Finish What You Started: Interview with Amro Albanna, Co-Founder and CEO of Aditxt

I recently went one-on-one with Amro Albanna, co-founder and CEO of Aditxt.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Amro: I am a serial innovation entrepreneur who has been involved in founding and growing multiple startups around promising innovations. I co-founded Aditxt in 2017 with a vision of creating a publicly owned innovation company to advance and commercialize some of the most promising biotechnologies developed by leading research institutions. Outside of healthtech, I’ve launched and scaled companies in multiple industries like nanotechnology, entomology, 3-D spatial tracking and pattern recognition, GPS and telecommunications, and ecommerce. The most valuable lessons I’ve learned are from falling (not failing). Starting and growing a business around an idea is an obstacle course. Believing in the mission and having the right team and stakeholders, is key to navigating around the challenges. 

Adam: How did you come up with your business ideas? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Amro: Aditxt was founded based on my entrepreneurial journey and witnessing the fact that many promising innovations are never given an opportunity to be discovered, developed, and commercialized. 90% of startups fail due to a number of obstacles - funds, resources, research, staffing, and more.

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple. Promising ideas and innovations are all around us, whether they come from research institutions or public/private institutions. There are a massive number of inventions that already exist and are waiting to be discovered. What we truly need are professional innovation entrepreneurs who are committed to finding, cultivating, and commercializing inventions with the purpose of benefiting those who need them the most. 

For far too long, we have connected entrepreneurs with only the creation of ideas. We need to rethink our views on entrepreneurship separating it from idea creation to idea discovery. Society needs professional innovation entrepreneurs who have the skills required to transform good ideas that already exist into long-lasting and purpose-driven businesses.

Adam: How did you know your business ideas were worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Amro: By starting from the end. It is about recognizing current or future needs in the market. From there, it is a journey of discovery, development, and deployment towards meeting such needs. 

For example, there are many medical conditions and diseases that often don’t get the interest, research, and resources dedicated to cures and treatment. Well-known diseases and conditions like cancer and influenza get the most attention and investment, but I like to focus on identifying the lesser-known conditions, like Stiff Person Syndrome or pediatric Crohn’s Disease, and seek emerging ideas, technology, and treatments to bring to those who need it the most. In my mind, there are no small diseases, but there are big ideas out there waiting to be discovered.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your businesses? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Amro: It is key for entrepreneurs to define what success means to them. The definition of success and growth differs from one entrepreneur to another. There are different types of businesses and different strategies to achieve success. 

A lifestyle business is very different from a venture-backed high-growth business. Starting and growing a private company is different from starting a company with a goal of going public through an IPO. 

Now, no matter what business type or strategy you adopt, I believe success will always depend on the team and partners. The “team” factor is the determining factor to success or failure. Entrepreneurs need to surround themselves with a team that believes in the mission just as much as they do. I believe that business success is shared as it is always a team effort.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Amro: Selling isn’t just limited to customers. Entrepreneurs must also “sell” their team, shareholders, vendors/partners, and all other stakeholders on the mission. The best way to sell something is by believing in it and believing that it would be of value to the buyer.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Amro: Effective leaders create and communicate a clear vision and mission that is worthy of engaging stakeholders in. Leadership isn’t about telling others what to do, it is about engaging stakeholders in a mission worthy of their time and efforts.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams? 

Amro: Human nature, starting with my own, is challenging. Understanding the DNA (metaphorically speaking) of your team and stakeholders is key to engaging them.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

Amro: The mission must be your North Star. Communicate it clearly and frequently. Don’t drink your own Kool-Aid. Always know the difference between stubbornness and persistence. Being stubborn is about proving yourself right. Persistence is about proving what’s right.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Amro: Finish what you started and committed to.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Amro: Now more than ever, we need professional innovation entrepreneurs to find and address some of our most pressing challenges. Ideas and inventions are all around us. We must bridge the gap between promising ideas and real-world solutions. We must also engage stakeholders into the process. The higher level of engagement we can achieve, the more success society will realize.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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