When I started my first company, I came from the tech world. Fast-moving. Lean. Digital-first. You fail fast, pivot, and build on the go. The rules of that world are familiar to a lot of entrepreneurs: move quickly, launch early, raise capital, and hope for scale.

But after spending a few years deep in biotech—building companies, investing, and taking part in three successful exits—I can tell you the playbook there is very different. And frankly, there’s a lot the tech community could learn from it.

Biotech doesn’t get to move fast and break things. In that world, if you move fast and break things, people can get hurt. Because of that, the culture is built around something tech often overlooks: discipline. Rigor. A long view. And ironically, that’s why some of the best-run biotech companies are more successful than tech startups that rush to the market with half-baked ideas and shaky fundamentals.

Risk Looks Different When the Stakes Are Higher

In tech, we talk about risk like it’s a badge of honor. Founders raise big rounds on early traction and chase massive growth without always thinking about the downside. And don’t get me wrong—I love risk. I’ve built multiple businesses by betting on myself and pushing through uncertainty.

But biotech taught me there’s a difference between blind risk and calculated risk. When you’re dealing with science, clinical trials, and real human lives, you don’t get to bluff your way through a bad quarter. You don’t get to fake traction. Either science works, or it doesn’t. Either the trial moves forward, or it stops cold. So you learn to respect the risk. You do your homework. You surround yourself with experts. You plan for every possible outcome—because your investors, your partners, and patients are counting on you to get it right.

I think tech startups could benefit from that same respect for risk. Instead of chasing hype cycles and rushing products to market, more founders should slow down and ask hard questions. Is this business model sound? Do we really understand our customer? Are we solving a real problem, or just trying to be first?

Rigor Is the Difference Between a Guess and a Business

Biotech companies are built on validation. Every claim is backed by data. Every step forward—whether it’s a new compound, a device, or a treatment—is grounded in proof. You don’t move from Phase I to Phase II on a hunch. You move with evidence.

That kind of discipline creates a culture of excellence. It forces you to be accountable to your team, your investors, and your mission. And I’ve come to believe that kind of rigor is exactly what separates good companies from great ones in any industry.

In tech, too many startups confuse speed with progress. But building something fast doesn’t mean it’s strong. I’ve seen founders skip validation because they’re afraid to slow down. They push product before market fit. They chase users without a monetization plan. And then they’re surprised when the business collapses under pressure.

If there’s one lesson tech can borrow from biotech, it’s this: don’t guess. Prove. Prove your market. Prove your product. Prove your process. Then scale.

Exit Strategy Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought

Here’s something biotech does really well: it builds with the end in mind. From day one, biotech founders know how their story needs to unfold. They understand what investors are looking for, what acquirers care about, and what milestones matter most on the path to exit.

In tech, I’ve seen way too many founders wait until it’s too late to think about exits. They get caught up in fundraising and growth, and they forget to ask the most important question: What does winning look like?

Is it an acquisition? Is it an IPO? Is it long-term sustainability? Biotech companies answer that question early. And because of that, they’re much more intentional in how they grow. They align their capital strategy, their hiring, their product roadmap—everything—with the exit they’re aiming for.

Tech founders should take note. You don’t need to know exactly how your story ends, but you do need to build with a clear sense of where you’re trying to go. That clarity helps you make better decisions, avoid dilution, and keep your team focused on the right goals.

Bridging the Best of Both Worlds

Now, let me be clear—I still love the energy of the tech world. The creativity, the pace, the willingness to try things that seem impossible. But after working on both sides of the table, I believe the future belongs to entrepreneurs who can merge the best of both mindsets.

Bring the speed and flexibility of tech. But combine it with the rigor, accountability, and long-view thinking of biotech. That’s the sweet spot. That’s where companies don’t just launch—they last.

At North Valley Precision, we carry that philosophy into everything we do. We operate in the manufacturing world, but we think like investors. We lead with discipline, but we move with urgency. We plan for exits, but we build for durability.

And that balance—the mix of risk, rigor, and strategic clarity—is what’s taken us from a small team to a rapidly growing force in defense and aerospace manufacturing.

Whether you’re building the next great app or a breakthrough cancer treatment, the principles are the same: understand your risk, validate your vision, and know your destination. If the tech world can learn those lessons from biotech, I think we’ll see fewer crashes and more companies that actually deliver on their promises.

At the end of the day, it’s not about building fast—it’s about building right. That’s what creates value. That’s what drives exits. And that’s what wins.