start-up story 2#

There we were, three phd’s, a lab in a basement, some subsidy and a great idea. ....

I am chemist by training and have a great passion for chemistry and I also absolutely used to hate it. That might sound weird, but I wonder how many people love and hate their job or subject.
I really love Chemistry, as everything around us is mostly made with chemical reactions even our own bodies make and brake things constantly on the molecular level. I like the details, and understanding live, going back to the molecular level.

I hated my PhD though, I made wonderful molecules, but I did it mostly in isolation and my professor completely neglected me, because I was part of a huge group. He could not even say my name correct, nor cared. I did love building molecules though.
Chemistry and Art are very much related. You will be amazed how many chemist are married to creative people. I think they are very much related for this reason: I would think up a beutifull molecule, draw it in a software program, and then start building it for real, almost like being a sculpted. It was important to think up several pathways to get to this molecule, and when I finally got there and saw with analysis after 4 years I made what I was set out to do it was something beautiful, but I did feel totally useless. Maybe like an artist that made something beautiful, but nobody wants it. I made a beautiful Sandcastle that the see will sweep away.

I did my promotion and I it did not feel right. I wanted to make something that is useful for the world.
10 years later I spoke to a ceo of a pharmaceutical company, who told me they had problems patenting their molecules, as they were similar to what I made.
That gave me weird sense of pride, and it was sad at the same time, as they couldn’t develop them, because I already had published them.

I enjoy working in the start up company im building, as I truely believe adding value to the world we are living in.

To be continued