David Craig, a biotechnology founder and industry operator, has released his book "The New Rules of Biotech: A Founder’s Guide to Building Great Companies" in hardcover and audiobook formats, expanding access for readers who prefer different media. The hardcover edition ($29.99) and audiobook on Google Play join the previously available paperback ($21.99) and Kindle ($11.99) editions on Amazon. The book targets founders, investors, board members, and operators navigating the current biotech landscape, which has shifted significantly since 2021.
The book argues that the playbook from 2021 is outdated due to more expensive capital, a higher FDA bar, and the Inflation Reduction Act altering drug economics before approval. Investors now demand capital efficiency and clear value pathways rather than funding unproven ideas. Craig draws on his experience founding and running a preclinical biotech company to provide an operating manual for modern company building. Topics include choosing between platforms and assets, selecting affordable modalities, raising seed rounds based on milestones, and using non-dilutive capital strategically. The book covers IND-enabling work, CMC, clinical decisions, term sheets, board dynamics, business development, and exits like acquisitions and IPOs, all without sentimentality.
Each chapter includes takeaways for operators and separate insights for investors and advisors, making the content relevant for both sides of the table. The audiobook format allows listeners to absorb the material on the move. Craig founded his company partly due to a family connection to RYR-1 related congenital muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic muscle disease, which informs the book's emphasis on responsibility beyond financial returns.
"Founders and operators take in ideas in different ways," said Craig. "The hardcover is there for the people who want a durable copy on the desk, the paperback and Kindle for everyone else, and the audiobook on Google Play for those who prefer to listen on the move. The message is the same across all of them: build for the market that exists now, not the one that existed in 2021."
The book is published by D. Craig Consulting LLC and is available at the following links: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook on Google Play. The original publication date was June 8, 2026.
