Content curated and/or generated by Aaron Crapster, PhD, (MCI EIR) and Janine Kopp (Consultant, former VC)
Notes Before Diving In
This Playbook is generally applicable across the biotech sector, but, wherever possible, content is presented with researchers in the male contraceptive development community in mind. It is meant to inspire and equip first-time scientist founders with the language, tools, and confidence to begin their journey as company builders in the biotechnology industry.
There are many ways to advance contraceptive development, and MCI created this resource as an introduction to building Venture/Impact Capital-backed startups, representing one avenue that is of interest to the field. Bear in mind that market trends and macroeconomic forces change and shape the VC landscape, sometimes abruptly, so we recommend using this as a starting point for further research when thinking about starting a company.
Those familiar with MCI will know that we are fundamentally driven to enable and promote the global development of novel male contraceptives, and global access to these future products. This playbook, however, is primarily geared towards understanding the system and motivations in the VC-backed biotech ecosystem in the U.S. and E.U., since many of our grantees are exploring this as an option to advance their projects.
Much of the information found in the playbook was curated from other resources and authors, cited as best as possible throughout.
This Playbook is generally applicable across the biotech sector, but, wherever possible, content is presented with researchers in the male contraceptive development community in mind. It is meant to inspire and equip first-time scientist founders with the language, tools, and confidence to begin their journey as company builders in the biotechnology industry.
There are many ways to advance contraceptive development, and MCI created this resource as an introduction to building Venture/Impact Capital-backed startups, representing one avenue that is of interest to the field. Bear in mind that market trends and macroeconomic forces change and shape the VC landscape, sometimes abruptly, so we recommend using this as a starting point for further research when thinking about starting a company.
Those familiar with MCI will know that we are fundamentally driven to enable and promote the global development of novel male contraceptives, and global access to these future products. This playbook, however, is primarily geared towards understanding the system and motivations in the VC-backed biotech ecosystem in the U.S. and E.U., since many of our grantees are exploring this as an option to advance their projects.
Much of the information found in the playbook was curated from other resources and authors, cited as best as possible throughout.
Ready to dive in? Let's go!
Before you jump into building your startup, it’s important to take a step back and assess your readiness. Do you have the right pieces in place, or are there areas where you need to fill some gaps or get up to speed? This is a chance to pause, reflect and spot any gaps before they may become roadblocks later on.
We’ve put together a set of questions to guide your thinking. If something doesn’t make sense yet, or you’re unsure how to answer, don’t worry. Just flag it. You can bring it to an advisor, a mentor, or your legal/accounting team when the time is right.
The goal here is simple: Know where you stand, and know where to get help if you need it.
How to work with this list:
Before you jump into building your startup, it’s important to take a step back and assess your readiness. Do you have the right pieces in place, or are there areas where you need to fill some gaps or get up to speed? This is a chance to pause, reflect and spot any gaps before they may become roadblocks later on.
We’ve put together a set of questions to guide your thinking. If something doesn’t make sense yet, or you’re unsure how to answer, don’t worry. Just flag it. You can bring it to an advisor, a mentor, or your legal/accounting team when the time is right.
The goal here is simple: Know where you stand, and know where to get help if you need it.
How to work with this list:
- Copy this Google document into your own folders, or download the PDF
- Fill out each item be as brief and succinct as possible
- Add context if you think it's necessary