VC Money Tight? Here’s How Startups Still Land Top Talent (2025)

What happens when 3,500 staffers lose their jobs due to FDA layoffs, venture capital (VC) term sheets shrink, and AI drug-discovery startups raise $600 million rounds? 

Executive recruiter William Holodnak (ex-Fidelity, global biotech headhunter) breaks down 2025’s wild hiring market—and how founders can still build A-teams.

In this episode you’ll learn:

- Why the April-1 FDA layoffs could delay approvals—and open new career doors for ex-regulators. 

- The three traits VCs demand in first-time biotech CEOs during a funding slump. 

- How AI-driven platforms like Isomorphic Labs raised mega-rounds in a down market. 

- Immunology’s surge and why oncology startups are pivoting. 

- Board-level recruiting tactics that de-risk your Series B.

🎙️ Guest: William Holodnak | Founder and President of Occam Global
🔗 Connect with Bill: LinkedIn

📌 Chapters:
00:00 Intro
05:45 Cambridge—“the Florence of Biotech” origin story
08:20 FDA layoffs: threat or opportunity?
13:30 Biotech venture capital mood swings & funding checkpoints
18:00 What VCs really screen for in scientific founders
25:05 The “horses for courses” CEO model explained
33:00 Hot therapeutic areas: AI drug discovery, immunology, repurposing
38:30 Why boards need operators, not just investors
47:00 Career improvisation: William’s closing advice

For transcripts, check out the podcast website - www.lifesciencespod.com