The Science Marketer

In this conversation, Sheldon Zhai, founder of Supreme Optimization, shares how he landed his first clients, scaled his business, and navigated the challenges of building a high-growth agency. We also dive into his recent acquisitions, his vision for AI in life sciences marketing, and his approach to hiring top-tier talent—including why he insists on hiring PhD-level scientists as marketers. If you're thinking of starting your own life sciences marketing agency, Sheldon has some blunt, no-nonsense advice on what it really takes to succeed.

In this episode:00:00 How Supreme Optimization started03:21 Finding your first client as an agency05:32 Common challenges for early-stage agencies08:05 Key milestones in the growth of Supreme Optimization10:13 Building a team of scientific marketers12:33 Scaling up the agency through a strategic investment17:06 Acquiring and integrating other agencies to scale up19:36 Lessons learned from six acquisitions in two years22:03 Scaling up your agency culture25:33 The role of AI in science marketing29:01 The future of Supreme Optimization30:07 Advice for aspiring marketing agency owners32:20 Book recommendation for marketing agencies

Books recommended by Sheldon:- Who: The A Method for Hiring, by Geoff Smart- The Win Without Pitching Manifesto, by Blair Enns

To connect with Sheldon:- LinkedIn- Supreme Optimization

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:- LinkedIn- Contact form

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In this episode, I speak with Allison Satterfield, founder and creative director of Particle 31, about the intricacies of branding and logo design in the biotech industry. We discuss the challenges of creating a memorable brand name, the importance of storytelling in branding, and the specific processes involved in developing a branding strategy for biotech companies. Allison shares insights on common mistakes made by startups, the significance of owning intellectual property for logos, and how branding evolves as companies grow. The conversation also highlights effective logo design principles and the impact of brand archetypes in biotech branding.

In this episode, you'll learn:

00:00 The story behind Particle31

04:18 The challenges of naming a biotech startup

07:40 How to create a branding strategy

11:30 Common brand archetypes in biotech

14:13 What makes a good biotech logo

15:11 How to future-proof your branding

19:35 The importance of brand storytelling

21:13 Common branding mistakes in biotech

22:49 Branding on a limited budget

26:15 Evolving your brand strategy as you scale up

28:28 The one key branding advice for biotech founders

30:08 Recommended resources for branding

Books recommended by Allison:

Other resources mentioned:

• Founder Playlist’s library of templates

To connect with Allison Satterfied:

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:

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Benjamin McLeod discusses the nuances of ghostwriting in the biotech sector, particularly on LinkedIn. He shares insights on building personal brands, the importance of providing value through content, and how using social media can increase the efficiency of attending conferences.

In this episode, you'll learn:00:00 Introduction to Benjamin McLeod and his background05:54 The journey to founding Convey Bio06:54 Understanding the ghostwriting process13:46 The power of LinkedIn for biotech executives18:39 Maximizing ROI from biotech conferences22:21 Building a personal brand on LinkedIn26:16 Future plans for ConveyBio27:17 Advice for starting on LinkedIn30:07 Recommended reading for science marketers

Book recommended by Benjamin: Influence: Science and Practice, by Robert Cialdini

To connect with Benjamin McLeod: LinkedIn

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:- LinkedIn- Contact form >>> Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter <<<

Seasoned science communicator Kat Arney discusses the concept of thought leadership in science, how any organization can get started, the importance of content consistency, how to make scientific content engaging, and the role of AI in thought leadership.

In this episode, you'll learn:

01:16 Understanding thought leadership in science communication05:22 The process for getting started with thought leadership09:50 How to overcome the challenges of thought leadership14:31 Defining your niche and audience20:52 Measuring success in thought leadership26:21 How Kat helped ERS Genomics become a thought leader in the CRISPR space30:16 The use of AI in thought leadership33:56 Recommended reads for science communication

Books recommended by Kat:- Daughter of Family G: A Memoir of Cancer Genes, Love and Fate Hardcover by Ami McKay- Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup Hardcover by John Carreyrou- Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story Paperback by Randy Olson - The Narrative Gym: Introducing the ABT Framework For Messaging and Communication by Randy Olson- Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World Hardcover by Robert Mckee and Tom Gerace- Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

To connect with Kat Arney:- LinkedIn- First Create The Media

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:- LinkedIn- Contact form >>> Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter <<<

Micha Breakstone, CEO of Somite.ai, discusses how a single article in Forbes helped Somite to raise $5 million without having to chase investors, why branding Somite as a TechBio, rather than a Biotech, has helped to reduce the perceived risk for investors, and why early-stage science companies should focus their marketing efforts on specific objectives, like securing funding, attracting talent, or establishing partnerships.

In this episode, you'll learn:

02:13 The vision behind Somite.ai04:18 Timing and strategy for launching Somite.ai06:45 TechBio vs. Biotech: Understanding the difference08:59 Partnership models in AI and Biotech09:58 Creating a digital twin of a human embryo12:00 Communication strategies for investors14:09 Leveraging your scientific founders16:27 Navigating the biotech landscape17:58 Marketing strategies in science20:38 Operational excellence and strategy23:23 Commercialization models in TechBio23:46 Marketing advice for science startups26:03 Book recommendations for science communicators

Notes and references:- The article from Forbes: This Startup Wants To Be OpenAI Of Stem Cell Therapy, Targets $250B Market- Book recommendation: The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

To connect with Micha Breakstone:- LinkedIn

- Somate.ai

To connect with Joachim Eeckhout, host of the podcast:- LinkedIn- Contact form >>> Subscribe to The Science Marketer newsletter <<<

Welcome to The Science Marketer podcast! In this new show, I’ll be having conversations with the marketers, communicators, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of science-driven companies.

If you're new here, my name is Joachim. I’m the founder of The Science Marketer newsletter and host of this new podcast. Over the last ten years, I built one of the leading media company in the biotech industry, and now I’m sharing everything I’ve learned to help you market and communicate your science more effectively.

So whether you’re curious about how communicators make complex technology sound simple, or how science marketers use social media to find new customers, this podcast is for you and I hope you'll find insights that are valuable to your work.

Subscribe now so you don't miss the first episode.

And if you’re interested in my newsletter, which goes out every Tuesday, you can visit thesciencemarketer.com 

I’ll see you soon for my first interview!