Running Through Walls

Running Through Walls is a Venrock podcast featuring candid conversations between investors and entrepreneurs. Each episode, we offer a behind-the-scenes look at the breakthroughs, challenges and nuttiness associated with building and growing companies. Venture capital firm Venrock has been investing in entrepreneurs across technology and healthcare since 1969.

Software-Defined Warfare 07/16/2025

Software-Defined Warfare Ellen Lord, former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S) at the Departmet of Defense, joins Venrock investor Morgan Hitzig to discuss the defense tech ecosystem, building resilient supply chains and efficient teams, and making the often conflicting timelines between VC, government, and early stage companies work for industry and our warfighters. Plus, our new favorite piece of advice: “you have two ears and one mouth, use them proportionately.” /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/37421505

Healthcare Prognosis 2025 05/22/2025

Healthcare Prognosis 2025 The results of our 9th annual Healthcare Prognosis are in and the healthcare experts who took our survey aren’t too optimistic about what’s ahead. Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher sat down to discuss the most interesting findings, their perspective on what it means and what’s ahead, and even offer a few glimmers of optimism. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/36677480

Invisible Assistive Layer 05/08/2025

Invisible Assistive Layer Punit Soni, CEO and Founder of Suki, joins Venrock partner Bob Kocher for a conversation about how AI will invisibly assume administrative burdens in healthcare, enabling a future where doctors get to do what they love – serving patients. They discuss building companies during generational step changes, advice for getting started in health tech, jumping on high-growth rocket ships, and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/36488120

Lead with Fundamentals 03/12/2025

Lead with Fundamentals Charlie Glazer, Head of Healthcare Equity Capital Markets at Jefferies, joins Venrock partner Nimish Shah for a conversation on what will move the needle for the healthcare market in the months ahead. He shares advice on transactions including crossovers, reverse mergers, IPOs and also, his thoughts on what makes a strong management team, and how companies can prepare to impress public investors. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/35639505

Competitive, Meaningful Work 02/05/2025

Competitive, Meaningful Work Jonathan Violin, CEO of Crescent Biopharma and Venture Partner at Fairmount, speaks with Venrock partner Nimish Shah about how the company is keeping a frenetic and exciting pace to generate a new class of drugs while preparing to launch on the public markets later this year. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/35137760

Get Caught Trying 01/15/2025

Get Caught Trying Cameron Turtle, CEO of Spyre Therapeutics,Inc. speaks with Venrock partner Nimish Shah about Spyre’s priorities for 2025, building a collaborative and productive Board, how culture shines through when the going gets tough, and the best advice he's ever received. This podcast was recorded in December 2024. Please be advised that comments made during this podcast contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to Spyre Therapeutic, Inc.'s (“Spyre”) expectations regarding Spyre’s product candidates including their potential safety and efficacy, business and clinical trial plans, milestones and timelines. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. For further details concerning these risks and uncertainties, please refer to Spyre's SEC filings, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements are only as of the date they were made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. Spyre does not undertake or accept any duty to make any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/34837920

Keeping Technology Simple & Elegant 12/18/2024

Keeping Technology Simple & Elegant Bruce Perkins, healthcare advisor and former Humana leader, speaks with Venrock partners Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher about how he built Humana into a juggernaut of Medicare Advantage and his prognostications for the industry amid CMS-HCC model version 28, GLP-1s, margin structure recovery, and ongoing drug price negotiations. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/34421435

Healthcare Predictions for 2025 12/12/2024

Healthcare Predictions for 2025 Bob Kocher and Bryan Roberts take the mic for a special episode highlighting their predictions for healthcare in 2025. They go deeper on their thoughts about Medicare Advantage under the new administration, how a resurgence of IPOs and M&A could play out, where Big Tech may actually be good at healthcare, and more. To read all 10 of their annual predictions, check out their article in . /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/34403710

Translating the Science 11/13/2024

Translating the Science Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, speaks with Venrock partners Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher about the chapters of his career in public health before, during, and after the pandemic. He shares what he got right and wrong during his time as White House COVID-19 coordinator, how he managed 40-50 media interviews a day, where we have work to do on public health issues, and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/33822090

Electrifying the Market 07/31/2024

Electrifying the Market Elizabeth Pemmerl, Chief Revenue Officer at GitHub, speaks with Venrock partner Ethan Batraski to discuss her nearly decade-long journey with GitHub. Pemmerl shares how she transitioned from working in the public sector to GitHub, go-to-market strategies, balancing developer vs. enterprise needs, changing developer behavior and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/32358597

If You’re Going to Bet on Anyone, Bet on Yourself 07/17/2024

If You’re Going to Bet on Anyone, Bet on Yourself David Stark, Chief Medical Officer at Morgan Stanley, speaks with Venrock partner Bob Kocher to discuss his career journey from practicing medicine to taking a non-clinical role in business. Stark shares how he views his role as Chief Medical Officer, advice for other doctors who want to transition out of practicing medicine, what he’s proudest of at Morgan Stanley and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/32167272

Know What Problems You’re Solving 06/26/2024

Know What Problems You’re Solving Alex Rosemblat, former Chief Marketing Officer at Datadog, speaks with Venrock partner Ethan Batraski to discuss his 11-year run at the helm of Datadog’s Marketing Team and what’s next for his career. Rosemblat shares insights into leading Datadog’s go-to-market strategy, advice for other marketing leaders tackling this for a new product or company for the first time, his biggest learning from Datadog and more. During the conversation, Rosemblat recommended Digital CMO's Guide to Marketing Measurement by Bryan Semple. Book mentioned: /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/31889462

Be Planful as Early as Possible 06/12/2024

Be Planful as Early as Possible Heather Turner, CEO at Carmot Therapeutics, speaks with Venrock partner Nimish Shah to discuss her time as CEO. Turner shares how she guided the company through its acquisition by Roche, advice for other CEOs on the verge of an acquisition, her perspective on the GLP-1 market and what excites her about the future of biotech. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/31706727

Think Big, Focus Small 05/22/2024

Think Big, Focus Small Mark McKenna, chairman and CEO at Mirador Therapeutics, speaks with Venrock partner Nimish Shah to discuss his most recent role at Prometheus Biosciences and the beginning of his new company, Mirador. McKenna shares a behind-the-scenes look into leading Prometheus during its acquisition by Merck, why he started Mirador Therapeutics, advice for other CEOs, what he values in a team and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/31410417

Healthcare Prognosis 2024 05/09/2024

Healthcare Prognosis 2024 We have a special episode today because Venrock’s 8th annual Healthcare Prognosis results are in! From drugs (e.g., GLP-1s, pricing negotiations) to fundraising and optimism around the equity market to cybersecurity and AI regulations - this year’s survey covers it all. In this episode, partners Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher sit down to share their perspectives on the most interesting findings. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/31204757

Selectively Ignore to Positively Disrupt 04/17/2024

Selectively Ignore to Positively Disrupt Sami Inkinen, founder and CEO of Virta Health, speaks with Venrock partner Bob Kocher to discuss how Virta has evolved since he was on the podcast seven years ago. Inkinen shares how he views the GLP-1 craze, insights on his go-to-market strategy, advice for founders entering the healthcare market, and how Virta uses AI and technology. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/30855858

Taking Sand Out of the Gears 04/03/2024

Taking Sand Out of the Gears Latané Conant, Chief Revenue Officer at 6sense, speaks with Venrock partner Brian Ascher to discuss how her previous marketing role prepared her for her promotion to Chief Revenue Officer. Conant shares her approach to keeping product market fit, her opinion on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), how AI could impact sales and marketing and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/30653108

Overcoming Skepticism to Deliver Value 01/24/2024

Overcoming Skepticism to Deliver Value Isan Chen, CEO of MBrace Therapeutics, speaks with Venrock partner Racquel Bracken to discuss his career trajectory leading up to his founding of MBrace. Chen shares the impetus behind his decision to become an oncologist, why he switched from academic medicine to the industry side, lessons learned from years in drug development and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/29620888

Relentless Execution 12/06/2023

Relentless Execution Patrick Conway, CEO of Optum Rx, sits down with Venrock partners Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher to discuss his first few months on the job. Conway also shares his views on the best early metric indicators of success, the effectiveness of Medicare Advantage Star Ratings, the role of technology in value-based care and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/28949398

Do the Easiest Version of the Hard Thing 11/01/2023

Do the Easiest Version of the Hard Thing Ed Park, co-founder and CEO of Devoted Health, sits down with Venrock partners Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher to discuss the founding of Devoted. Park talks about his priorities for the next five years, the value he sees in AI and LLMs, Medicare Advantage industry changes, his favorite interview question for job candidates and more. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/28479725

The Ins and Outs of Being CEO 10/18/2023

The Ins and Outs of Being CEO Ying Huang, CEO of Legend Biotech, speaks with Venrock partner Nimish Shah about his career path to Legend Biotech and the lessons he learned from transitioning from Wall Street to an operating role. Huang also discusses what he prioritized when he first started the role, the most rewarding parts of his job and what characteristics he looks for when hiring people for his team. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/28357313

Using Rugged Flexibility to Master Change 09/05/2023

Using Rugged Flexibility to Master Change Brad Stulberg, best-selling author of The Practice of Groundedness and co-author of Peak Performance, speaks with Venrock partner Bob Kocher about Stulberg’s new book, Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything is Changing—Including You. Stulberg and Kocher discuss ways to rethink change, the concept of rugged flexibility and paths for embracing and growing from life’s constant instability. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/27907647

Optimizing Teamwork 06/14/2023

Optimizing Teamwork Senthil Sundaram, CEO of Terns Pharmaceuticals, speaks with Venrock’s Nimish Shah about the lessons learned balancing personal health events while being CEO of a young company. Sundaram also discusses the "Working Genius" model, an approach focused on leveraging the types of work that bring an employee energy, and his attitude towards team-based leadership and how it propels growth in the workplace. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/27143013

Take the Road Less Traveled 05/24/2023

Take the Road Less Traveled Dr. Sheila Gujrathi, a biotech industry veteran with a strong track record as an entrepreneur, physician executive, translational scientist, board member, and drug developer, speaks with Venrock’s Nimish Shah about the lessons learned in her career at biotech companies both big (Genentech) and small (Gossamer Bio, Receptos, Inc.). Dr. Gujrathi also discusses the importance of building a team of people with shared values, the most challenging parts of being a CEO, and how she’s helping to push diversity in biotech forward. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/26932476

The Truth Will Always Be Revealed, So Act Accordingly 03/22/2023

The Truth Will Always Be Revealed, So Act Accordingly Sam Kintz, co-founder, and CEO of Enliven Therapeutics, speaks with Venrock partner Nimish Shah about the journey that led him to found Enliven. Kintz delves into lessons learned during his time at Roche Venture Fund, and how his time at Stemcentrx and Abbvie revealed what truly matters most to him – being a part of an entire drug development story. Kintz discusses his decision to pursue a reverse merger (and how he persuaded everyone involved to follow this path), what defines a great leader, and shares the best advice he received from one of his mentors. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/26296497

C.O.R.E. Culture with the Right Team 03/01/2023

C.O.R.E. Culture with the Right Team Venrock partners Andrew Gottesdiener and Nimish Shah speak with Michael Henderson, CEO of Apogee Therapeutics, about his role’s unique challenges and opportunities. Henderson discusses his accelerated career trajectory, valuable lessons that have helped shape his success, and Apogee’s recent Series B financing round. Henderson delves into the importance of culture building, including Apogee’s guiding principles (CORE: Care, Original, Resilient, Ego-Less), and his strategies for navigating a challenging biotech industry. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/26091048

The Innovation Frontier of Wealth Management 01/17/2023

The Innovation Frontier of Wealth Management Venrock’s Nick Beim speaks with Steve Lockshin, founder of Vanilla, about lessons learned as a serial entrepreneur in wealth management services. Lockshin shares what drives him as an entrepreneur, the need for more digestible information in estate planning, and his most valuable lessons learned on the path to building Vanilla. Lockshin also discusses the importance of humility and how it helped guide his decisions as a business leader. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/25577745

Be Humble About What You Know (And Don’t Know) 12/14/2022

Be Humble About What You Know (And Don’t Know) Venrock partner Nick Beim speaks with Bill McNabb, former chairman and CEO of Vanguard, an asset management company that pioneered low-cost investing for the consumer. McNabb shares important leadership lessons including the importance of being humble, having a clear definition of success, and knowing what makes a high-performing team. McNabb reveals significant decisions he made during his time at Vanguard, such as having “no layoffs” during a crisis, and highlights the importance of thinking long-term while still being agile. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/25330725

Thinking Long Term is the Greatest Gift 11/09/2022

Thinking Long Term is the Greatest Gift Farzad Mostashari, founder and CEO of Aledade, speaks with Venrock’s Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher about improving the quality and efficiency of patient care with a focus on preventative care. With the recent launch of Aledade Care Solutions and new focus on Medicare Advantage, Mostashari delves into Aledade’s efforts to scale and deliver where average primary care practices can’t. Mostashari also reveals his approach to value based care incentive structure, and why building a valuable solution requires a long time horizon. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/24954861

Diversifying the Cap Table 10/26/2022

Diversifying the Cap Table Venrock partners Bryan Roberts and Bob Kocher, speak with Heather Fernandez, co-founder and CEO of Solv, about Solv’s mission, building more cap table diversity in tech, and the healthcare field today. Fernandez delves into Solv’s Series C funding round where she created a special purpose vehicle (SPV) focused on women of color, bringing in first-time investors who wouldn’t otherwise have access. Fernandez also shares how Solv is unlocking capacity with software, its pricing strategy, and its goals for the next 2-3 years. /episode/index/show/runningthroughwalls/id/24809556

Running Through Walls

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