Some of the most meaningful innovations don’t begin with a grand plan. They begin when you hit a wall.
A few years ago, we were developing a new therapeutic antibody. To really understand it, we had to figure out where it grabbed onto its target molecule—and what happened to that target once the antibody latched on. So we turned to experts, outsourced the work, and waited. But nothing came back. The process failed. The established tools we were relying on couldn’t handle the complexity of our molecule. We were stuck.
Instead of giving up, we decided to solve the problem ourselves. That decision changed everything.
We developed our own solution, and it worked—much better than we could have imagined. Suddenly, what had once seemed impossible was right in front of us. What began as a workaround became a breakthrough. Soon we realized: if we were facing this problem, others probably were too. That was the birth of our first technology platform.
Not long after, we hit another roadblock—this time in producing a complex form of antibody. The results were disappointing. At first, it felt like a setback—but in hindsight, it was a gift. It pushed us to think differently, to experiment, and ultimately to invent something better. That invention became our second technology platform—proof that every obstacle has the potential to become an innovation if you’re willing to keep moving forward.
What started as a single drug development project suddenly evolved into something bigger. We spun out a new company to build tools that could help drug developers across the industry.
I’ve learned that innovation often doesn’t look like a lightbulb moment. It looks like frustration, trial and error, and being open to where the work leads you. We didn’t set out to start a platform company. But the path revealed itself when we stayed curious and refused to settle for “this just won’t work.”
My advice to other innovators: stay flexible. You may think you know where you’re going, but the most impactful work might be hiding in the detours.
Because sometimes, the end of the road isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of something completely unexpected.
