Now&Me: Rethinking Performance Metrics for Mental Health Experts

In February 2024, the co-founder of Now & Me, a fast-growing mental health start-up based in India, faced a crucial decision. As the company scaled from a supportive community platform to a full-service marketplace of mental health professionals, the co-founder identified a missing link: the lack of an entrepreneurial mindset among onboarded experts. She believed a revised performance management system could drive better engagement, professional growth, and platform-wide impact. The proposed changes involved two key elements: integrating qualitative metrics like empathy and communication skills into performance evaluations, and shifting from an averaged performance rating system to an incremental one that assessed each session individually. With the next few months set to shape the company’s trajectory, Singh needed to determine whether these shifts would enhance accountability and motivation—or risk disrupting the current structure.