May 14, 2012 | Posted by Richard in Confessions of a serial entrepreneur | No Comments
I AM inspired by new products and ways of doing things – what is called “disruption”– and this led me to meeting Nigel Coole, an inventor. “Think back Richard, to when you were a teenager fumbling around on a date and got lucky enough to undo a bra. Do you remember the struggle and embarrassment with the clip?” Vague memories of a tangled mess came to mind, and I knew what he meant. “Well, it’s not just a problem for the boys,” he added. “Women who wear them can struggle too. On top of that, the hook and eye is ugly, lumpy under clothes, and an expensive component for manufacturers.”
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April 30, 2012 | Posted by Richard in Confessions of a serial entrepreneur | 1 Comment
Richard Marsden describes his meeting with University of Southampton scientists in 2003 as one of the most memorable moments of his life. That very meeting, about a potential new medicine, could prove pivotal to the health of millions of people. If Richard hadn’t been there, the idea may never have been developed. The discussion was all about lungs. The scientists had discovered that a vital defence mechanism didn’t always work. When the lungs are under attack, they normally produce “interferon beta”, a protein that helps fight off nasty viruses. This reaction can be key to stop say, an ordinary head cold travelling south to the lungs where it could do real damage. People such as asthmatics and smokers don’t always produce enough of the protein, and can suffer badly, even fatally, when they have a cold.
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