Entrepreneurship

Introductory Resources

• From a PhD in Microbiology to Entrepreneur/StartUp CEO, 10-min video.
• A day in the life of a science gaming entrepreneur, Science Careers.
• How a PhD turned his research into a thriving online business, 30-min video.
• How a side project became a book – a different type of entrepreneurship, After your PhD YouTube channel.
• From a PhD to an idea to becoming an entrepreneur, a step-by-step guide.

Venturing further in this career area

• The pros and cons of entrepreneurship and resources to become an entrepreneur, JHU.
• Career stories of PhD graduates who transitioned into entrepreneurship, business development, etc., PhD Career Stories.
• Wondering whether non-profit entrepreneurship would be a good fit?, Probably Good.
• The winding journey of biotech capital raising: deciphering the jargon, N. Frame et al., 2023.
• Repository of short entrepreneur video interviews, Candid Career.
• Building your team and seeking ways to motivate and engage teammates in the growth of your organization is crucial – a lot of online courses are available on these topics, like Managing Talent.

Learning by doing job-related tasks

Job Simulations are job-related tasks that can be completed in a few hours, to help you assess how enjoyable and how much of a good fit a specific job could be for you. Intersect Job Simulations have been created by PhDs for PhDs, to support their career transitions into a wide range of careers. To make the most of job simulations, please set up SMART Goals to perform each simulation in a reasonable timeline. When you have completed the task, fill out the Self-Reflection Sheet, which will help you reflect on what you enjoyed (or did not enjoy) about the simulation, and how it can help inform your career exploration efforts.

• Market Insight Job Simulation.
• Write your first book – Job Simulation.
• User Experience Research – Job Simulation.
• Research a Commercial Product – Job Simulation.
• Entrepreneurship and innovation virtual simulation with the City of Moreton Bay.
• Venture and Business Builds virtual simulation with BCG.

Preparing your transition into this career area

• Explore and connect with BU support:
  • Innovate@BU supports graduate students in their entrepreneurial projects.
  • EPIC – Engineering Product Innovation Center at BU.
• Some organizations started offering fellowships to support advanced degree holders in venture creation, like the 5AM Fellowship in Boston.
• Look for and join relevant thematic groups on LinkedIn, online and local communities, like:
  • ILSE Bio (Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship) – provides a 13-week Entrepreneur Training Program for life scientists.
  • The Incubator, Harvard Biotech Club – teaches students and fellows the key concepts of biotechnology and drug development, while working with companies and faculty to take ideas from inception to commercialization.
  • Lab Central – Community lab space for biotech startups in Cambridge, MA.
  • LaunchBio – National network of life science innovators.
  • MassLifeSciences – resources and incubators for Massachusetts entrepreneurs.
  • MassIncubators.
  • StartUp Boston – volunteer-based startup community, events, and resources (like StartUp Boston Week – Decoding Startup Funding).
  • MassBio Drive – Innovation accelerator.
  • SciFounders (Offers a fellowship to support founders – SciFounders’ founders, Matt, Lucas, and Alex are scientists and company operators themselves (they started and are running Mammoth Bio – CRISPR Therapeutics, and Conception Bio – stem cell to egg) and want to help more technical founders who are working on important technologies. The easiest way to reach out is via hello@scifounders.com or to subscribe to their mailing list.)
  • The Boston Entrepreneurs’ Network.
  • Look for centers of innovation, like the University of Cambridge Center for Social Innovation, who share similar interests with you and could enable you to find collaborators, mentors, financial support, etc.
  • Labiotech.eu – YouTube channel dedicated to Biotechs in Europe and advice for entrepreneurs.
• Growing your network and having informational interviews with PhDs who have transitioned into careers of interest to you will enable you to learn more about the job’s daily responsibilities, hiring process, career progression, etc., and the sector as a whole.
  • Look for GMS Alumni on the GMS website and LinkedIn, who have become or are supporting entrepreneurs.
  • The Social Scientist enables early-career scientists to receive mentorship from folks who have transitioned into various careers – connect with industry mentors (scientists, founders, product managers, etc.).
  • Seek relevant startup, VC (Venture Capital), Pharma CVC, etc. events and networking events on eventbrite, lu.ma, and other event platforms, to meet with potential mentors and funders. Keep track of the people you meet and their specialty (for example in a spreadsheet), in order to reach back out to them when the right opportunity/time comes.
• Analyze job descriptions to learn more about what institutions and organizations are currently looking for.
• Study company websites, follow them on social media and YouTube.