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High Tech to Biotech Lessons Learned

High Tech to Biotech Lessons Learned. EPPIC Meeting September 26, 2000. My Background. IITK/EE, MSEE, MBA After 2 yrs @ IIT knew didn’t want to be an engineer Targeted general mangement – could tell others what to do and sit back and watch cricket, play golf

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High Tech to Biotech Lessons Learned

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  1. High Tech to BiotechLessons Learned EPPIC Meeting September 26, 2000

  2. My Background • IITK/EE, MSEE, MBA • After 2 yrs @ IIT knew didn’t want to be an engineer • Targeted general mangement – could tell others what to do and sit back and watch cricket, play golf • Diverse industries – airlines, can mfg, computers (HW and SW), and now drug delivery • Diverse functions – manufacturing, finance, business dev, marketing, R&D mgmt, general management • So ….. Know a little about some things, less about many things, nothing about the rest

  3. Lessons Learned The Hard Way • What you know • Who you know • Where you are • Hard work and being good are just not enough

  4. What You Know • Technical skills – thisi is the easy part • Communications skills – written AND verbal • Negotiating skills – everything is a negotiation • Sales & Marketing – personal • Hard work is not enough • Need to sell ideas • The best technology is not enough • Know your audience/customer

  5. Who You Know • Networking – personal and professional • Not just getting together with friends you are comfortable with • Identifying and targeting specific people

  6. Where You Are • You made the right decision here by living in the Bay Area

  7. Lessons Learned at Inhale • Key factors in building a technology company • Fairness – to the employee and the company • Teamwork – increasing in importance • Openness – makes employees feel they belong • Customer orientation – know your audience • Leadership – personal and market • Work environment – probably #1 factor in retention • Challenging work – probably #1A • Success – can’t beat it

  8. Random Other Lessons • Best technology is developed by small groups of very smart people • Work hard to recruit – it is not easy finding really good people • Work even harder to keep them • Who owns the problem • Be direct • Confront issues

  9. In Conclusion • Don’t underestimate the value of luck/serendipity • Be wary of people who tell you that their successful start-up went exactly as originally planned • Work on products you care about that make a difference • Remember to have fun

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