4 years in
time for an update
February 2016 marks my 4 year mark working in technology commercialization at The Ohio State University, so how’s it going?
Commercialization of research and university related intellectual property is likely to be one of the most perfect fits for my kind of mindset in approaching the idea to something real progression.
Its not to say it doesn’t have its challenges, but when I’m in the “trench” in this job, I’m in my purest form of enablement for others. In many ways I’m everything I want to be. I love meeting people and helping them see the path and then making that happen.
Always be where the party is
I love being at the intersection of chaos, and a university as big as Ohio State pours ample amounts of chaos and opportunity on the table. There’s limitless opportunities to LEARN about, well everything- intellectual property, patents, triage, valuations, marketing, startup formation, equity, royalties, sub clauses of this and that, product development, brand development, people development, strategy, negotiations, positioning, culture, management, navigating complexity, avoiding complexity, inventing complexity, disarming complexity, psychology, social engineering, empowerment, invention, building, students, student energy, confidence building, envisioning, future thinking, add on the technology layers and the party really gets interesting, quantum mechanics, content from everything, sports medicine, big data, internet of things, cybersecurity, meaningful use, surgical ops and optimization, revenue management, nurse navigation, cancer, wearables, assistive technology, risk analysis systems, machine learning, artificial intelligence and well you name it.
Of the 10 or so licenses and startups i’ve been apart of 5 to me are works of art, meaning man we had to do alot of envision to reality on those deals. Some people say we don’t really commercialize, we just paper the deal- those people are laughable insects to me. Together with my colleagues we helped create 5 companies that would of never existed if we weren’t charged with believing, building, doing and keeping at the fight. Boastful, you’re damn right, nothing wrong with celebrating a game you won right?
TCO sucks!
TCO offices are born, no forged in a sea of lackluster and unrealistic expectations and returns. Talk to any transfer person across the globe and they can all relate to the tale and perception. Its simple really, you’re the only office on campus thats charged with a number, people want millions, but innovation is a journey, its marriage of people and technology, use case, and value and most of all collective lets do this synergy and respect. You have to work really hard at it and its a team sport- so everyone needs to play together.
I’m often tired of the chatter but Luckily i’m an entrepreneur because I’m hardwired to see opportunity regardless of the climate.
Defending TCO isn’t my job. What I will say though is that TCO is the first line, its the front lines of making things possible beyond the lab, and we’re the first people that believe as part of a creedo, as part of service to those we work for which everyone at Ohio State.
Enjoy what you love to do
I’ve manifested intellectual property out of thin air for Ohio State, just in talking with people with a passion for a problem I’ve helped them BUILD and realize a thing. I’ve done this numerous times, its actually a blast, love doing that.
More than just making things, software, apps etc, I get to participate in the pathway, where could it go, how does it make money, and how can it get momentum, how can it help those that take it on. I’ve learned a ton about the entire process.
Young people change things, be a part of their path
One of the coolest things about my job is working with students. I get to mentor, advise, be their friend, watch them grow from “can i do this?” to “get out of my i’m doing this” and thats a mad rush. Working with youth is fantastic really. They keep you young, and they keep you possible. I’m especially proud of where my student developer aka SHOP interns go, they go on to land jobs at startups in Columbus, or work at Microsoft and Apple. Their experience working with me, working in commercialization, building startups, etc, is often the highlight of their experience at Ohio State, and thats awesome really.
Can you speak? Sure!
Another bonus of the job is lecturing- which is really simple, be good at what you do and word gets around and then people start seeking you out. I never have to beat down a door to talk, people ask me and i stay humble, say thanks and speak. I’ve done lectures to young doctors, nurses, product design students, software developers, staff, faculty, you name it. I think its kinda wild really, talking about internet of things, healthcare wearables, lots of startup talks, talking about fear in startups, psychology of doing, building things fast, staying sane in the sea of doubt when making and more.
Always make something along the way
I’ve pushed through what I’d say are worthy efforts in my time at Ohio State as well, things that are well, part of the mission. First was a central code repository for all software developed by the 600+ developers at Ohio State. Embracing online software IP stores was the second project I’m proud of. Another good one was a central app to app store process for Google and Apple apps, which I share with like minded others on campus. Then its a handful of programs and tools that help us make marketing tools faster and easier for our IP projects and startups. Then I’d say its the creations, the prototypes that took algorithms that couldn’t form sentences and turned them to products that sold people on the vision of what they could be in 3 seconds. Seeing those prototypes get licensed, go into companies and help the university net equity in startups which then created jobs, thats the loop people, thats the vision.
What about giving it away?
I’m often dragged into “give it away” manifesto conversations in regards to IP. I’m not an IP lawyer so I can’t really give folks the classic argument they want, what I can say though is that the university at its core is about enablement and empowerment through education and igniting the passion inside people to do amazing things- from athletics to research to medical discovery, that core spirit or truth that is pursued is in essence “opportunity”. The university is an “opportunity” orientated spirit, in that respect, commercialization and what I do is hugely important. Commercialization is a lousy yet powerful scrabble word, worth alot of points, but building and creating opportunity is what i’m all about. At TCO we play a part in opportunities pathway from the ah ha to the why to the value to the embodiment to the market to the opportunity to the realization and heck yeah we just made it happen, and ultimately use, consumption of that idea, opportunity realized.
The Speed of Good Listening
I like to think of myself as good listener, course sometimes folks talk and about half way through I’m designing a product, mapping the pathway, identifying the issues from this angle or that angle, thinking of how to get them money, what they need to say to get money, what the nay sayers will say to tear it apart, the so there argument to repel that, then the building of the team, what they need to launch, then how fast and hungry they need to be see this future i see and then i kinda hope they build my thing knowing full well its their thing- heh, thats what I like to do.
Not flawless
I learn a ton from those around me. My co-workers are mostly law degree professionals and Phds, luckily they tolerate and often emotional jellyfish like me. I’m definitely flawed. I’ll get stubbornly locked often on what I think is right, hey guess what I’m human. But TCO is the place to face alot of obstacles often really, and you learn navigational tactics, mostly from your peers and you get back the central aspect- the politics will always vary, but one thing is constant- the trench and your mission, believe and enable as best as possible.
Where to go from here?
Change is always afoot at Ohio State and for me, I stay in the trench, stay with the work. One day I’m working with spinal surgeons, the next social worker research tools, then I add in a little patient safety software, and maybe sprinkle a bit of internet of things or big data long the way. Still having fun.
I want alot of things. I want the university to see and embrace opportunity better, and its slowly trying- but really I’m in that trench and doing, so I’m content and learning a ton. The university is often a magical place of anything if you believe.
Skill set strengthened
Without a doubt working at TCO has increased my skill set. Its an education in itself. Few jobs I figure would be this dynamic merging a ton of ideas with a ton of personalities and a ton of pressure to realize and defeat the grandest of all things, path to market and win. TCO is that kind of place.
