Science-Based Entrepreneurship

In 1966, two scientists got an $80,000 grant from the U.S. government to study microbes in Yellowstone’s hot springs. They basically went around sticking slides in hot mud to eventually prove for the first time that life could exist at such high temperatures. It sounded like obscure science for science's own sake—maybe even like a waste of taxpayer money. But from that research, they discovered a heat-resistant enzyme that years later became the foundation of PCR (polymerase chain reaction). PCR made it possible to rapidly copy DNA—an innovation that revolutionized genetic science. Processes that were either impossible or took teams of experts months were suddenly doable in a few hours. Fast forward decades, and because of that single grant: 🧬 The Human Genome Project was possible. 🧬 We mapped genes like BRAF, including the rare gene mutation I have. 🧬 We developed targeted therapies like Mekinist, designed to interrupt the exact signaling pathway my mutation hijacks. That random federal $80K grant? It led to me not dying. If the U.S. government doesn't invest $80,000 in scientists playing in the geiser mud at Yellowstone over 50 years ago, doctors today wouldn't be able to accurately diagnose diseases like mine and treatment might be limited to blunt, aggressive chemo and the hope 🤞 that it would be effective. Investing in science and research is precisely what makes our country great. Haphazardly eliminating federal grants will weaken our greatest strengths, and could literally result in the loss of lives that would otherwise have been saved thanks to advances made possible by the funded research. [I learned about this story from the awesome team at Radiolab Podcasts WNYC Studios and their podcast about it: https://lnkd.in/g-XJXH_B]

Successful startup founders think like scientists. As an entrepreneur, relying on intuition and gut feelings can be tempting. But if you want to increase your chances of success, you might need to think like a scientist. I recently read a Harvard Business Review article titled "Why Entrepreneurs Should Think Like Scientists." The article highlights a study showing that startups using the scientific method generated significantly more revenue and were more likely to pivot away from unviable ideas. For the top 5%, this meant earning an additional €492,000 compared to those who didn’t apply this approach. So, how can you integrate the scientific method into your startup? 1️⃣ Test your assumptions Don’t just assume your idea will work. Test it with real customers and gather feedback. At Google for Startups, we create small pilot programs to avoid costly mistakes by learning early what works and what doesn’t. 2️⃣ Be ready to pivot Flexibility is key. If something isn’t working, be prepared to change direction. I’ve experienced this firsthand—by pivoting based on user feedback, we’ve turned potential failures into successes. 3️⃣ Use the scientific method Follow a structured process of observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and analysis. This methodical approach helps make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement. For practical application: 👉 Create an MVP Develop a basic version of your product to test your assumptions with real users. 👉 Run A/B tests Compare different versions of a feature to determine what performs best. 👉 Track your results Monitor your metrics to understand what’s working and what needs adjustment. The bottom line? Experimentation isn’t just a safety net; it’s a path to discovering what truly works for your startup. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, integrating the scientific method can be transformative to your startup. What’s your experience with using the scientific method in business?

Last week, I promised to answer your top questions about leadership in the age of AI. So, here goes! I’ll start with a foundational topic: What mindset shifts do leaders need to make during times of huge change? For me, it comes down to this — we need to go from being “map readers” to “explorers.” Map-readers rely on past routes and like knowing the destination. Explorers enjoy shifting terrain and thrive in not knowing the destination. They run experiments, stay close to the work and their teams, and earn trust by being present and being human.  They succeed because they are curious enough to learn. “Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.” – Frank Borman (Apollo 8 astronaut) Minimize change → Ride the change Why it matters Change is not a phase. “Back to normal” isn't coming. Success is building resilience and helping teams thrive in turbulence. The mindset sets the tone: it has to be “let’s do this” versus “oh no, change”. What should leaders do Communicate with clarity relentlessly - what’s known, what’s unknown, and how you are making decisions. Make calls with incomplete information: run tests, adjust fast.    2. Certainty mindset → Scientist mindset Why it matters When so much is changing, doing what worked before won’t work. A scientist mindset means you have curiosity over certainty. You look for reasons you might be wrong, not just reasons you must be right and you surround yourself with people who challenge you. What should leaders do Set hypotheses and run experiments (more about this next week). Iterate, and learn as much from being wrong as from being right. Be a “learn-it-all,” not a “know-it-all.” 3. Manage from above → Get close to work Why it matters When you are exploring new paths, you need to stay close to the ground. You need to be a master of your craft Managing with decks and dashboards is not enough. What should leaders do Write prompts, embed within your team, get close to your team's processes. Triangulate with feedback from customers, partners and team members and don't rely on filtered reports. 4. Drive with control → Enable with context Why it matters The simple definition of context: it is what enables great work. Humans and AI both need it to deliver. It is the shared frame that makes the next action obvious and lets teams move with confidence and speed. What should leaders do Start with the “why” and “why now” behind strategies, pivots and decisions. Communicate it on repeat. Don’t dilute the message as it cascades down. Own it. 5. Me → We Why it matters No single leader can solve challenges alone, and being a lone explorer will lead to burnout. Choosing “we over me” puts team wins ahead of ego. And that’s how we win. What should leaders do Stay humble and recognize you may not have all the answers. Listen deeply across the business. Coach and help others grow. Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments, and I’ll share my second post in this series next week.

🔹 𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 In a world driven by specialization, I discovered something surprising: real growth often comes from stepping outside your lane. Working in R&D taught me precision and problem-solving. But it was my interactions with neurodiverse individuals that revealed the magic of empathy and clarity. While leading projects across different industries, I learned to embrace change and humility. Each role, each challenge, was a new lens to view the world. Here’s what I found: The most profound lessons often come from unexpected places. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 drilled discipline into my work ethic. 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 taught me the power of clear communication. 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 pushed me to adapt and keep my ego in check. Mix these elements, and you get innovation that truly shines. I’ve realized that patience in tech leads to better innovation, and direct communication clears up leadership fuzziness. Systems thrive when treated like people. The takeaway? Your side projects and unique experiences aren’t distractions. They're power-ups. So, leverage every tool you have. Your varied experiences are the secret ingredients to building stronger teams and creating a more human future. 👉 𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲? #LeadershipWithPurpose #Neurodiversity #ElectronicsIndustry #InnovationMindset #CrossIndustryLearning #HumanCenteredLeadership

Oxford’s spin-out companies are one of the clearest examples of how the UK can turn world-class research into real economic strength, and we talk about them far less than we should. In recent weeks I’ve visited several of these businesses, including Arcturis, which is using real-world data to change how we develop and test new medicines, and Genomics, which is applying genetic science to help people live longer and healthier lives. What struck me was not just the quality of the science, but the seriousness of the teams: people who could be anywhere in the world choosing to build companies here, because of the depth of expertise and talent they find in Oxford. These are not isolated examples. Supported by Oxford Science Enterprises, which now has more than 125 companies in its portfolio, a genuine ecosystem has emerged - one that stretches from early-stage discovery to scaled commercial activity. It’s easy to talk about innovation in the abstract. It is more impressive to see laboratories, data platforms and clinical partnerships being built that will create jobs, attract investment and deliver new treatments over the coming decades. For a country worried about growth, productivity and its place in the next technological wave, this matters. We cannot rely on inherited industries and hope the world will politely wait for us to catch up. We will need many more places like Oxford and we will need to back them properly with long-term capital, sensible regulation and a clear sense that enterprise is welcome here. Spending time with these spin-outs was a reminder that the ingredients for future prosperity do exist in the UK. The question is whether we choose to scale them here, or watch others do it for us.

Why Entrepreneurship Should Be Every Graduate's Core Skill, Not Just Business Students' This article in today's Times Higher Education highlights a fundamental challenge: while employers consistently rank entrepreneurial thinking at the top of their graduate wish lists, most universities still treat entrepreneurship as a business school speciality rather than a university-wide graduate attribute. Robert Crammond from the University of the West of Scotland identifies the core problem: "Most course and programme learning outcomes continue to emphasise traditional academic outputs, such as written assignments and presentations... they don't always provide space to develop or assess enterprising attributes in a meaningful way." Yet the evidence for broader integration is compelling: 🔹 4,000-5,000 student startups are created annually in the UK alone - demand exists across all disciplines 🔹 Employers want adaptability, innovation, and problem-solving - core entrepreneurial competencies needed everywhere 🔹 Cross-disciplinary examples already exist: creative enterprises in arts programs, social entrepreneurship in education, medical innovation in healthcare, sustainability ventures in physical sciences The shift required isn't just curricular. It's conceptual. Universities need to move from "entrepreneurship education" as a specialised program to "entrepreneurial education" as a fundamental approach to learning across all fields. The question for university leaders: Do we want to develop all of our students to be entrepreneurial citizens or just train a small portion to be entrepreneurs? This matters because technological advancement demands workforce agility that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students studying literature need entrepreneurial thinking for the creative economy. Engineering students need it for technology commercialisation. Social science students need it for policy innovation. The institutions that will lead aren't those with the best entrepreneurship centres. They're the ones that can systematically embed entrepreneurial competencies into every graduate's experience, regardless of their major. #EntrepreneurshipEducation #HigherEducation #GraduateSkills #UniversityTransformation #CurriculumInnovation 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVBQEDHT

The most valuable leadership lesson I ever learned came from watching a science teacher, not a CEO. Last week, I observed a classroom where students were completely captivated for 90 straight minutes—no phones, no distractions, just pure engagement. The teacher wasn't using advanced technology or expensive materials. She was simply applying engagement principles that most corporate leaders completely miss. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 #𝟭: 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Instead of telling students about static electricity, the teacher created a visual demonstration that made the concept impossible to ignore. The impact was immediate and undeniable. Application: Stop telling your team about strategic priorities—show them through concrete examples that make abstract concepts tangible. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 #𝟮: 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The teacher created wonder and curiosity first, then delivered the scientific explanation. By leading with emotion, she ensured students were primed to receive information. Application: Create emotional investment before data dumps. The quarterly numbers matter only when people care about why they matter. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 #𝟯: 𝗦𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 Each experiment built upon the previous one, creating a narrative arc that pulled everyone forward. No random collection of facts—a deliberate journey. Application: Structure your meetings, presentations, and communications as chapters in a compelling story, not isolated information packets. I immediately implemented these principles in my leadership approach: • Replaced our text-heavy quarterly updates with live demonstrations of our impact • Restructured team meetings to start with customer stories before metrics • Created a narrative arc for our strategic initiatives that builds momentum The results? Team engagement scores up 32%, meeting participation increased by 47%, and most importantly, our strategic priorities are now universally understood and embraced. The best leadership insights often come from unexpected sources. What non-business context has provided your most valuable leadership lesson? ✍️ Your insights can make a difference! ♻️ Share this post if it speaks to you, and follow me for more.

I’ve always liked working across disciplines. As a student, I was a mathematician doing research in manufacturing—surrounded by engineers. It was messy, creative, and incredibly rewarding. Which is why the “10,000-hour rule” never fully sat right with me. You know the story: pick one thing, start early, and grind. We have successful examples Tiger Woods, the Polgar sisters. Case closed. Except… that’s not how most excellence actually happens. Studies tracking elite athletes show that future champions tend to have a sampling period—a few years spent exploring different sports before focusing. (Côté & Erickson, 2015) Another meta-analysis found that deliberate practice explains only about 1% of performance differences at elite levels. (Macnamara et al., 2016) Even top musicians show the same pattern—they specialize late, often after experimenting with multiple instruments. (Güllich, 2017) Psychologist Robin Hogarth called golf and chess “kind learning environments”: the rules are clear, feedback is immediate, and cause and effect are obvious. Most of life is the opposite—wicked environments—where the rules shift, feedback is delayed or misleading, and expertise doesn’t transfer cleanly. In wicked worlds, narrow specialists can get trapped by their own experience. And this pattern scales up. A 2024 study of patent data showed that the most innovative teams were those mixing knowledge from multiple domains. (Wang et al., 2024) My favorite example? Gunpei Yokoi. He struggled with his engineering exam and became a maintenance worker at a Kyoto playing-card company. But he experimented and combined tech from calculators and credit cards to create handheld games. That company became Nintendo, and his side project became the Game Boy. The moral: depth matters—but range multiplies it. In a wicked world, the people who connect dots across disciplines don’t fall behind. They build entirely new games to play.

UK Government Modern Industrial Strategy launched in the last 24 hours: what does it mean? I’ve been exploring this using #systemsthinking and a causal loop diagram (CLD) to map its feedback structures. A few key takeaways which might be relevant #business schools… Systemic Insights via CLD: – Investment → R\&D → Innovation → Productivity → Economic Growth → Investment – Skills ↔ Innovation & Infrastructure → Tech Adoption → Innovation → Productivity Key “hubs” include **Innovation**, **Productivity**, & **Economic Growth**, with **Collaboration** and **Skills** as powerful levers. Negative links (e.g., regulatory uncertainty) can weaken investment, while peripheral nodes (e.g., Net-Zero in our simplified map) may need stronger connections to reflect real-world influence. This underscores the need for aligning R&D, #skills, infrastructure, and #sustainability objectives. So, what should business schools do? 🤝 Strengthen Industry Partnerships: Collaborate with firms & regional clusters on real projects. Connect students/faculty to innovation initiatives, boosting learning and local impact. 💡 Focus on Emerging Skills: Update programs for digital literacy, clean-energy management, & advanced manufacturing basics. Equip grads with in-demand skills that feed productivity and innovation loops. 🚀 Foster Entrepreneurship & Scale-Ups: Offer incubators, mentorship, and finance guidance. “Entrepreneurship → Scale-ups → Innovation” will help startups grow and energize the wider economy 🤝🔬Promote Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Bridge business, engineering, sustainability, etc. Joint projects mirror how “Collaboration → Innovation/Skills/Infrastructure” drives broader outcomes. 📜 Short Courses on Policy Signals: Run workshops on navigating regulatory certainty/uncertainty. Helping leaders anticipate policy shifts reduces investment hesitation. 🌍 Champion Regional Engagement: Partner with local authorities & SMEs to tailor programs to regional needs. Reinforce “Regional Clusters → Growth → Inclusive Growth” and support levelling-up. ♻️ Embed Sustainability & Net-Zero Goals: Integrate clean energy case studies & net zero strategy in courses. Aligns with “Net-Zero → Clean Energy → Investment/Innovation,” preparing leaders for green transitions. 📊 Leverage Data & Analytics: Track outcomes of partnerships, alumni ventures, and skills placement. Measurable impact reinforces further investment and collaboration. 🌐 Build Innovation-Focused Alumni Networks : Create forums where grads in high-growth sectors share insights with current students. Sustains knowledge transfer and industry connections. #IndustrialStrategy #SystemsThinking #Innovation #EconomicGrowth #UK #CLD #Policy #Sustainability #Collaboration #Skills

🌍 Broadening horizons: The key to innovation 🌱 In every profession, there’s a tendency to narrow our focus, to stay within the comfort zone of what we know and the boundaries of our specific field. But true innovation often lies in looking beyond those boundaries—exploring ideas, theories, and philosophies that may seem, at first glance, unrelated or even outdated. Take Malthusian economics as an example. Originally focused on the relationship between population growth and agricultural production, it’s a theory that some might consider obsolete in today’s context. Yet, its mathematical approach—juxtaposing exponential growth with linear or degrading resources—remains profoundly relevant. Imagine applying this lens to modern challenges like lithium availability versus the skyrocketing demand for batteries. Suddenly, a centuries-old theory sparks fresh insights into one of today’s most pressing issues. This is why expanding your intellectual toolkit beyond your immediate field is vital. Philosophy, economics, history, and even seemingly unrelated sciences can offer frameworks for understanding, questioning, and solving problems in innovative ways. The ability to connect dots across disciplines isn’t just a skill—it’s a superpower in a world that demands agility and creativity. So, whether you’re in procurement, technology, or any other field, don’t shy away from exploring ideas outside your domain. Even an “outdated” theory might be the spark that ignites your next breakthrough. #Innovation #InterdisciplinaryThinking #PhilosophyInBusiness #MalthusianEconomics #BroadeningHorizons