Scipreneurs/playbook/6 - role of the professor

<p>Week 6 of the scipreneurial journey: The role of the professor in a startup is always hard to navigate, and I am strongly opinionated about it. </p> <p>It's very hard to do two things that require non-overlapping skillsets. Being a professor (or a PI) requires full-time focus and a structured way of thinking that normally do not overlap with what is needed to creating a company. </p> <p>When deciding to spinout there's a fundamental question I haven't asked earlier: who are you? </p> <p>We have explored in previous weeks whether your idea can be useful to a broad range of people. However, there has to be an honest and open approach on whether you are the best to execute on that idea. </p> <p>The scope is not to discourage anyone, but to make an honest assessment. Professors have a permanent position, a safety net, and societal recognition which is hard to leave behind. If they don't see themselves quitting their job to joining a startup, they must acknowledge it and find the person who'll lead the spinout creation. </p> <p>Professors are very useful to opening doors. From their network, to grants that can't be secured by a startup alone. From understanding the fundamental science at a level probably no one else can right away, to knowing what was tried and didn't work in the past. </p> <p>A professor can empower younger team members, but if they are not aware of their limitations and do not understand and communicate their ambitions, they can end up having a much more disruptive effect in a young team that may look up to them for guidance. </p> <p>Defining products, markets, customers, opportunities, are not topics to which professors are exposed. Even if intuitively everyone understands "the market", until you don't go out there and try to sell something you won't know what it actually is. The tough part is acknowledging that on those regards a professor with 25 years of experience may have a level of understanding with almost the same depth than a younger person with 3 or 5 years of experience. </p> <p>I am bringing this topic up right when we are half-way in the scipreneurial journey because it's a topic that takes time to sink in, and a discussion that most people avoid for way too long. </p> <p>After all, a PhD who still depends on a professor for graduating will likely not bring this up; a postdoc who may or may not pursue the creation of a spinout may easily prefer to keep the door open for a good reference rather than risking the relationship. </p> <p>So I am curious to know what have you seen is the most impactful role a professor can take when it comes to creating a spinout from their own lab?</p>