Andy Slower runs a biotech company and creates art as Artie Sandstone to cope with the pressure. After 14 years, he exited the venture and fell 30 feet climbing due to a clipping error. He describes the gap between looking successful and feeling broken.
She came up to me one day and she goes, Andy, I just heard that you actually run a public biotech company. And I was like, oh yeah, I do. She goes, that's incredible because you could have passed as somebody who could have been a barista at Starbucks. And I mean that as a compliment. I go, I know exactly what you mean, and thank you.
Andy Slower, also known as Artie Sandstone, biotech CEO turned artist based in Boulder, Colorado. There's almost two split personalities emerging, right? There's, there's Andy the biotech CEO, and then there's Artie the artist. Just— how did you reconcile those two?
It was tough being a young leader in a biotech company, and biotech's so serious. And so, you know, I created this alter ego.
There was an outcome, but it wasn't a dream outcome. Correct. How did that feel? What was the aftermath of that exit that you've given 14 years of your life?
This is the first time I've actually spoken publicly about this. Proceeded to go climb, didn't realize I wasn't clipped in. Got to the top, let go, and I fell 30 feet. And the only thing I could think in that split second was, "Get your feet down. Do not fall on your back."
