Beginner's Mind
Blueprints for Builders and Investors
Hosted by Christian Soschner
From pre-seed to post-IPO, every company—especially in deep tech, biotech, AI, and climate tech—lives or dies by the frameworks it follows.
On Beginner’s Mind, Christian Soschner uncovers the leadership principles behind the world’s most impactful companies—through deep-dive interviews, strategic book reviews, and patterns drawn from history’s greatest business, military, and political minds.
With over 200 interviews, panels, and livestreams, the show ranks in the Top 10% globally—and is recognized as the #1 deep tech podcast.
With 35+ years across M&A, company building, board roles, business schools, ultrarunning, and martial arts, Christian brings a rare lens:
What it really takes to turn breakthrough science into business—how to grow it, lead it, and shape the world around it.
🎙 Expect each episode to deliver:
- Founder & Investor Blueprints: How breakthrough technologies scale from lab to IPO
- Historical & Biographical Frameworks: Timeless playbooks from the world's great builders
- Leadership & Communication Mastery: Tools to inspire, persuade, and lead at scale
Whether you're building the next biotech success, investing in AI, or leading a climate tech company through hypergrowth—this podcast gives you the edge.
Listen in. Apply what matters. Build companies that last.
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Beginner's Mind
#79: Jonathan Sporn - How Psychedelic Drugs Help Ease the Mental Health Burden in Society
These days many sources are highlighting the shocking scale of the global mental health crisis and how this affects approx—a staggering one billion people worldwide - over one-seventh of the global population.
“Unfortunately, as harrowing and monstrous this number is”, the investor Christian Angermayer wrote in a blog post, “it is my belief this is a gross UNDER-estimate.”
Ultimately, the number of people needing mental health support is arguably all 100% of the world's population.
I invited Dr. Jonathan Sporn, CEO of Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical, to gain more insights into the unmet medical need in mental health and the promising novel psychedelic drug development sector
Jonathan Sporn MD is a Board Certified Psychiatrist, assistant professor at Columbia University, and CEO of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, based in NYC, which is developing novel psychedelic-related or inspired medicines to treat mental illness.
Topics we discuss in this episode:
➡️ Global Mental Health Situation
➡️ The History of Psychedelic Drug Development
➡️ Investors in this promising area
➡️ The Background Story to the foundation of Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical and
➡️ And the Different Ingredients Needed to Structure a Novel Game-Changing Drug Development Company
Connect with Jonathan Sporn on Linkedin
Youtube Video
🕒 Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to Topic, Speaker, and Company
(04:00) Life in New York in 2022
(07:15) The Global Mental Health Pandemic
(10:39) Mass Shootings in the United States as a result of the Mental health Situation
(14:05) Why is it Necessary to Develop Novel Drugs to Fight Mental Health Issues in Society
(19:00) The History of Drug Development for Mental Health Patients
(24:00) How Effective Are Psychedelic Drugs to Tackle Mental Health Questions?
(25:05) Psychedelic Drugs in Pop Culture
(26:40) What Inspired Jonathan Sporn to Dedicate His Professional Life to Advance R&D in Psychedelic Drugs
(29:30) Psychedelic Drugs Help to Observe Own Behaviour
(32:30) Root Causes of Mood Disorders like Maniac Depression, Bipolar Disorder
(34:05) Psychedelic Drugs Enhance Neuroplasticity
(36:50) From Basic Research to Drug Development in the Pharma Industry
(40:10) Mental Health R&D at J&J
(43:40) S-Ketamine vs. K-Ketamine – Difference and Similarities
(46:35) Early-Stage Research in Big Pharma
(49:00) Big Pharma and Small Biotechs
(51:50) The decision to Start A New Company
(57:00) Foundation of Perception Neuroscience – From Early Stage Research to Clinical Phase 2 to Exit
(59:05) Atai Life Science – Continuing Development of the Compounds against Depression
Supporting links:
(01:00:00) Reasons for Becoming a Serial Entrepreneur After a Successful Exit Deal
(01:06:00) Drug Development is Simple – Given an Experienced Drug Development Team
(01:08:00) What is the unique approach of Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical?
(01:10:15) Target Product Profile of Psychedelic Drugs
(01:20:30) Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Mission and Vision
(01:23:20) Patents in Psychedelic Drug Development
(01:24:45) Business Model of Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical
(01:29:00) Artificial Intelligence in Psychedelic Drug Development
(01:33:14) Investing in the Psychedelic Drug Development Industry
(01:37:22) Life Science VCs in the Psychedelic Drug Development Industry
(01:39:00) Christian Angermayer, Peter Thiel, Mike Novogratz – Investors in Psychedelic Drug Development
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