Insights / Topics
The craft of executive advisory itself. How to make warm relationships compound, how to keep judgement portable across mandates, and how to stay useful to operators who already have the data.
Christian writes from inside the founder-investor relationship, drawing on work across global pharma and early-stage AI. These essays ask what "founder mode" really means, where conventional management stifles innovation, and how power dynamics turn sharp when valuations fall. A recurring discipline runs through them: separate narrative from substance, treat partnerships as the only scalable route to adoption, and ask what would have to be true before a pitch deserves belief.
4 Jun 2026 · 3 min read
I run my AI advisory work on a private operating system I built myself — and actually using one of these "second brain" systems has taught me that stored volume matters far less than timing. The real step change isn't buying a generic tool; it's building a system around how you actually think and work.
29 Jan 2026 · 3 min read
Hologen, Eric Schmidt’s stealth biotech-AI venture, is raising $150M at an $850M pre-money on a promise of 100% returns in 12 months. The pitch is closer to financial underwriting than AI product development. Here’s what would convince me it’s more than narrative.
6 Nov 2025 · 1 min read
After working with both global pharma leaders and early-stage AI firms, I've seen a pattern: partnerships, done right, are the only scalable route to real-world adoption of AI.
17 Jun 2025 · 1 min read
I joined an insightful panel discussion at HLTHEurope in Amsterdam on what it really takes to be a founder in healthcare. From finding a mission you're obsessed with, to building the right team and support network at home — here are the key lessons that stood out.
10 Dec 2024 · 1 min read
A lawsuit against VC firm Mohr Davidow Ventures over the collapse of billion-dollar healthcare startup HealthTap is a sobering case-study in the dark side of startup financing and the complex power dynamics between founders, employees, and investors. As an independent board member, I see these tensions regularly — and they'll only increase as 2021 valuations come back down to reality.
3 Sept 2024 · 1 min read
Founder Mode is taking over VC Twitter, and I'm curious whether the excitement is justified. Having worked in traditional corporate environments, I've seen how conventional management often stifles true innovation — and I think a different approach might be key for founders.