Origins - Inside Venture Capital, Hosted by a GP and an LP Building The YC of Biotech with Zach Weinberg
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Jun 3, 2025 
Zach Weinberg, the co-founder and CEO of Curie.Bio, is reshaping early-stage biotech investing with a focus on operational support and a founder-first philosophy. He discusses the massive risks tied to traditional therapeutics startups and how pairing drug discovery partners with seed investors can enhance success rates. The conversation also explores the connection between biotech, the global economy, and politics, plus the transformative effects of AI in drug discovery. Zach's insights will leave you inspired about the future of healthcare innovation.
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Competitive High School Experience
- Hunter High School was an extremely competitive environment where everyone felt surrounded by smarter and harder working peers.
- Zach Weinberg realized he'd never be the smartest but that communication skills could set him apart.
Drug Discovery's High Stakes
- Drug discovery in biotech is radically different from software with months or years and millions spent per experiment.
- Mistakes can be fatal and costly, making early-stage biotech extremely high risk.
Biotech Needs Top Talent Early
- Early-stage biotech requires the best, most senior scientific talent from the start to design the drug development plan.
- Recruiting these experts is costly and crucial since a wrong plan dooms the company regardless of execution quality.