Building Your Personal Brand

If you’re working on a bio- or healthtech product that you’re passionate about, which truly addresses unmet needs of patients, HCPs or the wider healthcare system - half the battle is already over.

But to state the obvious - half the battle is only half the battle.

The second half? Convincing investors that you are worthy of their investment.

You might think that it’s all about the product. And sure, having a great product that ticks all the boxes is essential.

But my view is that your personal brand is just as important.

Investors aren’t investing solely in a product. They’re investing in your capacity to deliver a return on their investment.

And that’s based on your credibility, expertise and authority.

Which means they have to believe in you. Not just your product - however awesome it may be.

This can be daunting. But increasing your visibility in the right way will help you build that trust, quickly.

And the best way of doing this?

Successfully applying the principles of thought leadership.

Thought Leadership: The Basics

At its core, thought leadership is about having authority in your sector.

It’s planting your flag down and saying - I have something to say that you need to hear.

An insight, a strategy, a prediction, a new angle or piece of analysis.

The sharper and more original your insights, the more likely it is that they will attract attention.

Because the important thing about good thought leadership is - it’s highly visible.

Obviously - becoming a thought leader is easier said than done.

If it were so simple, everyone would do it.

And another thing - the truth is, most founders don’t want to be thought leaders.

Yes, you have original thoughts and ideas about your industry or sector, and that’s what got you here.

But you want to solve an unmet need and bring a product to market - not spend ages postulating theories and ideas on LinkedIn.

Fortunately, the solution to these two challenges is one in the same.

You Don’t Have To Be Socrates

If you think about thought leadership, it’s easy to picture some bearded philosopher on a hilltop, scrawling their wisdom on a piece of parchment (well, maybe….😀)

In a way, this is a beneficial image to the people we consider thought leaders - because it means that they can’t be challenged.

But my argument is that thought leadership should be (and can be) less intimidating and more democratic.

Because what is thought leadership if not offering solutions to problems that your audience is facing?

And what is bringing a bio- or healthtech product to market if not one big exercise in problem-solving?

You Have The Power

If you are the founder of an exciting new biotech startup, you already have:

✅ An in-depth understanding of your sector

✅ A practical mindset experienced in solving complex problems

✅ A deep appreciation and outside-in view of your audience or customers

✅ At least one long-term strategic goal

In other words: just by virtue of what you do day-to-day, you are highly qualified in your sector.

Your journey, from the very beginning of your career to today, has been unique.

Which means the challenges you’ve faced are unique - and so were your solutions.

This is all great. But if you’re not sharing it - how are investors supposed to know about it?

Visibility isn’t about bragging. It’s about giving investors an insight into your ideas, your thought processes, your competence and authority.

In short: the way you see your space.

If the choice is between investing in an enigma and investing in an open book - investors will go with what they know.

But notice that earlier, I said ‘applying the principles of thought leadership’.

This is because there aren’t hard and fast rules to thought leadership.

It’s exactly what you make of it. So why can’t you share what you’ve learned?

Think about all the articles, start-up guides and podcasts you’ve consumed.

Even if you gleaned just one nugget from them, it was worth it - because that’s a nugget you’ve been able to apply to your own product.

Take it from me: there will be something so valuable in your approach, or in your recounting of a problem you faced, that your readers will find it worthwhile.

Sometimes, even just sharing your appreciation that everyone goes through similar challenges is enough.

Practical Thought Leadership For The Busy Founder

The hardest part is getting started. The second hardest thing is carrying on.

So start small. Keep it practical. Focus on an emerging trend you’re interested in, or explain a business challenge you recently faced and how you dealt with it.

If you’re looking for your audience - LinkedIn is a great place to start, because you’ve likely already got (or can create) a network of highly relevant connections.

With many of my clients we use LinkedIn as the backbone. It’s a relatively safe space to build out your voice, demonstrate authority and network.

Anything else you secure in terms of editorial coverage, podcast or speaker opportunities can then be amplified on the platform.

On a very practical level, make sure you build up a bank of posts or at least ideas before you start posting.

The worst thing you can do is post once or twice, then drop it because your attention needs to go elsewhere (which in a dynamic and hectic start-up environment, tends to be the norm).

Remember: all of this is in service of raising your visibility, building your authority, and investors’ confidence in you.

Which means you need to approach it with the same energy and consistency as you’d commit to any other part of your startup.

My advice: get started today and maintain a consistent cadence of content.

And because LinkedIn is an attention economy like any other, try to keep posts and articles on the shorter side - honing down your message to its core is always a useful exercise.

Time To Get Started

The equation is simple - as easy as ABC.

The more you can demonstrate authority in your space by applying the principles of thought leadership, the more visible you will be.

The more visible you are, the more valuable your personal brand is.

The more valuable your personal brand, the higher your ‘investor-bility’.

Don’t let the term ‘thought leadership’ phase you. Boil it down to its core principles.

Insight and analysis - even just a single observation.

Discover what you have to say, and say it.

Your long-term goal is investment. Show your audience who you are, and let that trust begin to grow.

Until next time,

Chris

—

If you’re looking to raise yours or your team’s profile, but aren’t sure where to start - I can help.

My work focuses on helping CEOs, founders and management teams increase their visibility and build their authority in their space, supporting their investment goals.

Just reply to this email, or DM me on LinkedIn, and let’s have a conversation