# Ganar perdiendo: la ruta de emprender | Ángela Pérez | TEDxValencia

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXtEoYeVwio
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/tXtEoYeVwio
Generated: 2025-12-15T17:10:23.904+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The speaker recounts her entrepreneurial journey in genomics, emphasizing that initial success, despite financial constraints and external skepticism, came from making difficult decisions like prioritizing the continuation of her PhD over the company's immediate financial needs, ultimately leading to the company's survival and growth.

**Key Points:**
- The speaker's family had limited resources, but her mother (a housewife) and father (a factory worker) instilled a strong conviction and a single goal: supporting the speaker's university education.
- The speaker chose Biology and, in the 1990s, entered genomics research at the University of Valencia, noting that sequencing technology was nascent and underfunded compared to the US.
- A key turning point was when the project secured $3 billion in US funding, but the Spanish team, despite producing world-class research, struggled with European funding and lacked the necessary capital.
- The speaker and her partner decided to found a biotech company based on their technology, deliberately avoiding selling to large corporations early on.
- They rejected an offer from a US company that wanted to acquire their technology and only provide 9% ownership, opting instead to secure loans and operate independently.
- After years of hard work, they successfully navigated regulatory hurdles and secured funding, allowing them to grow the company and eventually reverse the initial decision to sell.
- The speaker's key takeaway is that entrepreneurs must be prepared to 'win by losing'—making sacrifices (like delaying her PhD or turning down immediate cash) for long-term vision and control.

![Screenshot at 00:20: The speaker poses a rhetorical question to the audience, asking if they believe winning is always good, immediately setting up the central theme of the talk: the value of 'winning by losing.'](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/tXtEoYeVwio/00-00-20.png)

**Context:** This TEDx talk by Ángela Pérez frames her entrepreneurial narrative within the context of scientific discovery and business survival, specifically focusing on the challenges of launching a genomics company in Spain during the 1990s when the field was less funded than in the US. The story pivots on the tension between financial necessity, external control, and maintaining the vision for their proprietary DNA sequencing technology.

## Detailed Analysis

Ángela Pérez begins by contrasting the societal view of winning (always good) with her reality, stating that sometimes losing is necessary. She frames her story around her background from a humble family where her parents sacrificed to ensure she could study, leading her to choose Biology and later genomics research in the 1990s when the field was severely underfunded in Spain compared to the US. The major breakthrough came when the Human Genome Project received massive US funding, but their team, despite publishing high-impact papers, struggled to secure European funding. This forced them to create their own company to retain control over their technology. She details a crucial decision where they rejected an offer from a US company that would have given them only 9% ownership, choosing instead to take out loans. After years of working relentlessly, they managed to survive and eventually thrive, proving that avoiding short-term gains (like selling out) was essential. She concludes by stating three key points: the necessity of having 'Fools, Friends, and Family' (F3) as initial support, the importance of seeking external capital when necessary, and the realization that sometimes the best business decisions involve rejecting seemingly good opportunities to maintain long-term control over one's vision.

### Introduction & Early Career

- Audience poll on winning/losing
- Speaker chose Biology, entered genomics in the 90s when it was underfunded in Spain (unlike the US)
- Background of humble family support.

### The Entrepreneurial Leap

- Project secured $3B US funding, but Spanish team lacked capital
- Rejected offer from US entity for 9% ownership
- Founded their own company to maintain control over sequencing technology.

### The Struggle and Sacrifice

- Took out loans and worked tirelessly for years
- Faced skepticism from financiers and the public regarding genetic diagnostics
- Decided to focus on the technology rather than immediate profit.

### Key Lessons Learned (The Three F's)

- Success required support from 'Fools, Friends, and Family' (F3)
- They learned to 'win by losing'—sacrificing immediate gain for long-term control.

### Conclusion

- The speaker encourages the audience to pursue their dreams and build their own stories, even if it means making difficult, counter-intuitive choices.

![Screenshot at 00:07: Sponsor logos displayed before the talk begins: Oceanogràfic Valencia, Novotel, Cañada Blanch Fundación.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/tXtEoYeVwio/00-00-07.png)
![Screenshot at 00:10: Speaker Ángela Pérez taking the stage in front of a large screen displaying the TEDx València logo and an underwater scene.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/tXtEoYeVwio/00-00-10.png)
![Screenshot at 00:25: Speaker gesturing while discussing the concept that winning and losing can be two sides of the same coin.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/tXtEoYeVwio/00-00-25.png)
![Screenshot at 01:00: Speaker recounting the story of her entrepreneurial journey in genomics.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/tXtEoYeVwio/00-01-00.png)
![Screenshot at 05:58: Speaker using broad hand gestures to emphasize the challenges faced by the team.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/tXtEoYeVwio/00-05-58.png)