🌟 The Unique Challenges of Being a Technical Founder and Leader 🌟

📢 Calling all technical founders and leaders!

Ever feel like you’re caught between your passion for groundbreaking science and the relentless need to focus on customers and products?

You’re not alone. The science drives you—it’s your energy source. But the reality is, without aligning your technical roadmap with commercial outcomes, even the most innovative breakthroughs can miss the mark.

After 20+ years in biotech leadership, here are some tools and lessons that helped me stay focused and effective:

✅ Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA): Think of it as your crystal ball for commercial viability. It’s saved me from diving into “cool science” projects with no market fit.

🚀 Moonshot Projects: Set aside time for high-risk, high-reward research. The key? Tie these bold ideas back to your mission and articulate their potential value.

🌟 North Star Alignment: A shared vision acts as your compass, ensuring the team rows in the same direction—even in choppy waters. (Check out “Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?” for a great example!)

🎯 SMART Goals & OKRIs: These frameworks are more than buzzwords—they’re your roadmap for prioritizing and executing in a complex biotech landscape. Use the SMART framework to create your Objectives, Key Results and Initiatives.

🔄 Lean Startup in Science: Yes, it works in biotech! Build-Measure-Learn cycles can keep your research focused on what truly matters.

💡 Pro Tip: Success in biotech isn’t just about groundbreaking science—it’s about creating real value. Every experiment, project, and decision should push you closer to market impact.

🔍 Want to take your leadership to the next level?

To help technical leaders align their technical and commercial roadmaps and level-up their leadership, I've launched a tailored mentoring program for technical founders. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between technical expertise and commercial success, drawing insights from over 100 founders' experiences. As an entry point, I've created a (free) leadership assessment tool that evaluates crucial areas such as leadership values, project management, time management, empathy, growth mindset, commercial acumen and how you manage your own energy and well-being.

I will respond with a (free) personalised summary of your results within 48hrs of submission. This includes the summary ‘battery’ levels seen here and a detailed summary of your strengths and growth opportunities. You can check it out here.