Going straight for the HN jugular I see.
The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
71–80 of 126 posts
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
This, 100%. The author says how difficult it is for multidisciplinary teams to come together when they don't understand each others skillsets--but the same applies to the investors themselves. When you start talking about these complicated ideas, there comes a point where unless the investor is involved in the industry they're investing in, they simply won't understand the true impact of it. My company is trying to r…
This is describing just one painful route up the mountain. There are other routes, which usually involve sucking it up, going and working at Wall St or SV for a couple years till you know the "right people" and they know/trust you. After that happens the type of conversations change drastically.
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's 1. But also, who can blame them. I've seen really stupid companies come out of biotech incubators, including one that was peddling a genetically modified probiotic whose concoction as designed is known to be ineffective pharmacologically (and an equivalent reformulation strategy is not known in their host species), and a company that demoed reconstituted mock vegan meringues that had residual trifluoroacetic aci…
We're kind of like Uber but instead of calling a car for yourself, you call a deadly pie for your enemies. Our drivers are incentivized by the rating system to operate with discretion that beats similar state-sanctioned programs. Launch flavors include Rhubarb, Almost Almond, and Death by Chocolate.
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#74The reason you don't see more startups in the hard sciences is not due to the lack of hybrid talent as this article surmises. It's because: 1 - VCs are reluctant to fund capital intensive startups that have time horizons for exits that are significantly longer than software based startups. 2 - The product lifecycle is so much longer, which makes it inherently much riskier. In many cases it can be years before you eve…
SBIR funding is critical for hard science ventures early on. It's also a good indicator to future investors of potential hard science projects that a panel of experts in the area has reviewed and approved government funding for the idea, and the team is at least decently competent to meet the milestones of the SBIR. This helped Ginkgo Bioworks before they received more than half a billion in private investment.
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#75The reason you don't see more startups in the hard sciences is not due to the lack of hybrid talent as this article surmises. It's because: 1 - VCs are reluctant to fund capital intensive startups that have time horizons for exits that are significantly longer than software based startups. 2 - The product lifecycle is so much longer, which makes it inherently much riskier. In many cases it can be years before you eve…
SBIR funding is critical for hard science ventures early on. It's also a good indicator to future investors of potential hard science projects that a panel of experts in the area has reviewed and approved government funding for the idea, and the team is at least decently competent to meet the milestones of the SBIR. This helped Ginkgo Bioworks before they received more than half a billion in private investment.
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#76Jack Kilby was able to make the first IC because he worked in a transistor factory.
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is describing just one painful route up the mountain. There are other routes, which usually involve sucking it up, going and working at Wall St or SV for a couple years till you know the "right people" and they know/trust you. After that happens the type of conversations change drastically.
You’re doing it wrong. It’s about time and chemistry and knowing how to tell the story, even if it is in Yang Mills 5D
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
You’re doing it wrong. It’s about time and chemistry and knowing how to tell the story, even if it is in Yang Mills 5D
What?
Re: The dual PhD problem of today’s startups
#79The reason you don't see more startups in the hard sciences is not due to the lack of hybrid talent as this article surmises. It's because: 1 - VCs are reluctant to fund capital intensive startups that have time horizons for exits that are significantly longer than software based startups. 2 - The product lifecycle is so much longer, which makes it inherently much riskier. In many cases it can be years before you eve…
Full disclosure: I run a nontrivial hardware startup seeking to define and dominate a greenfield segment and have used all three strategies in the last few years.