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.
📬 Join the newsletter & community: https://lsg2g.substack.com/
Beginner's Mind
MM 2: The Shocking Truth Behind Declining Drug R&D Productivity with Dr. Jack Scannell
In today's episode, we uncover the hidden crisis in the pharmaceutical industry as we explore the alarming state of R&D productivity. Our guest, Dr. Jack Scannell, is a renowned scientist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in both the biotech and investment fields. He shares his valuable insights into the concept of Eroom's Law, which reveals the inverse relationship between input efficiency and output efficiency in drug research and development.
Listen in as we discuss the challenges of measuring R&D productivity and how financial return and number of drugs approved per unit input serve as key indicators of productivity. Dr. Scannell helps us understand the reasons behind the decline in R&D productivity since the 1950s and the factors that have contributed the most to this concerning trend.
Don't miss this enlightening conversation that exposes the harsh reality of pharmaceutical R&D productivity, and be sure to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a review or engaging with us on social media. We'd love to hear from you!
Stay informed on the latest developments in pharmaceutical R&D productivity and other pressing global challenges by subscribing to our podcast. Your support helps us continue to bring you thought-provoking discussions and expert insights.
Link to full episode
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Jack Scannell Explains Eroom's Law
đź’ˇ LINKS TO MORE CONTENT
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Jack Scannell
Christian Soschner
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