Entry Barriers as Buffers

Michael Ackermann, Allergan

Bioengineering executive Michael Ackermann describes how the unique challenges of the healthcare industry can serve as advantages for entrepreneurs. Once you understand the regulatory landscape and intricacies of the sector’s diverse stakeholders, Ackermann says those same barriers can discourage other entrepreneurs from entering the market. The onetime CEO of a startup that created a tear-stimulation device for those with dry-eye disease, Ackermann explains how capturing even a small slice of the $3 trillion healthcare market is huge.