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Part 4 of 4.Â
My guest for this weekâs episode is Quin Wills, CSO and Co-Founder of Ochre Bio, a pioneering biotechnology company developing RNA therapies for chronic liver diseases. Using a combination of genomic deep phenotyping, precision RNA medicine, and testing in live human donor livers, Ochre is developing therapies for liver health challenges ranging from increasing donor liver supply to reducing cirrhosis complications.
In addition to his work at Ochre, Quin is also a highly accomplished academic with a medical degree from Witwatersrand University and doctoral degrees from Cambridge and Oxford in computational biology, mathematics, and statistical genomics.Â
Along with his academic accomplishments, Quin also co-founded SimuGen and has worked at the University College London, the Mayo Clinic, and Novo Nordisk before he went on to co-found Ochre Bio. Quin's diverse experiences offer a wealth of insights that everyone can draw inspiration from.
Join us this week and hear about Quinâs:- Unique journey through Y Combinator and its impact
- Thoughts about empathyâs role in organizational and team dynamics
- Strategies for adapting as an entrepreneur in a shifting biotech landscape
- Experience expanding Ochre Bio globally and the challenges of scaling
- Fundraising journey and his unconventional tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
Please enjoy my conversation with Quin Wills.
Find Our Guest, Quin Wills, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinwills/https://www.ochre-bio.com/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:46 Applying to and joining Y Combinator03:19 Building a full stack solution for Ochre Bio and generating critical data05:04 The impact of COVID-19, expanding globally to Taiwan and the US08:48 Day-to-day operations and scientific structure of Ochre Bio09:42 Investing in chemistry, establishing XLAB and its role in innovation and decision-making11:42 Balancing innovation and value-driven projects, defining metrics of success12:38 Quinâs fundraising journey, insights, and philosophy13:49 The importance of focus and ending unproductive projects quickly16:11 Ochre Bioâs evolution and future plans17:19 Quinâs shoutouts and advice to his 21-year-old self20:03 Outro
Social & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Â
Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:JP Morgan https://www.jpmorgan.com/globalY Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/Ochre Bio https://www.ochre-bio.com/Covid 19 Pandemic https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19Biotech Accelerators https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-acceleratorsFull-Stack Solution in Biotech https://www.synthego.com/blog/full-stack-genome-engineeringNHS https://www.nationalhonorsociety.org/Tissue Cell Culture https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843260/How Much Does Lab Space Cost? https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-much-does-lab-space-costSeed Series https://www.excedr.com/resources/seed-round-funding-explainedSeries A, B, & C https://www.excedr.com/resources/series-funding-explainedBiotech Fundraising https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsWhen & How to Pivot a Biotech https://www.excedr.com/blog/when-how-to-pivot-a-biotech-startup
People Mentioned:Jacob Glanville https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobglanvilleVinod Khosla https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinod-khosla-65387416/Â The 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 companyâfrom pre-seed to IPO.
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