Robert Nelsen
5,473 posts
Company founder and venture capitalist focused on disruptive innovation, esp. biotechnology and AI. Active angel in tech. Fierce Optimist.
- All of this “tax unrealized gains” talk is by folks who have never taken risk, built things, invested capital. That risk-taking is why the USA leads in innovation. If you make short-term sellers (to pay tax) out of long-term risk takers, it is toxic to the system.
- The stupidity of bringing 100,000 people to Comic Con in Seattle when there is unchecked community spread of COVID19 is hard to underestimate.
- All drug development should be like Operation Warp Speed. Alzheimer’s, Cancer. Mental health. And many more. Need this sense of urgency in government and industry all the time. Every day.
- In my 40 years of biotech, I was waiting to see this result. Never before have transplanted cells survived normal immune response without immunosuppression. Excited for patients, many whom I know see hope today for a possible cure for many diseases.
- Bernie. Really. The “crooks” running pharmaceutical and biotechs are working 24/7 trying to save your life and of the rest of the citizens of the world from COVID19. You are pathetic and have no knowledge at all of how the world actually works.
- Am amazed at the revolution in healthcare that is occurring. All the bullshit rules that delayed progress—practicing across state lines, telemedicine, reimbursement, diagnostics, mental health care online....are all gone or going. They will never come back. Total revolution.
- Watching the Live cast of innocent Venezuelans being shot by Maduro’s forces and that feeling of helplessness against tyranny. They took the peoples’ guns away years ago.
- Estimates: multiple sources: 500,000+ infected:China. R0 2.5-3+ Doubling time 3 days. Unprecedented speed. Fatality rate range .1-1%+: truly unknown. 2-14 day incubation. 20% diagnosed at hospital need critical care. If sustained transmission, could infect 15-20 percent world.
- Silicon Valley. Are you smarter than Stanford? They closed classes. No cases. Smart. You will be Seattle in a couple weeks. Italy in 4. Close your schools for a couple weeks. Extra spring break. Slow the curve. 1918 studies show only works if you do it early.
- For those of you still worried that this is all overblown. 1. I hope you are right. 2. China has implemented the largest quarantine in the history of the planet for some reason. Most major cities are shut. They have the data.
- Moderna is a great example of how the American innovation system works. Strong support for basic science, but it takes entrepreneurs and venture capital to translate it. It took 10 years. We need to support long-term investment incentives to build theses companies.




