How Breakthroughs Get Built: A Conversation with Steve Potts

In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha sits down with Steve Potts, CEO of Breakthru Medicine, to explore what it actually takes to turn scientific insight into life-changing therapies. With multiple FDA-approved drugs in his track record and a newly closed $60 million Series A, one of the largest early-stage financings in Phoenix’s bioscience ecosystem, Potts brings a rare perspective on building in a field defined by uncertainty, long timelines, and high stakes.The conversation moves beyond the headlines to unpack the mechanics of innovation. Potts shares how experience, judgment, and data come together to identify which ideas have real potential, and which don’t. He explains Breakthru Medicine’s patient-first, tumor-agnostic approach, and the emerging science behind molecular glues, small molecules, and next-generation antibody-drug conjugates.Osha and Potts also step back to examine the broader system: why so many therapies fail, how startups and large pharma play complementary roles, and why new geographies like Phoenix are becoming credible centers of biotech innovation.At its core, this episode is about decision-making under uncertainty—how leaders place bets when the outcomes matter deeply and the answers aren’t clear. For anyone interested in the future of medicine, innovation, or building at the edge of what’s possible, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at how breakthroughs actually get built.