#ThinkingKat: November Monthly Roundup
We harvested a feast of insights this month!
BONUS: I host a live chat in Substack every Friday at 9am PST. This is exclusive to my Substack subscribers! Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out.
This month we met Scientific and Technical Business Development Expert Ernesto Chanona.
With a background in international trade, regulatory strategy, and strategic partnerships, he specializes in creating scalable BD frameworks, driving client acquisition, and expanding market reach for companies in life sciences, professional services, and technical industries. He’s an Adjunct Professor at The Johns Hopkins University and CEO of American Business Development, a business helping B2B firms expand in the U.S. and globally with tailored strategy, messaging, and business development. I hope you joined us for the Thinking Kat Office Hours (Chat Edition) on the Substack Chat feed.
In the life sciences, uncertainty and rapid change are constants—whether you’re nurturing a biotech startup, scaling a digital health company, or steering research through regulatory milestones. As founders and leaders, it’s natural to be swept away by urgent tasks and milestones. But sustainable impact requires us to regularly step back and assess not just our science, but our strategy and progress.
In this article, I’m outlining four steps to make self-assessment part of your operating rhythm.
The end of the year is more than a time for reflection—it’s the perfect moment to begin your next growth cycle. Most organizations start a new fiscal year in January, but the real leaders start planning in November.
In this article, I share the first two steps of a simple, practical framework for turning your vision into reality: 1) creating your strategic plan, and 2) putting it into action.
These steps build on the concept that a strategic plan is simply a core set of directional choices—a guide for everyday decisions that move you closer to your future vision. From defining what success looks like to mapping assets, challenges, and pathways, this process helps teams focus on what truly drives progress.
My first December article will cover 3) obtaining buy-in for the strategy, and 4) reviewing your progress. Don’t miss it!
Working with life science startup companies to solve problems, strengthen systems, and build capacity is what I do. If one of your companies or clients is struggling, reach out to me to discuss how I can help your team refocus and emerge triumphant.
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