On Sitting on the Sidelines: Why Calling Out the Problems Isn’t Enough

Every so often, I wonder if I’m shouting into the void. Not in the performative, social media outrage kind of way, but in the actual sense of watching bad ideas flourish, seeing obvious failures repeat themselves, and knowing that most people will keep playing along—because it’s easier.

It sometimes feels like I’m in the company of the Remnant, the small, stubborn group that Albert Jay Nock wrote about in Isaiah’s Job. The ones who refuse to accept nonsense, who challenge the consensus even when it’s unpopular, and who insist on telling the truth—even when everyone else is busy applauding the latest best-in-class mirage.

It’s easy to point out what’s wrong—the intellectual dishonesty in VC track records, the biotech funding ecosystem built on PR stunts, the self-congratulatory awards cycle, and the LinkedIn theater of self-promotion. But sitting on the sidelines, watching it unfold, is not enough.

Being a Critic vs. Building Something Better

I will continue calling things out, but it’s not just about critique—it’s about building something better. That’s why I started Capital for Cures. That’s why I keep pushing for smarter biotech funding models, more transparent investment structures, and more realistic conversations about innovation.

Because the alternative is what? Sitting back and letting the same flawed incentives keep churning out the same broken outcomes? Pretending a €250k check will somehow solve the deep structural problems in European biotech? Accepting that innovation theater is just “how the game is played”?

No. That’s how you end up on the sidelines permanently—complaining while nothing changes.

The Harder Path: Creating Real Change

Building something real means:

• Resisting the easy PR wins.
• Focusing on capital that actually moves the needle.
• Structuring deals in ways that don’t just reward insiders.
• Funding things that might not be LinkedIn-friendly but actually matter.

It also means accepting that the Remnant will always be small. Most people will follow the trend. Most investors will keep playing the same game. Most institutions will chase whatever sounds good on stage at a conference. But the ones who actually change things? They don’t need mass approval. They just need to get to work.

So, I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep calling things out. But more importantly, I’ll keep building something better.

Because pointing out the problems is the easy part. Fixing them is what actually matters.