Running Through Walls

Healthcare industry veteran George Barrett joins Venrock partner Bob Kocher to discuss how the U.S. handled the unprecedented demand for PPE (personal protective equipment) for healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barrett explains the significance of examining all components at the supply chain level to create a system that is more flexible and resilient. They also delve into Barrett's non-traditional business background and how his musical talents have shaped his career.

Venrock partner David Pakman speaks with Roham Gharegozlou, CEO and founder of Dapper Labs about launching CryptoKitties, one of the world's first and most successful blockchain games, and shares his predictions for how crypto gaming will evolve in the next decade. They also discuss the launch of NBA Top Shot, a new kind of digital collectible that capitalizes on consumer affinity for collecting and sports, and Flow, which is a blockchain that takes care of the underlying technology so developers can focus on building their applications.

Following up on their discussion of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, Venrock partner Bryan Roberts speaks with Mathai Mammen, Global Head of R&D at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, about Mammen's career path and what differences he's found working on drug development in both small companies and large companies. Managing 14,000 people has its challenges, but the scale is incredible: J&J's products touch more than 1 billion people worldwide. They also discuss trends in gene editing and CRISPR thanks to machine learning and AI.

Venrock partner Bryan Roberts chats with Mathai Mammen about COVID-19 vaccine development and therapeutics in this special episode of Running Through Walls. Mammen serves as the Global Head of R&D at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, where he is heading up the firm's COVID-19 vaccine development. They discuss J&J's unique approach to the vaccine and which therapeutics are promising in the fight against the virus. Mammen shares how the U.S. can be better prepared for the next pandemic, and highlights how his company approaches vaccine production and distribution on a global scale.

Allison Pickens, former COO at Gainsight and co-author of "The Customer Success Economy: Why Every Aspect of Your Business Model Needs A Paradigm Shift" joins Venrock Partner Brian Ascher to discuss the new and increasingly important function of customer success for SaaS companies. They discuss how customer success differs from customer support, how working with customers has evolved, what startups should consider when making their first customer success hires, and common mistakes companies make when rolling out new programs. Recorded pre-pandemic, Pickens also shares how startups can make sure all functions are working together to support customer success with several examples that are relevant in today's remote working environment.

Venrock Partner Bob Kocher speaks with Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, about Emanuel's upbringing and family, how to deliver better patient care and implications of data/AI for medical ethics. They speak about their time working together in the Obama White House on the Affordable Care Act. With the 10-year anniversary of the legislation coming up in March, Emanuel talks about what's improved in the U.S. healthcare system and what challenges remain. Emanuel also shares his love for chocolate and what inspired him to become a chocolatier.

10x Genomics CEO and co-founder Serge Saxonov joins Venrock's Bryan Roberts to discuss the founding of the company and its recent IPO. Saxonov shares his story of emigrating from Tajikistan to New York City as a teenager, learning English and becoming an entrepreneur. He talks candidly about how he's grown as a leader over his six years as CEO of the company and how the company's technology has evolved to meet customers' needs.

Paul Koenig founded SRS Acquiom to make M&A deals more manageable for entrepreneurs. Venrock partner Brian Ascher speaks with Koenig about what he's learned from seeing thousands of deals, including best practices for shareholder reps, common misconceptions about due diligence, and trends in all-cash vs. stock offers. They also discuss how entrepreneurs can set the stage for a smoother M&A process when they first start the company and why having the right advisors is crucial.

Adam Boehler, CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and former Deputy Administrator for Innovation & Quality at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, sits down with Venrock's Bob Kocher to talk about the business of healthcare. He shares his journey from venture to founder to government, and he offers lessons learned in the shift to a value-based healthcare paradigm. He talks about his experience as founder and CEO of Landmark, including the decisions and challenges in providing home-based medical care.

Venrock's David Pakman speaks with Misty Robotics Founder and Head of Product Ian Bernstein and CEO Tim Enwall about the launch of Misty II and the company's evolution into a platform for developers. They discuss what sparked their initial interest in robotics and the various ways a robot can help people at home, from eldercare and cleaning to any other application that developers can dream up. They also share lessons learned from launching the BB-8 robot at Sphero, and how design factors into human-robot interaction.