Sherif Morgan

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Archives for April 2007

Breakfast with Karl Eller

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Karl Eller is an incredible business individual, who has been inducted in the Advertising Hall of Fame by the American Advertising Federation in March of 2004.

Last Friday (April 20th, 2007) I have a very unique and amazing opportunity to have breakfast with Karl Eller (a world-renowned CEO and entrepreneur) along with 10 other individuals at the University of Arizona.

Over breakfast, Mr. Eller shared some of his childhood stories that prepared and set him on the right path to become a successful entrepreneur. He talked about work ethic, discipline, and integrity. He could not emphasize more the importance of integrity, as it has helped him recover from a crisis that followed his CEO-ship of Circle K. It was a very inspiring story! His year-old book Integrity Is All You Got captures his strong belief of the significance of integrity to the success of any entrepreneur, or any individual, for that matter.

I kindly asked him to autograph my copy of his book, and he gladly accepted. It was a pleasure and inspiration to meet him.

Thanks Alaina for arranging the opportunity to have breakfast with Karl Eller.

Meeting Alfred Knudson

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I have had the pleasure of having dinner last Thursday evening and lunch last Friday with Alfred Knudson. In addition to the Wikipedia link on my last blog entry, you can read a more detailed description of his career here. He is most famous for formulating the “two-hit” theory, which identified a distinct difference between hereditary versus sporadic cancer, and suggested the presence of “tumor-suppressor” genes.

Beyond a doubt, he is an excellent scientist. What struck me the most, however, while I had dinner and lunch with him is how personable, respectable, and considerate he was. He listened to the graduate students as experts in their fields… he asked questions of the graduate students with the expectation to learn something new.

I was one of the few people who had both dinner and lunch with him, and I must have made an impression on him… after lunch, when he was about to leave for his next appointment, he turned around and made sure he shook my hands before he left. That meant a lot to me.

In addition to being an excellent scientist, Alfred Knudson is a wonderful human being.

Wow!

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I had a pretty unique couple of days. On Thursday (April 19) and Friday (April 20), I met two very incredible, world-renowned individuals:

– Alfred Knudson. We had dinner on Thursday and lunch on Friday.

– Karl Eller. Had an intimate breakfast on Friday morning.

In the next day or two, I will add more blog entries to talk about my experiences talking with these amazing individuals.

more to life than academia?

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When a graduate student is pursuing a PhD in a science field (I am not sure if this is universal among other fields), the student’s advisor has traditionally expected the student to pursue an academic career. Why? I am not exactly sure, but perhaps, faculty members view the curiosity and pursuit of scientific knowledge (exemplified in an academic environment) would be superior to any other career choice. Maybe it is a completely different reason.

Nowadays, however, I feel that faculty members are more open to the idea that their students would pursue other career choices. What has led to that shift? I don’t know, but I can speculate… perhaps, it is the lack of funding to academic labs, or maybe it is the result of a progressive mindset that has been spreading in the academic hallways… there is more to life than academia.

For a long time now I have known that my future would not entail lab research. I love research, I think it is fascinating… but I do not particularly enjoy the context at which research is conducted. I have known for some time now that my plan is to generate income through web-based businesses and dedicate my time to develop a personally funded non-profit organization that will address some of the problems that turn me off to academic research.

Even though faculty members, as I mentioned, are more open-minded… I am still cautious about openly sharing my future dreams and goals.

If you are a graduate student in a science field and desire to pursue alternative careers in science, please get in touch with me, and let’s bounce some ideas off of each other.

You can learn more about my vision through my digital resume.

Thinking For A Change – Part II

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It may be difficult at first to regularly dedicate an hour or so to “think”, especially when there are a hundred things on the to-do list. Here is how you can get started:

1) Find a quiet place, if possible.

2) On a notepad, write down the areas in your life that you are stressed about, or where you feel you need improvement.

3) Think about what you should and what you can do about these areas in your life. Is there an overlap between the should and the can? What obstacles will you have to overcome to accomplish the things that you should but do not feel you can do?

With the rapid pace of life today, it may be hard to set a time to “think” on a regular basis… but this rapid pace of life is exactly why it is crucial to slow down and think… regularly.

As it becomes a habit, you will start craving and looking forward to your “thinking” time.

Thinking For A Change – Part I

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Thinking For A Change is a great book by one of my favorite leadership authors, John Maxwell. The title of the book makes a couple of points: 1) most people do not really spend time to think, and they should do so for a change, and 2) if an individual desires change, then he/she must think and devise a plan to make that change possible.

Surely, you’ve heard of someone say… “I have no idea how I got here” – this is a classical symptom of someone who did not think their experiences through. While life tends to throw unexpected events our way, it is crucial for an individual to examine the big picture and evaluate his or her overall direction on a regular basis to make sure that he or she does not deviate significantly from the planned path.

Personally, I try to “think” for a couple of hours each week. Generally, I find a quiet spot, I clear my mind and start thinking about my experiences, my dreams, my plans, etc. Usually, I make sure I have a notepad to jot down my ideas and observations.

Try it… you will be amazed by how enjoyable and rewarding “thinking” can be. Also, I highly recommend reading the book.

Grad School Takes Time Too

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In my previous post, I talked about my time commitment as an entrepreneur and I mentioned that I dedicate my time on evenings and weekends to my entrepreneurial ventures… that’s not because I like to sleep all day… I wish. It is because I have a full-time commitment as a graduate student. In addition, I am the boyfriend of a lovely and understanding woman.

It is important for me to succeed as a graduate student. While in lab, I work hard on my dissertation research. I read papers, I study, I prepare presentations, I do experiments, etc. I do not allow my entrepreneurial spirit to get in the way of my graduate work.

After I get done with my lab work, which is usually between 6 pm and 8 pm, and after I spend some time with my girlfriend, I go home and work on my ventures. Most nights, I start around 9 or 10 pm and I usually stay up till 2 am. I never mind staying up late even if I am tired a little in the morning, and I certainly never complain about that… I happily and willingly pay the price today to become successful in the future.

Investing My Time

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As a budding entrepreneur, time is one of my greatest assets. I may not afford to place an ad at The New York Times yet (although I am not sure if it would ever be worth my money), but I can compensate for that by worth ethic and efficiently using my time.

So what does this mean? It means that I work around the clock. While most people spend their evenings watching TV, watching sports, at the mall, or at the beach, I happily spend it in front of my laptop screen either reading articles, researching, writing for my website, or doing something for My Future, Inc (that’s not the name of my company, by the way…). There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying one’s self in evenings and weekends, I try to do that every change I get, but the strong entrepreneurial flame within me will not allow me to waste too much time.

Even though I make sure I am healthy, I do not try to have down time. I have a lot of unique goals and visions, and since they require a lot of work to accomplish them, I will not slow down until I am well on my way toward accomplishing them. While I am putting in a lot of hours toward my independent projects, I love it; in fact, I never get exhausted from it and I never mind it.

I do not work all the time to avoid other aspects of my life; I am not a workaholic. Some people may say that I am obsessed, but who is not obsessed with something? I would much rather be obsessed with working hard toward my future goals than be obsessed with sports, shopping, or whatever else.

Unlike an employee, an entrepreneur does not get paid by the hour. I have to be patient, persistent, and consistent. I believe in my vision and my future, so right now, I am putting my head down, charging after my goals and dreams, and giving it my best shot, even if it is inconvenient at times, even if I am tired or feeling lazy… Why? Well, it’s simple, really… for me, being average is my worst fear and success is not optional. These thoughts will definitely propel me far and motivate me to work day and night.

Entrepreneurial Faculty: Good or Bad?

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Traditionally, the purpose of research at the university was to seek knowledge for the purpose of knowledge, which has, in my opinion, created a disconnect between research conducted in academia and the general public.

In recent years, especially in the biomedical field, there has been a spike in the number of companies that are based on the research of university faculty members. While some may conclude that the focus of these faculty members has shifted from pursuit of knowledge to making money, I believe that these faculty members are carrying out their mission of improving the quality of life of people. Sure, if these companies become successful the faculty will likely receive monetary rewards, but there is nothing wrong with that. After all, these faculty members will probably be working double duty; they will fulfill the requirements of their academic appointment and starting a company simultaneously.

In addition, starting a company based on academic research is associated with a tremendous amount of risk. In the case of drug discovery, for example, faculty generally conduct their screening in cell-based assays to identify lead compounds. The most promising lead compounds, then, are tested in animals (pre-clinical studies), which can usually be conduced at the university. The transition into phases I, II, and III clinical in humans, however, can be quite costly, and will require funding from venture or corporate partners. At that point, there is still absolutely no guarantee that these compounds will be successful in treating the disease in question.

While it is important to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of faculty members, they need to be careful when thinking about starting a company, first, because of the amount of risk associated with it, and also because it can easily consume and exhaust their energy and resources, which may eventually negatively affect their academic research.

Intersection Between Business and Science

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A few days ago, I had the opportunity to participate as “Scientific Facilitator” in the “Exploring the Entrepreneurial Dimensions of Science and Technology” workshop, which was conducted at the McGuire Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Arizona.

The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize the incoming students into the entrepreneurship program with some of the issues, concerns, and questions they should consider when working in the development of an emerging technology-based venture. Essentially, the workshop allowed the entrepreneurship students to realize that collaborating with scientists on high-tech ventures is, not only feasible, but within their reach.

These ambitious entrepreneurship students are expected to partner with other students and take an idea from conception all the way to a business plan. Those who are interested in biotechnology and drug discovery projects will likely work with a patented idea developed by a University of Arizona faculty member to generate a business plan that can be presented to angels or venture capitalists for funding. Alternatively, these students can start from scratch on an idea or a project that reflects their own knowledge or research interests.

Throughout all the years I have been involved in scientific research, I have been always encouraged to establish mutually beneficial collaborations with other scientists. Recently, however, the importance of another level of mutually beneficial collaboration has been strongly emphasized. It is crucial for scientists, who would like to translate their research from the lab into the marketplace as a drug or an invention, to seek out and rely on those who understand the business to help them develop their scientific ideas and patents into successful companies.