NFXBio: Academia or Startup? A Decision Matrix for Future Scientist-Founders

Jul 21, 2022

In this engaging discussion, Jennifer Dionne, founder of Pumpkin Seed and former Stanford professor, and Yaniv Erlich, CEO of Eleven Therapeutics and former Columbia professor, share insights on their shift from academia to entrepreneurship. They tackle the dilemma of whether to pursue postdoctoral positions or jump into startups, highlighting the challenges and rewards of each path. The duo emphasizes the importance of harnessing scientific skills for innovation and personal fulfillment, inspiring future scientist-founders to forge their own paths.

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Intro

00:00 • 5min

From Academia to Entrepreneurship

05:13 • 15min

Navigating Academic Paths: The Postdoc Debate

20:42 • 4min

Navigating Career Paths: Postdoc vs. Industry for Scientist-Founders

24:33 • 2min

Navigating Career Transitions for Scientists

26:55 • 15min

The Grit and Vision of Scientist-Founders

42:19 • 5min

In this episode, guests Jennifer Dionne and Yaniv Erlich share their journey transitioning from academia to startups, including Yaniv's experience with MyHeritage and Eleven Therapeutics. They compare academia and startups, discuss career options post-PhD, and provide advice for PhDs considering starting a company. They also delve into translating academic experience to business, reflecting on their academic careers and realizations about entrepreneurship.

NFX Bio is committed to backing Scientist-Founders who are inspired to change the world. But there are far fewer scientists-Founders today than there should be. Instead, scientists often follow the path that academia paves for them: from graduate school, to a PhD, to a postdoc, to another role in academia.

In this episode, NFX General Partner and Head of NFX Bio, Omri Amirav-Drory, sat down with Stanford professor and Pumpkinseed Founder Jennifer Dionne and former Columbia professor and Founder of Eleven Therapeutics Yaniv Erlich to discuss forging your own path: starting your own company.

Here’s how to think through leaving academia, how to know whether it’s time to spin out of your university, and the key takeaways from each of their scientist-turned-founder journeys.

Read the full essay here - https://www.nfx.com/post/techbio-scientists-academia-or-startup

(0:00) Introduction to the episode, hosts and guests (1:33) Transition from academia to startup: Jennifer Dionne and Yaniv Erlich's journey (9:54) Yaniv's experience with MyHeritage and Eleven Therapeutics (12:30) Comparison of academia and startups: pace, customers, and freedom (20:17) The product of academia: students or research? The concept of academic freedom (21:10) Advice for aspiring PhDs and postdocs considering startups (26:42) Sponsor: NFX Podcast (27:22) Career options post-PhD and the decision to pursue a postdoc (32:29) Challenges and advice for PhDs considering starting a company (40:21) Translating academic experience to business and why NFX likes scientist founders (46:10) Reflections on academic career and realization about entrepreneurship (47:07) Wrap up and thank you notes