David Lustig

Collect ideas that you may find useful later. For instance, I like Youtube videos that teach me shortcuts, and better ways of doing things. I SAVE those to my profile so I can go back again later and find it quickly when I need it or when I can add it to my running cheat sheet.

Invest time up front to find an efficient workflow that will scale to your needs. Make sure you're not optimizing just for the sake of optimizing and that it will be expected to pay off with a net time savings going forward. Recognize when you have put so much time into optimizing the workflow that it won't bring a benefit so that you can pivot and just brute force it to get the job done. If you have found a particularly efficient workflow, share it with your colleagues and offer to implement it so they can benefit too.

When I lead an internal meeting, I like to close with an opportunity for everyone to share a recent win or learning such as a message that resonated with the audience. I always start off to prime the pump, often with a productivity tip that I know can be a real time saver. I'll share a few now: When pasting, use WINDOWS-v instead of ctrl-v to get a buffer of the last few things you have copied. This can simplify filling in forms because you can copy copy copy, then switch over to the form and paste paste paste. You can pin commonly used content to that buffer so it will always be there. The fastest way to do screen shots is to use WINDOWS-SHIFT-s. Wait for the crosshairs. Select the exact part of the screen you want, then paste it.

Know the purpose of the communication and start off by saying that clearly. As a scientist myself, I know the temptation to build a case with evidence before getting to the big reveal of the conclusion. The problem with that is that you can lose people along the way - you may see them cocking their heads with a confused look because they don't know where you are going. At worst, they might follow the wrong path and come to a different conclusion before you get there and become entrenched in that rather than being open to your message.

Take every opportunity you get to present to an audience no matter how small or large. Practice your talk to yourself out loud at least six times. Say the actual words rather than just think to yourself what each slide is there for. I practice until I have done the entire talk twice to my satisfaction. * Pay attention to the transition between slides or topics that don't come naturally to you and work on something you're comfortable with. You may need to rearrange, add or remove slides. * Time yourself for each practice run to make sure you hit your mark. Your message will be lost if you greatly exceed your allotted time. * Read your audience. If they look confused, annoyed, or they stop paying attention, work on your message.

Brainstorm with your team and outside advisors to anticipate objections based on risks. Include: * someone who can quantify the market size and opportunity potential *an expert in target biology to assess potential for efficacy and undesired on-target effects * a drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics scientist to review available data for stability of the active species, distribution to the target tissue, possible route of administration and dosing regimen * experts in toxicity and safety * a CMC chemist for manufacturability and cost of goods * Physicians to inform on clinical trials and patient needs Once you start presenting to investors, use their questions and feedback to better prepare for the same issues in future pitches.