Curated courses, frameworks, books, and podcasts for founders and executives building in biotech, pharma, and the life sciences
Courses
· RA Capital University: foundational biotech investing & drug development coursework from a leading life sciences investor.
· Coursera: Introduction to the Pharmaceutical Industry
· LinkedIn Learning: Building Business Acumen for Aspiring Professionals
· LinkedIn Learning: Workplace Essentials for Early Career Professionals
· Jim Wells & Michelle Arkin (UCSF), Part 1: Introduction to Drug Discovery
· Jim Wells & Michelle Arkin (UCSF), Part 2: Introduction to Drug Discovery
· MassBio: Intro to Biotech, Business & Science
· YC Startup School (Y Combinator): free, self-paced curriculum on fundraising, product, growth, and hiring from the accelerator behind the most-funded founder network.
· Coursera: Venture Capital & Private Equity (Wharton): the investor-side view of deal structuring, useful for CEOs preparing to raise.
· Biotech Startup School- Free Online Course
· FDA Learning Portal: Drug and Device Approvals
· FDA Learning Portal for Students, Academia, and Industry
· Thomson Reuters: 10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Internship
· Carta Learn: Portfolio Company Structures
· Carta Learn: Pitch Deck Guide: a free template download plus a slide-by-slide walkthrough of what belongs in an investor deck.
· Sequoia Capital's 10-Slide Pitch Deck Framework: widely referenced structure (problem, solution, market size, team, financials) that shaped how most modern decks are built.
· NVCA Model Legal Documents: the industry-standard term sheet, stock purchase agreement, and investor rights agreement templates used in most U.S. venture financings.
· Mercury: Understanding the Venture Capital Term Sheet: simple breakdown of liquidation preferences, board composition, protective provisions, and what's negotiable.
· Wall Street Prep: The Ultimate Guide to Cap Tables: how ownership and dilution work across multiple rounds of financing.
· Rho: Guide to Active Biotech VC Firms: a curated list of life-sciences-focused venture investors for founders mapping their raise.
Leadership & Operating Knowledge
· First Round Review: a long-running library of tactical essays from operators and investors on the practical mechanics of running an early-stage company.
· a16z Content Hub (Andreessen Horowitz): VC-authored frameworks on fundraising, go-to-market, and scaling.
· Y Combinator Blog: startup advice and essays from the accelerator's partners and founder network.
· Paul Graham: Essays: foundational writing on how startups succeed or fail; more mindset than tactics, worth returning to when stuck.
· A Smart Bear (Jason Cohen): deep, systems-level thinking on product, positioning, and business fundamentals.
· Stratechery (Ben Thompson): sharp strategic analysis of technology and business models; useful for sharpening competitive thinking.
· Lenny’s Newsletter: product, growth, and career insights from operators, especially useful once a company has users and needs to scale.
· Not Boring (Packy McCormick): accessible essays connecting business strategy, technology, and market trends.
· The Billion Dollar Molecule by Barry Werth
· Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes
· Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson: considered the standard founder's primer on how VC term sheets and deal mechanics actually work.
· The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: the validated-learning framework for testing a business idea before scaling it.
· Zero to One by Peter Thiel: on building something genuinely new rather than competing in an existing market.
· The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: the operational and psychological realities of running a company.
· The Outsiders by William N. Thorndike Jr.: eight unconventional CEOs and how disciplined capital allocation drove outsized returns.
· Financial Intelligence by Karen Berman & Joe Knight: a jargon-free guide to reading and using financial statements, useful for non-finance CEOs.
· Atomic Habits by James Clear: practical systems for building the small, consistent habits that compound into leadership effectiveness.
· Acquired: narrative deep dives, hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, into how major companies were built and financed.
· 20VC (The Twenty Minute VC): hosted by Harry Stebbings; frequent investor interviews on what VCs look for in founders and deals.
· Masters of Scale: hosted by Reid Hoffman; scale-stage frameworks on hiring, growth, and leadership once a company has traction.
· Lenny's Podcast: hosted by Lenny Rachitsky; specific, tactical conversations on product, growth, and career decisions.
· Chameleon Strategies Consulting — Website & Blog: HR and executive advisory insights for biotech, pharma, and life sciences leaders. See the Insights tab for our 2026 HR Wellness Foundation Series by Sophia Fulton.
· Chameleon Law Group — Website & Blog: employment law guidance and compliance updates for growth-stage life sciences companies. See the Blog tab for our 2026 The Executive Playbook: Leading Her Way series by Sophia Fulton.
Biotech Finances
· How To Build a Startup Budget: A Simple Guide for Founders
· A Founder’s Guide to Data-Driven Budgeting in Biotech
· Biotech Startup Budget Planning: Milestone-Based R&D, Lab Operations, and Clinical Trial Costs
· Biotech Startup Budget & Projection Guide 2025: Complete Framework for Founders
· The Founder’s Guide to Creating an Accurate Biotech Cash-Flow Forecast
· Biotech Financial Planning: Key Considerations for Founders
· Building Better Biotech Financial Models and Managing Valuation Risk with Frank David
· Biotech Startup 101: How to Create Financial Projections for a Biotech Startup
· Building Biotech Businesses Masterclass with Ulf Grawunder
· Biotech Investing Basics Video Series
· How to Start a Biotech Startup: 5 Young VC-Backed Founders Share Their Stories
· Biotech Startup School- Free Online Course
Compiled by Chameleon Strategies Consulting and Chameleon Law Group: a living list to be updated as new resources are found.
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