What I learned from working at the world’s best deep tech incubator
This is the first week I didn’t need to go through my daily ritual before work. What’s been 2 years and 8 months since I moved from Brisbane to begin my role at Cicada Innovations, feels more like 10 years. Not in a bad way, but in a way I could never have imagined having the smorgasbord of opportunities I got to grab and run with.
The organisation went through a complete transformation since I started in September 2017, with the leadership of our CEO Petra Andren — she was the reason I joined the company after meeting her through my technology scouting days at Cook Medical. We went through a complete re-brand from the former ATP Innovations to Cicada Innovations, establishing ourselves as Australia’s home of deep tech (when deep tech never used to be a term) and reshaping how we would create, accelerate and incubate deep tech startups.
2 years and 8 months later..
One thing I am grateful for working at Cicada, is that it prepares you to be able to take on anything. It almost was like being a founder, having full responsibility and autonomy to imagine, create, execute great ideas with purpose. It did have its challenges, especially as I transitioned from the corporate world- tight budgets and drop dead delivery times, like a startup, but the freedom of creativity and control was liberating and exhilarating.
Since my time at Cicada my role has evolved, where I never saw a dull moment. From starting off as a business mentor, I’ve been an industry engagement liaison, manager of a state-wide commercialisation program, to co-founder and manager of a national medtech accelerator program, set up a makerspace, been a lecturer and facilitator of Lean LaunchPad methodologies, working with hundreds of present and emerging founders and entrepreneurs. Oh and also the community meditation guide.
These roles usually had me wearing multiple hats, nothing like what my chemistry and finance degrees set me up for initially. I mentioned lean budgets and resources earlier, which meant in my roles I had to be everything from marketer, comms person, sales, graphic designer, analyst, program designer, stakeholder manager, investor, event coordinator, and mentor.
When I joined I didn’t even truly know what it meant to be a mentor (which I think a lot of people still don’t quite understand) and lots of experience of Microsoft Paint from primary school (though I did dabble in Photoshop). I’ve come a long way in terms of the way I know think and approach problems, learned the art of being a hacker, new tools and databases to get sh*t done efficiently and also appreciate what good company culture really is. What was just a job, for me was an accelerator journey for my career and for my personal development that really comes down to the mission we were on and my amazing colleagues.
I’ve observed and learned something from every person I’ve worked with at Cicada. Though I have to make a special thanks and mention to these particular people who through my journey have challenged, supported, and encouraged me every step of the way — Alfred Lo, Ben Wright, Petra Andren, George Peppou, Warren Bingham, Tarika Wickremeratne, Britt Hartnett and Marin Peplinski.
What I’ve learned is that you have every opportunity to create something massive, from just one idea, and that the people you surround yourself with is just as important as the idea. And having fun along the way is a requirements — I used to think that having fun equalled not working. This is not the case!
To whoever will be replacing me as MedLab Program Manager, you have an amazing opportunities in the role ahead of you, have fun with it, grow with it along with the amazing medtech founders you’ll work with along the way.
I’m now off for a few months to get married, learn a new language and to indulge in long summer days over in Europe. I’ll be back in August, but this time in Brisbane, my hometown where it all started. Where it also looks like the startup scene is beginning to flourish…
Alles Gute für Euch und bis bald!
