Why Great Biotech Startups Can Still Fail (It’s Not the Science) | Chris Potts, Persephoni Bio

📬 Get free weekly biotech fundraising tips & resources: https://www.biofounder.io Great science alone doesn’t build a successful biotech. The decisions around the science, from fundraising and IP to development strategy and execution, can be just as consequential. In this episode, I sit down with Christopher Potts, CBO of Persephoni Bio and Co-Founder & CEO of Monarch Therapeutics, to unpack why promising biotech companies can still fail, and what founders can do differently when building a company around their science. We cover: • Why promising biotech companies can still fail even when the science is strong • How Persephoni helps build the business around early-stage science • How Chris navigates platform vs. asset using a “platform to product” approach • The IP decisions founders can’t afford to overlook, including the hidden cost of patent runway • Where to find your first investors beyond the usual biotech VCs, and how to quickly qualify them If you’re a scientist-founder preparing to raise your first institutional round, this episode is packed with practical lessons on fundraising, IP strategy, company building, and making the transition from promising science to a fundable biotech. ABOUT CHRISTOPHER POTTS Christopher Potts is Chief Business Officer of Persephoni Bio and Co-Founder & CEO of Monarch Therapeutics. Before becoming a biotech founder and operator, Chris built a career in intellectual property and held senior roles at companies including Lonza and Legend Biotech. RESOURCES Persephoni Bio: https://persephonibio.com/ Monarch Therapeutics: https://monarchtherapeutics.com/ BioLabs Philadelphia: https://www.biolabs.io/philly ACS BrightEdge: https://acsbrightedge.org/ Michael J. Fox Foundation: https://www.michaeljfox.org/ CHARGE Syndrome Foundation: https://www.chargesyndrome.org/ ABOUT BIO FOUNDER GPS Bio Founder GPS helps science-driven founders navigate the business side of taking a life sciences company from 0 to 1, including fundraising, business development, strategy, and company building. Subscribe for more conversations with biotech founders, investors, operators, and other leaders across the life sciences ecosystem. Subscribe to Bio Founder GPS: https://biofounder.io LISTEN + SUBSCRIBE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033iviW... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... YouTube: / @biofoundergps 0:00 The Reality of Being the First Investor 2:06 From Hog Farm to Biotech Executive 7:40 Transitioning from Engineering to Law 11:00 The Value of Working at Large Pharma 13:52 Inside the Venture Studio Model 19:37 Incubators vs. Venture Studios: Key Differences 24:02 The Fundraising Struggle for First-Time Founders 36:23 Balancing Multiple Roles in Biotech 50:54 IP Strategies for Early Stage Startups