The first edition of “Connecting the Dots” was published on September 29, 2017. Since Sue Nemetz penned that inaugural piece, 12 authors from our team have contributed their insight, experience, and perspective on the biopharma industry. It’s hard to believe our team has written 100 of these newsletters since we began eight years ago.
To say a lot has changed would be an understatement. We’ve lived through seismic shifts in the world — hello, global pandemic — and weathered the ups and downs of our industry’s roller coaster ride. Through it all, this newsletter has been a way of staying connected to you and working through the commercialization and leadership challenges we navigate together.
Where It All Began
That first newsletter, “Your Future Story… How Good Is It?,” tackled a challenge that still resonates today: Early-stage biopharma companies must tell compelling stories about their future while still writing the first chapter.
Back then, we didn’t know what the future would bring. But we knew one thing: The stories we tell matter. And over these eight years and 100 newsletters, we’ve explored that theme from multiple angles — from intensely practical to the deeply personal — always aiming to add value and insight to the industry.
Lessons That Endure
While each newsletter attempted to offer timely insights, there are certain themes that endured, no matter how much the landscape shifted.
Industry Evolution
The biopharma world we write about today looks remarkably different from the world of 2017. We’ve covered:
- The transformation of Medical Affairs from a support function to a strategic driver, stepping boldly into the future with expanded influence and impact
- The “forcing function” of JPM and how major industry events shape strategy, priorities, and the art of telling your story under pressure (I will be attending for the first time in 2026, all tips welcome)
- Adapting to market volatility and the strategic approaches to managing talent, resource optimization, and maintaining momentum despite financial constraints with the high cost of capital and a changing investor landscape
Leadership and Culture
Building and leading teams requires both functional expertise and emotional intelligence. Our newsletters have explored:
- Building credibility as a new leader — why it matters even more in high-stakes environments
- Culture in a hybrid world — how to build trust, foster connection, and maintain alignment when your team isn’t always in the same room
- The undervalued power of process and why it’s not bureaucracy, but a device that prevents chaos and keeps the vision alive
- The basics of gratitude and the importance of finding perspective and appreciating the good, even during turbulent times
Strategic Navigation
At our core, we help clients navigate from vision to market. The strategic insights we’ve shared include:
- The underappreciated value of new product planning — getting it right early changes everything downstream
- Target Product Profiles as critical tools for guiding development and commercialization in alignment
- Market assessment essentials and when to go deep, when to stay high-level, and how to avoid the extremes
- Commercialization is a mindset — not a function or point in time, but an orientation that guides all aspects of development from pipeline to patient
- Planning frameworks — practical tools for balancing immediate priorities with long-term goals
The Human Element
For all our talk of strategy and process, this industry is fundamentally about people — the patients we serve and the people who work tirelessly to bring therapies to market. We’ve written about:
- Rare Disease Day and the power of many voices — how patient communities unite under shared purpose
- The power of mentoring — paying forward the mentoring we’ve received and providing support to those navigating their own journeys in the industry
- The essential patient voice and why listening to and learning from patient experiences is critical to developing meaningful therapies
- Connecting in volatile times — how to maintain relationships and support one another through layoffs, transitions, and uncertainty
What’s Next?
So, what will the next 100 newsletters look like?
Honestly, we don’t know — and that’s part of what makes this exciting! The industry will continue to evolve, new challenges will emerge, and we’ll continue to address them together through these monthly conversations.
What we do know is this: We’re committed to staying curious, connected, and focused on what matters most — helping you navigate the complex path from innovation to impact and supporting the continuous learning of the many stakeholders across our industry.
Whether you’ve been with us since newsletter #1 or you’re reading for the first time today, thank you for following along on this journey. Your engagement, feedback, and willingness to share your own experiences enrich these conversations.
We’d love to hear from you. What topics would you like to see us explore in the next 100 newsletters? What challenges are you facing that we should dig into? What questions keep you up at night?
Reach out anytime — after all, connecting the dots is what we do best.