From SaaS to Science: David Apple on Driving Biotech With Purpose

In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with David Apple, founder and CEO of Shark Tooth Biotech, to explore purpose-driven building, rare disease innovation, and what it really takes to start over in an entirely new industry.David helped scale two of the most iconic SaaS companies of the last decade—Typeform and Notion—as an early go-to-market leader. Today, he’s bringing those same first-principles instincts to biotech, building Shark Tooth Biotech to develop treatments for CMT1A, a rare, progressive neurological disease affecting his young son and more than a million people worldwide. He shares how his son’s diagnosis reshaped his definition of success, why rare diseases remain underfunded despite impacting 1 in 10 people globally, and how AI, drug repurposing, and unconventional paths can accelerate progress in a traditionally slow field—while reflecting on scaling early teams, building with personal stakes, and why curiosity, retention, and purpose matter more than ever for founders.Why early-stage building starts with first principles, not optimizationLessons from scaling Typeform and Notion from zero to global adoptionWhy retention—not acquisition—is the foundation of sustainable growthWhat most tech founders misunderstand about biotech fundraisingHow AI is accelerating drug discovery and repurposingThe emotional highs and lows of building a company for your childWhy founders should prioritize purpose alongside commercial outcomesThis conversation is a powerful look at building not just for scale, but for impact.FOLLOW DAVID APPLELinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appledavid/Twitter/X: @davidcapplehttps://www.sharktooth.bio/FOLLOW THE COUNCIL & FIRST BUILDERSNewsletterYouTube: @firstbuilderspodInstagram: @thecouncilcapitalTwitter/X: @first_builders_TikTok: @firstbuilderspodLinkedIn: The Council