Assignment 2: Job Description Draft
This summer, I worked as a Business and Strategy Analyst at Kidod Science & Technologies, a med-tech startup based in Los Angeles. Kidod develops a rapid cancer detection tool that can identify biomarkers from a saliva or urine sample in less than a minute. The company’s goal is to make cancer screening cheaper, faster, and more accessible to underserved populations.
Because it was a small startup, my role changed almost every week. One day I was building investor slides, and the next, I was mapping out how to bring a medical device into the U.S. healthcare system. The best way to explain what I did is to break it into three areas: building the go-to-market strategy, supporting fundraising, and preparing for regulation.
Go-to-Market Strategy
I helped map out how Kidod could enter the U.S. market and obtain FDA approval. That meant researching which clinics and hospitals would adopt a new diagnostic first and how we could reach communities with little access to traditional cancer screening. I created strategy documents on target states, pricing models, and distribution channels.
A lot of my work involved analyzing data: cancer incidence rates, reimbursement codes, and patient demographics. For example, I studied how underserved clinics in California could be an entry point since they often face long wait times for mammograms and biopsies.
Fundraising Support
I also worked closely with the CEO and advisors to prepare investor materials. I built pitch decks for accelerators like Berkeley SkyDeck and SoCalBio, making sure we explained both the science and the business opportunity clearly.
These decks included everything from competitor analysis to five-year revenue projections. I learned how to tell a story: not just “what the technology is,” but “why it matters” and “why investors should care.”
Regulatory Path
Another part of my job was researching the FDA approval process. Since the product is a diagnostic, we studied the 510(k) clearance pathway and mapped timelines for clinical validation. I also looked at the European processes, comparing how long it would take to get approval in each region.
This work gave me insight into how complex medical regulations are, and how much planning it takes before a product even reaches a patient.
Lessons Learned
At Kidod, I learned that working in a startup means wearing many hats. One day, I was analyzing global cancer rates, and the next, I was editing graphs in a PowerPoint. But every task connected back to the same mission: getting life-saving technology into the hands of people who need it.
The experience showed me how business, science, and healthcare come together. It also taught me to respect how hard it is to bring medical innovation to market and how rewarding it feels to be part of that process.
Score once finalized.
Hi Ela, I really enjoyed reading about your experience at Kidod this past summer. It’s very cool that you were able to take on many different roles and tasks during you time there. how many different. I liked learning about how business and science intersect in med-tech startups
ReplyDeleteHello Ela! I think that your job description provides thoughtful insight into your role at Kidod this summer. The bold headings, short paragraphs, sentence structure make it easy to read. It was interesting to hear about your experience in a start up; it sounds like you needed to be very adaptable!
ReplyDeleteHi Ela! I appreciate how you broke it down at the start to help the reader understand what they will be reading and learning about. Although your role would change weekly, you did a great job summing up the main tasks. A minor suggestion, given the guidelines for writing in plain English, would be to replace "510(k)" with a reference to the document itself, possibly including "(510k)" in parentheses. Sounds like a great experience overall!
ReplyDeleteHey Ela! I find it impressive how you were able to constantly adapt to new responsibilities each time your role changed. Your short sentences also helped make this post easy to read. I'd have like to hear more about how you applied and got into this internship, to give the reader a bit more context. Aside from that, I loved reading your post, and look forward to reading your final draft!
ReplyDeleteHey Ela! This seems like a very interesting role you had. It sounds like you had a lot to do in various different sectors, so I can imagine you are good at learning fast. That is a good skill to have.
ReplyDelete