I recently had the opportunity to attend a lecture entitled, "Putting Your Science to WORK: Entrepreneurship with a Little 'e.’” Dr. Peter S.
Being Entrepreneurial
Author :
Kate Sleeth
I recently had the opportunity to attend a lecture entitled, “Putting Your Science to WORK: Entrepreneurship with a Little ‘e.’” Dr. Peter S. Fiske has authored books on utilizing your science skills and is uniquely placed to give advice on entrepreneurship as he has founded two tech start-up companies (He has also written articles for Science http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/advanced_search/results?occursin=fulltext&sortedby=relevance&author=Fiske). His presentation style is very funny, and he provides candid examples from his, or friends careers to illustrate points. Although the title would imply it is only a seminar for those contemplating starting their own businesses, it also contains lots of useful information in how to give yourself a more professional appearance.
He began with making the distinction between being an Entrepreneur (that it is a career) versus being entrepreneurial (a personal quality). Everyone should aim to be entrepreneurial without necessarily taking the leap of faith to begin a company. We need to appreciate that we are essentially a brand and we need to ensure we show our value when we interact with others. That also means that we need to network to ensure our “brand” is well known and that it is as attractive as possible to our “clients” (everyone we interact with).
He also mentioned that as scientists we often get caught up in the details and lose sight of the importance of our research. It is always good to contemplate the larger world, and focus on the most important issues. The ability to consider the bigger picture is what sets many entrepreneurs apart from everyone else. They see a niche and target it. They also have a different view on failure and setbacks; each one represents a new opportunity.
Starting your own company sounds very risky, and for the more cautious of us that just isn’t a risk we are willing to take. However, careers are a lot more dynamic and unpredictable than we appreciate. You can still lose your job within a large corporation or an institute you have dedicated years of your life to. The only things we have reasonable control over are our career mobility and financial stability.
Therefore, beginning your own venture and recognizing opportunities when they present themselves may be a calculated risk, while using the skills we all enhanced during our graduate and postdoctoral training. Peter was candid about the five skills he continually uses: knowledge of the scientific method, public speaking, counseling, interview skills, and teaching skills (both conceptualizing and explaining). Put in that way (and using your transferable skills), acting in an entrepreneurial manner or becoming a career entrepreneur doesn’t sound as difficult as it previously did.
An interesting work concept was introduced, the 80:10:10 rule. You spend 80% of your time on high impact and important work, 10% on enriching your own professional and personal development, and the final 10% ensuring others know what a great job you do. It sounds easy to practice, although it will mean streamlining the way each of us work to reap the rewards.
Peter’s final advice was to embrace your incompetence, to learn and improve from it! Don’t burn bridges with anyone. Keep your network alive and intact while pursuing mentors and advisors. Finally, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is completely applicable to entrepreneurship. You cannot know if you have the chance to be successful until you take the plunge.
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