108: Investing in Materials Science Research (ft.Keong Chan)

Two words: Investors. Startups.    So you’ve made a new thing. Or maybe it’s a new process, a new technology, a different approach to the norm. You decided to take this innovation in stride, pivoting and making a startup company centered around your work. But one small problem: you can’t afford to keep the lights on at your startup’s HQ. You ran out of capital. You needed investors, but no one was interested in funding your idea. Why? How can you fix this?    In today’s episode, we welcome two guests: Keong Chan, Co-Director at OTB Ventures, and Kyle Matthews, a familiar member of the It’s A Material World team. We dive into the world of investors, and how MSE’s can build a stronger business mindset. Specifically, we discuss:    🔹How informal settings can enhance your networking  🔹What traits investors look for in startup leaders & teams 🔹The role of an investor after money has been invested 🔹Investor-founder relationships 🔹And much more!    We hope you enjoy the episode! And as always, let us know what topics you’d like us to cover next!    Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice. https://www.mseacademy.com/courses/students-tier-2   Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.  https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN   Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science! https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop   For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at [email protected]. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpUXt6ui8iC5npSizlfIJ2A  https://www.instagram.com/itsamaterialworldpodcast/  http://linkedin.com/company/it-s-a-material-world-podcast/  https://twitter.com/ItsAMatWorldPod    Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.   #materialsscience #ProjectManagement #CareerAdvancement #TimeManagement #Research