The founders of technology must adopt market needs

When I left the Los Alamos National Laboratory to start a business 11 years ago, I thought my team was ready. We had developed a new class of quantum points – particles on the nanometric scale of semiconductor material emitting light which can be used in displays, solar cells, etc. Our technology was safer, more stable and less expensive than existing quantum materials. The technical advantages were real, but I quickly learned that no quantity of scientific merit guarantees the success of the market.

For many technology founders, it is an uncomfortable but necessary achievement. You can build an elegant solution, but if it does not solve a significant problem on the market, it will not go into trade. The sooner you kiss this lesson, the best is your chances of success.

Your invention is not the company

My experience is in research. I have a doctorate. In materials of materials at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, and I made a post-doctorator in Los Alamos, in New Mexico, working on nanomaterials in the Division of Chemistry. I always focus on the progression of scientific knowledge, publication articles and, in some cases, patent filing. Like many researchers, I finally tired to chase quotes and I wanted to apply this work to the real world.

This is why I started Ubiqd. We had a material that resolved the technical gaps in conventional quantum points, which require toxic heavy metals such as cadmium or lead and involve expensive manufacturing processes. However, when we introduced it for the first time on the market, the conversations we had revealing. People did not care about material for himself. They cared to know if it solved their problem and the severity of the problem defined their emergency.

My advice: if you cannot clearly explain how your technology makes someone’s life easier, safer, more durable or more profitable, you are not ready to sell it.

“Throwing it on the fence” does not work

Our early reflection was too simplistic: to create better quantum points, scale production and allow customers to apply technology to industries that benefit from the capacity of quantum points to handle light. We have thought that if we do, customers will come.

To accelerate things, we have offered levels of research level for tests. A certain number of first adopters asked for samples, but that the “throwing the fence” approach generally does not work with new enabling technology. Whether it is advanced materials, hardware or software, you cannot expect customers to determine which solution works best; It’s your job.

So, before extending your technology, spend time with potential customers. Listen more than you are talking about and identify their real pain points. Ask them what keeps them at night. This is where the real opportunities are: in the chances of providing an essential analgesic, rather than a pleasant daily vitamin.

Listen to the ideas that don’t match

One of the most difficult lessons than the founders that technologies must learn is to recognize when a beloved idea does not align on market needs.

Take solar windows for greenhouses, one of the ideas we thought was a success but then had to rest. The greenhouses spend a lot on electricity, it therefore seemed logical that they wish to produce electricity directly in the facade of the greenhouse. However, the producers told us that their greatest concern was the return on cultures, not operational costs. The windows absorbing light could potentially cause a slight reduction in yield, and such a reduction – even with energy savings – would probably have harmed their results.

This is where the real opportunities are: in the chances of providing an essential analgesic, rather than a pleasant daily vitamin.

So we took a break at the solar idea of ​​the window in 2018 and we rather focused on a simpler and more impact product: greenhouse films that move the color of light to help plants develop more quickly. Producers cared about performance, and that’s what we addressed using our technology. This agricultural application is now one of the main areas of intervention by the main.

Do not emotionally attach yourself to an application or a use case. If your business is built on platform technology, stay flexible. The market will tell you where your technology is located and where it does not.

The competition means that you are on the right track

Many founders fear competition. I see it differently. When we entered the agricultural space, we saw other startups and some large companies exploring similar ideas. It was not discouraging. It was validated. If no one else works on the problem, it may not be an interesting opportunity.

Some startups also try to stay under the radar to gain an advantage. But if the potential partners or the first customers do not know that you are working on a problem, they cannot contribute, challenge or help accelerate your solution. That said, differentiation is important. Our advantage comes from robust intellectual property, technical depth and years of harshly won data. We had a lot of help and contribution from the outside of the company, and some of our best customers found us first.

Expect and kiss the competition, and don’t hesitate. Just make sure you have a defensible advantage, whether through technology, partnerships, data or expertise.

Gain the right to develop

As you start to succeed on a market, you will be tempted to develop yourself quickly to others. But be careful to move too quickly. We have refused many tempting market opportunities over the years because we have not yet won the right to continue them.

For example, the application of our materials to cosmetics or paintings is exciting, but until we reach a production scale and a reduction in sufficient costs, that did not have an economic meaning. Now that we have lowered the costs and build a better infrastructure, these markets are back on the table, but we have understood this only After Study potential customers and their needs.

Build the scale and generate income in your first market, and then explore the adjacent opportunities.

Advice that I would have liked to hear earlier

If I could give my younger self a single advice, it would be the following: falling in love with the problem first, then the solution.

As a founder of technological society, I spent years perfecting our technology and publishing articles on the quality of the science of solutions. The creation of a company, however, also means understanding your customers and the economy of solving their problems.

Science and engineering are essential, but the same goes for the discovery of customers, product management and market studies. These skills are essential and you will probably need it earlier than you think.

So get out of the laboratory. Talk to potential customers as soon as possible. Be ready to adapt while you listen. And don’t forget that the value of your technology comes from the problem it solves.