Author Archives: Ankit Mahadevia

About Ankit Mahadevia

Serial biotech entrepreneur and executive

Greater Than The Sum Of The Parts: A Framework For Leading Enterprises In Non-Traditional Ways
February 16, 2024

By Ankit Mahadevia, former CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC The right leaders in the right structure can power companies to great things. The general consensus is that all companies need a

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Smooth Transitions: Planning For CEO And Board Succession
September 28, 2023

By Ankit Mahadevia, Chairman of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Nobody stays in a particular role forever. While change at the senior level can be disruptive, it doesn’t have to be. Teams and

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Hybrid model update: Did we get it right?  
May 31, 2023

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC This time a quarter ago organizations large and small were in the thick of the “to hybrid or not to hybrid” debate. Each

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Embracing the New Normal: Our 2023 Hybrid Model Experiment
February 3, 2023

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Biotwitter is great for healthy debates.  The most recent has been on the merits of the hybrid vs.an in-person model.  John Maraganore’s excellent

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Mind Meld: How Intellectually Diverse Teams Can Drive Resilience And Better Outcomes  
October 7, 2022

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Biotechnology, especially of late, requires us to prevail over adversity to deliver for patients.  Spero, dedicated to new solutions for patients with infections,

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Leading With Head And Heart – Navigating The Human Side Of Tough Decisions
June 2, 2022

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC 2022 has brought unique challenges for growing companies.  Capital markets, shifting regulatory winds and other emergent forces are driving tough decisions on programs,

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Recapturing Our Resilience
February 16, 2022

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC For anyone that’s part of a fast paced, growing organization, resilience is the key to thriving.  It supports our audacity, ability to tune

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Spreading The Word: Using Different Mediums To Get The Message Out To Your Team
November 1, 2021

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO and founder of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Recently, Spero announced the filing of its first ever New Drug Application, for our medicine tebipenem Hbr.  Interestingly, as we approached

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Scaling Thoughtfully: The Art Of Sharing Responsibilities Across A Growing Team
July 27, 2021

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO and Founder of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC. The opportunity for each member of a NewCo to take on multiple responsibilities selects early for people ready to help a

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The Unsung Heroes Of Entrepreneurial Companies
April 26, 2021

The role of the core in making an organization great and how we do right by them By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Small organizations are amazing for the

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Playing To Win: Scenario Planning For Binary Readouts In Biotech
October 8, 2020

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Earlier this fall, we prepared to report Phase III data for tebipenem HBr, our oral medication that, if approved, could help 2.7M patients

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Grit At A Grand Scale: Cultivating Resilience At The Organizational Level
July 8, 2020

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC. “Hey, you know, breakdowns come. And breakdowns go. So what are you going to do about it? That’s what I’d like to know – Gumboots In an

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The Balancing Act: Taking A Systematic Approach To Hard Decisions In Times Of Rapid Change
March 30, 2020

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.  If CEOs have empowered their teams effectively, they have three roles during times of rapid change: Motivator in chief

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Navigating The Unknown: Practical Thoughts On A Team That Can Rise To The Occasion
September 5, 2019

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.  One of the joys of building a company is that meeting one’s milestones routinely places us in positions that

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SPR994:  A Long Shot, With Lots Of Twists And Turns To Phase III
May 23, 2019

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO and founder of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.  At Spero we are privileged to be enrolling our pivotal study for SPR994, our oral antibiotic with

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If You Build It, Will They Come? Addressing The Value Equation
March 12, 2019

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO and founder of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC. Over my experience building several therapeutics companies, I’ve sometimes observed a Field of Dreams approach to therapeutics:

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Beyond the CEO: Building An Effective Leadership Team  
March 15, 2018

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics and Atlas Advisor, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.   The biotech twittersphere recently engaged in very thoughtful debate (resulting in a great piece by

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Hiring:  Using Your Team To Build A Team
June 16, 2017

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC. Much has been said about who and when to hire in this blog (here and here for example), but

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Building A Stronger Ecosystem to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance
September 26, 2016

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.  Relative to a decade ago, those of us that have spent time finding new ways to outsmart drug-resistant bacteria

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Growth Phase: Avoiding Vertigo During the Ride Up
June 6, 2016

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Startup life can be grueling.  It’s an especially gratifying feeling when your data and your investors signal that it’s

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Look Beyond The Headlines: Tackling Ever-Present Challenge Of Antimicrobial Resistance
March 4, 2016

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC. Infectious disease has had an ebb and flow relationship with our general awareness; epidemics such as Zika, Ebola, and

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Building The Pipeline In Small Biotech: Managing Risk And Reward
December 3, 2015

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO at Spero Therapeutics, as part of the “From the Trenches” feature of LifeSciVC. In my experience, looking to the outside world for new pipeline ideas isn’t just the realm of larger companies.   The

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Preparing To Scale Your Biotech Startup
September 22, 2015

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the “From the Trenches” feature of LifeSciVC. After many months (or years) of grinding, your science seems to be working, the market is responding to your story,

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Playing The Waiting Game: A Tactical & Spiritual Guide
June 2, 2015

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, co-founder of Spero, Synlogic, and Rodin Therapeutics, as part of the “From the Trenches” feature of LifeSciVC. The concept of “getting s#it done” is central to our lives as entrepreneurs. With time and capital

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Finding Success In Failing Early: All About Execution
March 18, 2015

In a period of surging optimism for our industry, it’s easy to forget that historically most of the therapeutic projects we undertake don’t make it to the market (see the data here if you absolutely have to remind yourself of

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Riding The Biotech Roller Coaster Like A Pro: Some Observations
December 1, 2014

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, Atlas EIR and c0-founder of Spero and Rodin Therapeutics, as part of the “From the Trenches” feature of LifeSciVC. As startup folks we are great at keeping our heads down and looking ahead; this

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Follow The Patients: The Case For Neuroscience And Other “Challenging” Fields
September 11, 2014

This blog was written by Ankit Mahadevia, CBO of Rodin Therapeutics and Spero Therapeutics, as part of the “From the Trenches” feature of LifeSciVC. There’s an ebb and flow in our business around interest in specific therapeutic areas; hot TAs such

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Growing Beyond The Startup Phase: Lessons learned
July 1, 2014

So your biotech startup’s graduated to a Series A financing and your investors believe there’s nothing but champagne and robust clinical data in your future. Some classic analogies are applicable here; you’ve found a way off the island, you’ve defeated

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Building Great Startup Teams In Biotech: A Three Hour Tour
April 18, 2014

Great teams build great companies, and biotech startups are no exception.   I’ve collected a few observations on great teams while collaborating at Atlas on more than half a dozen startups that have made it past the high-risk seed stage

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