The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 Resilience After Loss: Leadership Lessons for Biotech Founders | Richard Yu (Part 3/4)
Mar 23, 2026
26:55
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“Every moment is like this opportunity to, like, do the right thing and make something better.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Richard Yu, co-founder and CEO of Abalone Bio, reflects on building a company around a bold scientific vision — and the personal moments that shaped his leadership along the way. He unpacks the core insight behind Abalone Bio's yeast-based screening platform: that conventional antibody discovery optimizes for binding over function, like grabbing scissors by the blades. Richard also opens up about the devastating loss of co-founder Gustavo Pesce in a 2021 skiing accident, how the team and investors rallied with unwavering support, and how that crisis ultimately sharpened his sense of purpose and focus. From weathering hundreds of investor rejections to landing partnerships with Pfizer and Sichuan Pharma, Richard offers an honest look at running a biotech startup with a platform-driven, portfolio-management mindset.
Key topics covered:
- Function Over Binding: Why traditional antibody discovery chases binding, while Abalone Bio screens directly for functional impact.
- Loss & Leadership: How Gustavo Pesce’s sudden passing in 2021 reshaped Richard’s priorities and leadership style.
- Team & Resilience: How a tight-knit core team, including CSO Toshi and AI lead Samir, rallied to keep the science moving.
- Platform vs. Pipeline: How Richard balances building the platform with advancing products that prove its value.
- Revenue & Partnerships: How Abalone Bio uses partnerships like Pfizer and Shichuan Pharma to blend near-term cash with long-term upside.
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Find our guest, Richard Yu at these links:
Website: https://www.abalonebio.com/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_protein-coupled_receptor
Binding Affinity vs. Functional Efficacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_(pharmacology)
Molecular Dynamics Simulations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_dynamics
De Novo Drug Design and Artificial Intelligence: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl5364
Platform vs. Pipeline Business Models in Biotech:
Dilutive vs. Non-Dilutive Funding for Startups:
Memento Mori and Stoicism: https://orionphilosophy.com/memento-mori/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Pfizer: https://www.pfizer.com
AbCellera: https://www.abcellera.com
Adimab: https://www.adimab.com
QB3: https://qb3.org
Toshihiko Takeuchi https://www.linkedin.com/in/toshihiko-takeuchi-3135711/
​Monica Schwartz https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-schwartz-67761b44/
Lauren Schwimmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenschwimmer/
Sameer Soi https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameersoi/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:03 Abalone's Mission and the GPCR Drug Development Vision
02:36 The Real Founding Team: Richard and Gustavo
03:42 The Devastating Loss of Co-Founder Gustavo Martinez
06:39 Finding Clarity and Focus Through Grief
09:16 Running Out of Money and Leaning on Core Values
11:13 Building the Team After Gustavo's Passing
12:18 The State of the GPCR Antibody Market
14:05 Why Binding Affinity Is the Wrong KPI
15:44 Yeast-Based Screening Technology and Functional Data
20:06 Balancing Platform Development vs. Pipeline Products
21:01 Revenue Strategy and Business Philosophy
25:05 Ideal Collaboration Partners: Pfizer, Sichuan, and Beyond
25:41 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.