Is the LP bias against investment into life-sciences contra-logical?

17 January 2013

Early Stage Biotech Showing Positive Signs of Scaling Its Wall of Worry by Bruce Booth on Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucebooth/2013/01/15/early-stage-biotech-showing-positive-signs-of-scaling-its-wall-of-worry/ goback=%2Egmr_38263%2Eamf_38263_16107339%2Egde_38263_member_205146678

Despite the apparent consensus opinion at JPM that innovative new start-ups are continuing to attract capital, I wonder if in reality the venture funding, particularly from big-pharma CVCs, is mostly channeled into development/ acquisition of potential clinical candidates - THIS anomaly of an 'uncharacteristic aversion of domain biggies themselves towards investing into early innovation that'd feed their own pipelines' is WHAT I feel is the primary reason for a strong bias in the LP universe against investment into Life Sciences......

INX-189 clinical attrition - a call for re-look at single isomer strategy of Gilead?

October 2012

Discussion posted Pharmaceutical Discussion Group on LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/INX-189-clinical-attrition-call-38263.S.156348010?goback=%2Egde_38263_member_103345417

Is the purported toxicity of the non-active diastereoisomer in a P-chiral nucleotide prodrug (protide) a scientifically derived hypothesis OR is it merely a surmise from a coincidence that no active-isomer is found toxic till date? (considering very few 'single isomers' entered PI till date..)

The quintessential 'Indian vegetarian meal' prototype on Emirates

23 Nov 2012

On FB McKinsey article "the trouble with Travel distribution" 

http://www.facebook.com/mckinseyquarterly/posts/432757166778183

Yes indeed - the globe trotting traveler these days can negotiate and get deals on anything & everything, except if he/she's an Indian vegetarian, flying any global airlines and hoping for a gourmet food experience.... Get real chum, eat ur paneer, okhra, rice & all together :-l

Akbarnama

11th January on FB

Akbar bhai.... meraa bhi ek sawal hain aapko......jo baataan shadab cafe mein chai pe chotti samosa khatey waqat bolney hain, woh baataan camere ke samne kaiku karrain miyaan? panga kaiku lerain phursat mein khali-peeli sarkar sey? 

The mahaul at Nirmal is such that anyone can get into a rhetoric mode, get irrationally impassioned and indulge in senseless bravado....... while some of the allegations, sentiments voiced by Akbar bear a semblence to reality, truth, a lot of it was hyperbole & it would be foolhardy to say the listener would take it all as God's word...... Akbar is no polished politico, he comes across as immature, kiddish...... more than what he said about the infamous 'pandrah minute', more worrying is the way the crowd erupted in cheer & approval of that idiotic posturing........... dimaag khaan bhoolkey phirrain yaaron ye logaan?

Secular India would do good to focus on the funny side of all this & show it to the understanding Muslim population out there which also has a sense of humor... (believe me... there were a few concerned, confused and amused faces right behind the sher-e-deccan :-)...) to me this speech is nothing more than a excitable shahri showing off to the vulnerable dehathi....

(main section is between 48th & 60th minute)

Climb down from the towers BoDs..

We are all Board Members on LI by Lucy P Marcus

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121120235138-60894986-we-are-all-board-members?trk=mp-reader-card

As an employee who always worked with a sense of ownership, accountability, I always felt its strange that the board's engagement with key employees (second line, executing level) within the organization is non-existent & more often than not, its strategic guidance is based on a colorful slide-deck or an birds-eye-view executive summary that rarely reflects the subtler aspects of business realities and it's short & long-term sustenance. While I see a common thread here that the board has a responsibility towards company's vision & and should represent the stakeholders interest rather than it’s own, I am wondering why so many critical decisions are still taken by boards without ever engaging directly with the stakeholders that actually go about translating the vision into action? & I’m presuming that employees at key positions too are considered a part of the stakeholder pool & not just the investing PE universe.

Provoke, par zara bachkey :-)

Want to Deepen Impact in 2013? Be a Provocateur on LI by Ben Mangan

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130104051308-132220-want-to-deepen-impact-in-2013-be-a-provocateur

Quite nicely provoked :-)... I though see most provocateurs use the 'why' primarily for disruptive purposes (unfortunately) than otherwise.... I guess these belong to the category of 'those who don't give a damn (like Veronika J wrote below...), but provoke nonetheless for the heck of it' (OR to topple some apple-carts...) Whichever type one is, my message to all prospective provocateurs is "Ask WHY?, but be well prepared when countered by 'WHY NOT'?" 

Your message bothers me Esther and how....

Should I Bother With Your Message? Persuade Me! on LI by Esther Dyson 

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130116205459-28157-should-i-bother-to-read-your-message-persuade-me?goback=%2Eptf_*1_*1_*1_*1_recentPosts_*1&trk=who_to_follow-b

With all respect to the departed soul, I'm starting to get why Aaron Schwartz decided to end his life...... sender of a message pays on a social network? - Monetizing a few lines as though it were a validated piece of patented intellectual property? – bad enough reason for any cyber-socialist to give-up on hope and die! 

I remember & believe that cyber communities/ DBs started out in a spirit of sharing knowledge, thinking & perspective with whoever displays a similar trait to engage & evolve. If companies like LI & FB monetize this engagement for their own stock valuations, I still understand, particularly seeing how FB is struggling with its sub-par listing & trading post such a hyped-up public issue. What I don't understand is the increasing tribe of self-appointed thought-leaders & experts who believe a mere mail to them deserves a valuation!!!!! – Is it that I should’ve been a citizen of Pandora OR Is this really the most obscene manifestation of assumed self-importance? 

If I have a need that requires me to pay to someone just so that he/she receives my mail in a non-spam folder & for which he/she may not necessarily respond even, I’d think my need itself is ill-articulated &/or illegitimate and the person whom I’m trying to pay to get through to isn’t worth reaching out to after all 

Indeed, a good self-image is important in life..., but gents & ladies extreme self-importance is avoidable - never forget the “Rule Number 6” (http://dannyhageman.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/never-forget-rule-number-six/) 

Cheers