionable, specific data that allows for a rapid and informed response.
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