14. Learnings from Small Biotech with Rachel Couchenour of Travere Therapeutics

In this episode, Scott Thompson sits down with Rachel Couchenour, a seasoned medical affairs leader with deep experience navigating the unique challenges of small and emerging biotech companies. Together, they dive into what it really means to be a team of one—or a small team—in a resource-constrained organization.

Rachel shares wisdom from her journey transitioning from big pharma to startups, highlighting both the missteps and the wins. From prioritizing medical affairs activities to building strategic partnerships and creating cross-functional alignment, she offers invaluable insights for professionals looking to make an impact in lean, high-stakes environments.

Whether you're contemplating a move to a smaller company, building out a medical affairs function from scratch, or looking to do more with less, this episode is full of practical advice and inspiring takeaways.

 

Key Themes:

• Prioritizing when everything feels urgent
• Building scientific narratives before deploying field teams
• How small teams can drive omnichannel impact
• Stretching budgets through smarter agency collaboration
• Leading without structure—and loving it
• Redefining career growth beyond traditional ladders

 

Bonus: Learn about “Flossy the Focused Flamingo” and how stuffed animals are shaping team culture!

 

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcouchenour/

 

OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast, delivers insightful conversations on the most pressing issues facing top Medical Affairs professionals. Listen to stay ahead of industry trends and be inspired by leaders shaping the future of Medical Affairs.

OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

 

[00:00] Introduction and Guest Welcome

[00:47] Navigating Small and Emerging Biotechs

[02:10] Key Pillars of Medical Affairs

[04:06] Challenges and Strategies in Small Teams

[08:03] Effective Stakeholder Engagement

[10:59] Resource Management and Prioritization

[32:13] Career Development in Small Organizations