Book excerpt: Innovation is the translation of a new method, idea, or product into reality and profit. It is a process of connected steps that accumulates into your brand or reputation. However, there can be many pitfalls and wrong turns on the road to realizing this goal. Innovation, Commercialization, and Start-Ups in Life Sciences details the methodologies necessary to create a successful life sciences start-up from initiation to exit. You will gain an appreciation for the necessary data, partnership, and skills to be acquired and the constituencies that must be satisfied along the way. The book examines how life sciences start-ups can create an exit for their investors by recognizing that a liquidity event is not consummated without due diligence. Due diligence is bigger than validating accounting transactions. It ensures the company is solving an important customer problem, demonstrating sales access, and making sure that intellectual property is impervious to competitive advancement. The due diligence process supports the telling of a compelling story to customers, investors, regulators, and acquirers. Written by an expert who has worked with more than 200 life sciences start-ups during the past decade, the book discusses specific processes and investor milestones that must be navigated to align customer, funder, and acquirer needs. It examines these processes from the perspective of marketing value through a focus on the needs of individual constituents—investors, regulators, customers, and exit candidates. The book presents data and analytical processes articulating the fundable milestones for angel and venture capital. It gives you the tools needed to create branding for public investors and more.