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THE VALUE OF A GOOD MENTOR: a perspective from someone who has been a VC and a teacher. Note two statements: that the overconfident students (read not curious or humble) were the ones that floundered early in their careers; and that we still live in a world of apprenticeship. Sage advice. http://lnkd.in/BsHD_d View in LinkedIn

THE EUROPEAN INNOVATIVE MEDICINES INITIATIVE is backed by 1 billion in EC money. Europe is showing great leadership with this gutsy move. Would any of this really happened without The Crisis, and The Patent Cliff? Pain and innovation are bedfellows. A startup founder with fear and hunger can leap mountains. A complex society of multiple nations can best rise to the occasion when the house is burning down.. http://lnkd.in/Q4Um_N View in LinkedIn

DISTANCE LEARNING: here is a completely charming and old-world perspective that will make you smile and wish the universe had more of these kind souls in it. http://www.simontaylorsblog.com/2013/02/10/the-death-of-distance/ View in LinkedIn

THE BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE FOR FLYING A SPACECRAFT. A brilliant use of a technology developed originally to help paralyzed patients gain limb function. The tip of the iceberg of potential applications. Now, a day at the office could have such a different meaning. Operating machinery on the other side of the planet by thought impulses. Big Wow! http://lnkd.in/Vbazp8 View in LinkedIn

USING THOUGHTS TO MAKE ACTS through brain computer interfacing and robotics is a dramatic advance for paralyzed patients. How many other applications does this approach have? Could a thought be propelled into action on the other side of the world remotely? http://lnkd.in/iqy8xt View in LinkedIn

MIXING DISCIPLINES CAN BE A GIANT LEAP FORWARD, as suggested in this use of supercomputing in medical decision-making, where accuracy in lung cancer treatment choices apparently jumps significantly with the computer. But remember Hitch Hiker's Guide: you are only as good as the question you ask. Put another way, the programming team are the potential weak link. http://lnkd.in/Zu6QTm View in LinkedIn

THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES FOR DIFFERENT SPACES IN ENTREPRENEURING and when the rules become generalized they become less true or even useless. Social media is different from Biopharma. In Biopharma there is no "launch early" and most "disruptive" plays have been made decades ago. Make sure you don't get confused by great advice from an unrelated sector. http://lnkd.in/pkcuyK View in LinkedIn

TO BETTER UNDERSTAND A BIOTECH VC PERSPECTIVE, READ THIS very thoughtful summary of lessons and observations by a VC. If you understand their perspective better, you may reduce your risk of a misunderstood relationship. Understand clearly that VCs are also trying to figure out investing in early stage tech companies, and are themselves evolving all the time. The candid section about disastrous syndicates being a wrecking ball for portfolios is a good example. http://lnkd.in/T6UeW4 View in LinkedIn

WE ARE ONLY LIMITED BY OUR IMAGINATIONS. This beautifully bold work by scientists shows that the bubble can be pushed very far today. We are not far off an era where test-tube organs, and now hips, are something that we can hope for within our lifetimes. Stunning. http://lnkd.in/EYBtm3 View in LinkedIn

READ THIS GOOD REVIEW OF BIOTECH IPOs SINCE 2000. Liquidity drives VC investments. There are two main liquidity paths: IPOs, and M&A. Without liquidity events, investors cannot get their ROI. Unfortunately the IPO exit has been miserable for biotech, and the slack has not been taken up substantially by acquisitions. " "While these trends tend to be cyclic, the current downturn has a very chilling effect on investments. http://lnkd.in/tvw_Kb View in LinkedIn