Preparing for the impact of Covid19 and beyond.
Years ago, Bill Gates tried to warn us all about the risk of a deadly virus. Unfortunately, we didn’t heed his warning.
The good news is that he has left the boards of Microsoft and other companies to focus his efforts on the Gates Foundation. His efforts will likely change the way healthcare organizations prepare, governments track outbreaks and how vaccines are developed.
The thought of making a meaningful change might be inspiring you to get more involved in the transformation underway.
Venture Capital
If you’re thinking about healthcare venture capital or startup, here are a few takeaways from my studies last week:
1/ Venture is big business
Returns have normalized as more money runs into the sector. That may change if stock markets continue to contract.
2/ Small funds preform better than big funds
Funds less than $500 Million are more likely to return 2x the capital invested after fees. Big funds are reportedly more dependent on the management fees and might be impacted more than smaller funds.
3/ Entrepreneurs are important
If there is no entrepreneur, there is no need for venture capitalists, investors, lawyers, accountants or other professionals. Entrepreneurs deserve your respect.
4/ Terms
Many of the deal terms seem to be driven by scarcity which makes for a really toxic working relationship. If you have to control the company, it’s probably not a deal worth doing.
5/ Fees
The healthcare industry is not the only industry resistant to change. Personal interests often get in the way of much needed progress in venture too.
The impact of Covid and misinformation
The Hulu documentary about Hillary Clinton is worth watching if you have some down time. It’s available on Netflix and likely other streaming services.
What many Americans didn’t realize, Hillary had the respect of several staunch Republicans including: John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Bill First MD from her work on various bills including the Children’s Health Insurance Plan [CHIP]. Many didn’t get past the name “crocked Hillary” and “lock her up” chant to learn the truth.
Regardless of what you think about the Clintons now or more broadly Democrats, there are some important takeaways for us all.
1/ Media
Headlines are meant to get our attention not provide the substance for a meaningful debate on the issues. Unfortunately, many Americans now seem to have an attention span limited to about 140 characters. That makes it really hard to share the information needed for everyone to make good decisions – even in times of Covid19.
2/ Timing
Some risks can be mitigated. Others come out of the blue and totally change the game. Game changers take out everything that’s weak.
Scale appropriately and sure up your resources to weather the storm ahead. We’re likely not going to see a return to business as usual in the near future. Let’s hope for a U [2001 recession] and not a L [2008 crisis] but consider both in your strategic plans.
3/ Progress
There is often a gap in what we want to do and what we can do within a given political landscape. Ultimate success requires a lot of small steps and zigzags to achieve a goal. Progress is good. Celebrate each small win.
Whatever happens, it’s going to be one heck of a ride!
