"You will be surprised what you can achieve with thoughtful persistence."
In part two of our conversation with Alfredo Andere, co-founder of LatchBio, we dive into his transformative journey at UC Berkeley, where he developed a passion for machine learning and neuroscience. Alfredo shares how his persistence and curiosity helped him join the highly competitive Machine Learning at Berkeley club, which became a pivotal moment in shaping his entrepreneurial mindset. He reflects on the lessons learned from internships at Facebook, UCSF, and Google Brain, and how these experiences clarified his desire to pursue startup life over a traditional tech career.
Alfredo also recounts the early days of working with his co-founders on ambitious projects, including their first failed startup attempt, and how those challenges led them to explore opportunities in biotech. This episode offers valuable insights into navigating uncertainty, embracing trial and error, and building meaningful collaborations.
Key topics covered:

• The power of thoughtful persistence: How Alfredo's determination led to joining a top-tier student organization at UC Berkeley.
• Lessons from internships: Insights gained from working at Facebook, UCSF, and Google Brain—and why he ultimately chose startups.
• The importance of community: How Machine Learning at Berkeley shaped Alfredo's leadership skills and introduced him to like-minded peers.
• Early startup lessons: The challenges of building a product without understanding the market and the value of user research.
• Transitioning to biotech: How Alfredo’s passion for neuroscience evolved into tackling critical problems in life sciences with his co-founders.

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Subscribe to the podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ 
Find our guest, Alfredo Andere, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredoandere/Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latchbio/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about ExcedrLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Resources and articles:Machine Learning at Berkeley (ML@B): https://ml.berkeley.edu/Viktor Frankl's "Man’s Search for Meaning": https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_MeaningNeuralink Research Paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6914248/Berkeley NeuroDust Project: https://engineering.berkeley.edu/news/2016/11/neural-dust/TensorFlow by Google Brain: https://www.tensorflow.org/Bulk RNA-seq: https://www.scdiscoveries.com/support/what-is-bulk-rna-sequencing/AlphaFold 2: https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/
Companies, universities, & people mentioned:Dyno Therapeutics: https://www.dynotx.com/ LatchBio: https://latch.bio/Facebook (Meta): https://www.facebook.comGoogle Brain (now part of Google DeepMind): https://research.google/brainNeuralink: https://neuralink.comUniversity of California, San Francisco (UCSF): https://www.ucsf.eduKenny Workman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyworkmanKyle Giffin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylegiffin
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:28 College Friendships and Early Seeds of LatchBio03:46 Joining Machine Learning at Berkeley: Challenges and Growth07:01 Transformational Impact of Student Organizations12:08 Running the Machine Learning Club at Berkeley: Leadership Lessons18:14 Introduction to Neuroscience and Life Sciences21:38 Internships at Facebook, UCSF, and Google Brain26:36 Lessons from Early Startup Attempts29:12 Dropping Out of Berkeley to Pursue Entrepreneurship Full-Time32:05 Balancing Academic and Entrepreneurial Pursuits33:11 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.