The other day, it hit me that I have been leading and managing enterprises now for a lifetime, beginning with managing independent drug stores when I was a teenager, even before I became a pharmacist. I have led and managed research groups that ranged from 1 to 40 scientists, drug discovery and development organizations as large as six to eight thousand scientists, multiple biotechnology startups, a successful mature biotech company, and most recently, a startup non-profit foundation that is off to a great start.

With my son, Evan, I have produced a feature length movie and run a successful independent movie distribution business. That said, my primary focus has been leading and managing the discovery and development of innovative new medicines.

Given all that experience, I have had the opportunity to make almost all classes of mistakes and on occasion, to do things that seem to be successful. I have also evolved a set of clear strategies and principles that reflect my core beliefs about life, and I should say that in the process of leading, managing, and teaching how to manage innovation, I have grown as an individual, and codified many, perhaps poorly formed beliefs.

Perhaps sharing some thoughts about what I have done that has worked, and what I have done that has failed, may be of value. And so, from time to time, I plan to provide some thoughts about the lessons I have learned and the lessons I still need to learn.