Seizing opportunities for professional development and promotion in Ag-biotech startups
Finding opportunities for professional development and promotion is not the same in a startup as it is in a big company. There is no ladder for you to climb. You have to build it as the startup is growing. The job title is a guideline that does not always reflect the needs and expectations of the position. That is because the expectations depend on the product’s needs and development stage. Since this is a developing product, the job has to evolve along with the product’s development. For example, in Phase 0 (product concept), product’s needs are very different from those in Phase I (proof of concept), Phase II (field demonstrations), and Phase III (commercialization). To succeed and thrive, you need to grow professionally and adapt to the needs of the startup and the product you are developing. At every stage, you have the opportunity to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities.
Phase 0: Market research for the concept product is critical to set the stage for phase I. Market research helps us understand the agriculture ecosystem, the end user farmers’ and the customers’ needs, current solutions, unmet needs, how they learn about new technology, how they decide to purchase a new product, and what kind of features they are looking for in a new product. The third-party market research reports are great overviews of the general market needs. However, actual interviews with farmers, scientists at ag-input or seed corporations, influencers, CROs, pest control advisors, and extension agents provide rich data and new insights specific to the product you will develop and guide into phase I. This is very hard work. To collect the market research data that will give you the competitive edge, you start by creating a set of questions that you will ask everyone. These questions should guide you in developing a go-to-market strategy (including identifying the beachhead market), learning what technical data your customers need to adopt your technology, and how and where to communicate your new technology to customers and partners. They will help you know how and when to partner, and identify resources (incubators, investors, accelerators) that will help you succeed. Besides the common twenty questions, you can create a subset of 3–5 questions specific to who is interviewed (big and small farmers, influencers, distributors, big ag-input companies, seed companies, investors, incubators). Collecting data means calling and interviewing at least 30 to 100 people for 15–60 min interviews, recording their answers, and then analyzing the data. Once you identify that there is a market need you can start working on your goals for product development. Market research guides how to demonstrate proof of concept.
Phase I: Demonstrating proof of concept means that there will be many tests in the lab. This is because they are cheaper and produce the required data for decision making and derisking the technology faster than other approaches. The lab assays can vary depending on the product developed, including behavior bioassays, agar plate assays, lethal dose 50 (LT50), molecular analysis, chemical analysis, soil assays, germination tests, temperature tests, biomass, and stability. Once you have demonstrated proof of concept in the lab, it is time to take it out of the lab. The first step is the greenhouse. Depending on how much funds the startup has, the greenhouse trials can be done in-house or by a third-party using University labs, industry, or contract research organizations (CRO). Since this is a unique product, the third-party scientists do not have a standard protocol to test the startup’s prototype. So, it requires developing protocols for testing and designing experiments to test the protocol and standardize procedures. Communication with the third party on how to execute the tests with the right procedure for your product is essential.
Phase I: Business development: This is a place where you can develop your Rolodex to sell a product in phase III. Since the product is under development, information and sales materials need to be created. For example, you will be creating or refining the value proposition and features of the product and explaining the mode of action. The communication material will be customized depending on who we are communicating with such as prospective customers or investors, farmers, or partners. By the time the product is developed in phase III, you have the Rolodex, the product information, and sales materials to sell it.
Phase II: Field trials are essential to demonstrate to customers, distributors, and regulators that your product works and does not have any unintended consequences. This stage offers many opportunities for professional development and advancement. The market research and data generated in the lab and greenhouse will inform the field trial design and methods. Field trials are expensive so creating good standard operating procedures (SOPs) is essential. Designing the field trials and the SOPs and managing the trials is an opportunity for professional development.
Likewise, manufacturing needs to be scaled up to provide material for field trials and sales in the future. This is an opportunity to scale up prototype production and develop upstream and downstream manufacturing methods as well as quality control parameters and formulations. At every step, the product needs to be tested to ensure that it still works as designed. Manufacturing and scale-up is another opportunity for professional development.
Bringing an ag-biotech product to market will require EPA approval. Working with the EPA is a specialty that frequently requires EPA consultants. Working with an EPA consultant to plan for EPA registrations and produce a package to submit to the EPA is crucial for product development. Since this is going to be a commercial product, packaging, labels, and safety data sheets (SDS) need to be prepared, as well as instructions for use. These are just a few opportunities for professional development. There are many more. You just have to be ready and willing to take on a new challenge.
Skills for all phases of product development
Fundraising: Fundraising is necessary for every phase of the product development. Fundraising comes in different forms, such as grants (nondilutive), loans, and investments (dilutive). Organizations could be federal agencies, state agencies, or nonprofits. For example, writing small business innovation research (SBIR) grants will improve your written communication skills. You will use the market research described above to guide your business section and the technical narrative of the grant. Raising money from investors will develop your verbal communication with visuals (pitch decks) for the general audience and businesspeople. Once again, you will use the market research data collected in phase 0 to prepare a pitch deck and communicate with the graphic designer to make it pretty. For fundraising from grants, you must be a clear and compelling writer. For fundraising from investors, you have to like talking and networking with people. Remember to smile!
Creating product awareness: It can be accomplished in many ways, writing blogs about the technology (how it works, features, mode of action), posts on social media platforms (X, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Instagram, or Facebook), podcasts, presentations at industry conferences, and farmer conferences. For science-based startups, it can also be academic publications or publications in Trade or Grower Journals.
To seize the opportunities, you have to grow with the Ag-biotech startup. To do that you need to know the product development phase (see previous blog). Sometimes, startups develop multiple products with different stages of development. This means more opportunities. Understanding product development stage provides an insight into the qualifications for the next position and the time to acquire the required skills to qualify. At Pheronym we use nematode pheromones to control agricultural pests, providing climate-smart, eco-friendly alternatives to soil fumigants and improving soil health. We are currently developing two products: 1- Nemastim a pheromone mixture that improves the efficacy of beneficial nematodes to control insect pests in the soil. Nemastim is in Phase II. 2- Pherocoat is a pheromone mixture that deters the plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) from healthy plant roots. PPNs attack the plant roots and reduce the yields. Pherocoat is transitioning from Phase 0 to Phase I. Follow the link to join our amazing team.
Author: Dr. Fatma Kaplan is the CEO/CSO of Pheronym. She is an Activate Berkeley Alumni Fellow & Berkeley Lab Affiliate Cyclotron Road Cohort 2021. She is also an entrepreneur and an accomplished scientist with experience in both biology and chemistry. She has a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology and postdoctoral training in Natural Product Chemistry with a focus on isolating biologically active compounds. Dr. Kaplan discovered the first sex pheromone of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and published it in Nature. Then she discovered that pheromones regulate other behaviors in both parasitic and beneficial nematodes. Dr. Kaplan conducted the first agricultural biocontrol experiment in Space at the International Space Station in 2020. She has very high-impact publications, and her dissertation (beta-amylase’s role during cold and heat shock) was cited in textbooks within 5 years of publication. Dr. Kaplan worked as a scientist at NASA, the National Magnetic Field Laboratory, and the US Department of Agriculture — Agricultural Research Service. Dr. Fatma Kaplan and Mr. Karl C. Schiller co-founded Pheronym to bring nematode pheromone technology to the market and to provide effective, non-toxic, sustainable pest control for farmers and gardeners.
