Am in San Diego, just visited Histogen

[hairy]

I am in San Diego for a week and decided to visit the Histogen HQ today. Nice green Disney/Pixar type logo sign outside, but did not see a receptionist at the main entrance. Building was nothing special and part of an office complex. Took the elevator to the second floor (first floor seemed to have nothing in it unless I went in through the wrong door) and a girl came out of the main office on the second floor and asked me what I wanted.

I said I wanted to apply for a job if they have any openings. She went back in and I took a couple of photos of the lab (very cool to see a lab in an office) and of the outside of the president's office with his name tag (David Nassif) on the wall. I could only take the photos from outside a glass barrier as they obviously would not leave the door open for a stranger to get into the lab!

Girl came back and told me that there are no jobs available, a bad sign for a company that is supposed to grow like crazy if any of its breakthroughs pan out. I asked her if she worked there and she nodded in the affirmative, and I said she was very lucky, which pleased her.

Nothing exciting to report of course, and maybe I will post the two pics later when I get back home to Seattle.

Maybe I should have been bolder and asked to talk to Mr. Nassif since his office door was open, although I could not see inside it from where I was waiting. I thought I was already quite nosy and obtrusive, and didn't feel like pushing my luck.

[hellouser]

I would have asked questions until they kicked me out. I'd go back and see if you can speak to someone about their progress. Hell, tell them youre an investor or some crazy shit.

[Thinning87]

I live in San Diego... I thought about doing the same and asking questions, but honestly I don't think it would really lead anywhere. If they really have something they won't tell you just because you randomly walk in there, and if they don't have something then they have nothing to say! Either way there is no point in going there.

PS just because they are not hiring it doesn't mean they are not doing weel, what the hell folks stop being so emo about every little thing about these companies.

PS 2 If you really wanna get a feel of who they are and how trustworthy they are you can just check out the Histogen employee's on LinkedIn... that'll tell you more than walking around their building.

[garethbale]

No offence but they probably said they didn't have any jobs because they don't want some weirdo who just strolls into their offices working for them...

[youngin]

No offence but they probably said they didn't have any jobs because they don't want some weirdo who just strolls into their offices working for them...

I laughed at this.

[hairy]

Haha garethbale very funny.

I have since checked their website careers section and they are definitely not hiring.

Thinning, I checked out their linkedin before (originally to see Mr. Nassif's profile) and am unimpressed by:

1) The limited number of connections Mr. Nassif has plus the fact that he has no photo.

2) The fact that Eileen Naughton Brandt works there (nepotism on the part of Gail Naughton?).

Anyway, seeing the lab gives me some hope that there is actual work being done at the company and its not just another scam to get investor money.

PS. I think the girl who talked to me was probably Eileen based on her Linkedin photo! She seemed quite friendly considering the circumstances of my unexpected arrival.

[hellouser]

Haha garethbale very funny.

I have since checked their website careers section and they are definitely not hiring.

Thinning, I checked out their linkedin before (originally to see Mr. Nassif's profile) and am unimpressed by:

1) The limited number of connections Mr. Nassif has plus the fact that he has no photo.

2) The fact that Eileen Naughton Brandt works there (nepotism on the part of Gail Naughton?).

Anyway, seeing the lab gives me some hope that there is actual work being done at the company and its not just another scam to get investor money.

PS. I think the girl who talked to me was probably Eileen based on her Linkedin photo! She seemed quite friendly considering the circumstances of my unexpected arrival.

Dude, who cares about his linkedin account, LOL. Anyone with a ranking THAT high won't ever be in need of using Linkedin. Its only for regular civilians like us that finding a job becomes a little easier when using linkedin.

The other thing is, he'd probably run a risk of having too much info about himself available to the public. Histogen can't afford to leak any news prematurely. You should be more concerned about him actually HAVING a linkedin account. Dude needs to be in the lab working on the product rather than wasting time on another social platform.

[534623]

I am in San Diego for a week and decided to visit the Histogen HQ today. Nice green Disney/Pixar type logo sign outside, but did not see a receptionist at the main entrance. Building was nothing special and part of an office complex. Took the elevator to the second floor (first floor seemed to have nothing in it unless I went in through the wrong door) and a girl came out of the main office on the second floor ...

I think the second floor will have nothing in it too soon.

[Breaking Bald]

Is there something that you know? That we don't? HA, I doubt it

[Thinning87]

I think the second floor will have nothing in it too soon.

Nobody cares what you think

[ulysses_98]

My garbage can isn't where I left it...obviously Sasquatch exists

Girl came back and told me that there are no jobs available, a bad sign for a company that is supposed to grow like crazy if any of its breakthroughs pan out.

I honestly don't know how to reply to this or why I'm bothering.
It's a startup biotech...NOT MC'DONALD'S!!! Guess what buddy, even if they do "grow like crazy", it's likely going to be just prior to release of product. Prior to that, hiring is probably going to be highly specific for positions that aren't open to "walk ins", for instance "how much experience do you have with cell culture? Are you familiar with transfection techniques including lipofectamine and nucleofection? Do you know how to do Western Blots? Where did you post-doc prior to being on the sidewalk in front of our building"?

Even if they do go into a high growth phase, they'll still likely be hiring for relatively high skilled positions that they will actively recruit for...and not rely on a basket of forms with "high school graduate?, convicted of non vehicle felony?, speak English?" questions next to the Heimlich Maneuver poster.

In terms of Nepotism...REALLY? REALLY? It's a startup!!! It's not like the CFO of GM giving his 90 IQ son a managerial finance position. Startups get whatever talent they can for as cheap as they can. A known quantity is better than hiring a stranger. If the girl is known to be just moderately intelligent and responsible, that beats the hell out of multiple interviews and then a crapshoot roll in hiring the person that seem least demented.

It amazes me how many guys on here consistently put 2+2 together and think it equals "pudding" (where "pudding" is not equal to 4).