A leap of faith into entrepreneurship đź¦
For those who opt for employment over entrepreneurship, few are lucky enough to land in a career they’re genuinely passionate about.
So what happens when a content employee identifies a major gap in an area that seems to be neglected… And they have the knowledge and skillset to address it? Do they stay at their job and let someone else take care of it?
For Alex Sakatos, co-founder and CEO of Ancilia, the opportunity was too important to pass up.
An opportunity to make big changes
“I always loved science, but I was more excited by the translational aspects of the work, and how to leverage science to make products that ultimately help people.”
A scientist by training, Alex obtained her PhD in Microbiology at Harvard, focusing on bacterial drug resistance.
After grad school, she worked at an early-stage startup before joining the team at Deep Science Ventures.
This is where she identified a critical gap in the microbial therapy field… And decided she would be the one to address it.
“No one else was really working in this space, so I realized it was a huge opportunity for us to start a company and really address that gap–and have the ability to push forward a number of different therapies using our approach.”
Being able to address various viruses and drive the success of bacterial therapies for broad applications is exactly the kind of work that made her excited about science, after all.
The learning curve that came with entrepreneurship
“If I've learned anything from all this, it’s that plans in startups need to be adaptable, and we adapted our plans multiple times. I think that helped us be resilient and succeed.”
When it came time to take the leap, Alex had a plan in place and the motivation to put her nose to the grindstone.
She had done some initial research, but also took a “learn as you go” approach, remaining flexible and willing to absorb all of the information she was learning along the way.
Ultimately, it was this willingness to learn and adapt that kept her going, especially when the boundaries between work and life were beginning to blur.
With two little ones to care for, and a genuine interest in the work she’s doing, it was easy to feel like she should be in one place instead of the other.
“It’s a struggle, but I try to manage time very effectively… Being very deliberate about the time that I spend at work, and the time that I spend at home, and making sure to block time.”
It all comes down to efficiency, making sure there’s protected time for family while also moving forward with the work that needs to be done.
Addressing the challenges that inevitably come up
“I originally had doubts. But I addressed them by doing a lot of research and talking to a lot of people across the space to make sure I understood and could build the conviction that this was a good idea and a gap that actually needed to be addressed.”
Like many founders, Alex experienced her fair share of concerns.
Besides the obvious fear that the business idea wouldn’t work, thoughts would pop up in her head that made her wonder if what she was doing was even worth it.
Second-guessing turned into questions like “Why has this not been done?” or “What’s the barrier?”
But instead of letting the uncertainties win, that’s where she turned to facts.
“Part of the fun of being an entrepreneur is experiencing those challenges and figuring out how to problem-solve in the face of that, and ultimately, find the paths forward.”
By researching, talking to people, and getting validation that her idea was solid, she was able to tame any doubts that she had around whether this was worth pursuing or not.
And for those moments when doubt tries to creep back in?
All she needs to do now is give herself a quick reminder of why she’s doing this and why it’s a good idea…
Or tell herself that she could go back to a “boring” job. (That’s usually enough to wipe the worries away!)
What keeps her in this for the long run
“One of the most rewarding things is turning an idea into reality and doing that with a good group of people. It’s very cool to see when parts of your plan and vision start to come together.”
When you’re working in medical science, the potential to make a direct impact on so many lives is a very real possibility.
That reality largely fuels the passion behind Alex’s work, and what keeps her moving forward during more difficult challenges.
“If we’re able to develop novel therapies, we could help a lot of patients in need. Not only that, but we’d be able to move science forward too by using our technology to really enable the field in a lot of ways.”
More than anything though, it’s the people she works with that make this journey so rewarding.
Being able to work collaboratively with smart people to solve problems and address a big area of need as part of her day-to-day work is more than she ever could have imagined.
“My co-founders have been with me pretty much since the start. Having their conviction right alongside mine, and the support of them and the broader team, is a huge part of what keeps me going.”
Key takeaways from an ongoing journey
Though there’s always more to learn along the way, Alex has realized some pretty important parts about entrepreneurship that have helped set her up for success so far.
🌱 Flexibility is crucial. When things change, and they will, being so deeply rooted in your original idea or plan is only going to cause more challenges.
🌱 Truly enjoy the work. “You have to really enjoy what you're doing. I think the motivation has to be driven by that, otherwise, it's very easy to quit when things get hard.”
🌱 People are number one. Especially when you’re tackling a complex problem in a big space, having the right people is how you’ll find success.
“You cannot build a company solo. That's impossible. You have to recruit the right talent, the right co-founders, etcetera to really make that vision a reality.”
You get plenty of advice. What you rarely get is a pause. Each month, we’ll share a simple prompt to help you step out of execution mode and consider what “founding well” looks like in your world right now.
Our inner voices (Critic, Strategist, Protector, Impostor, etc.) can show up so distinctly when we’re passionate about what we’re trying to create–sometimes, without us even noticing.
What if we did a little “Inner Volume Control” and took time not only to listen to them, but to amplify the ones who aren’t being heard?
Feel free to pull out old fashioned pen and paper, or create a new doc just for journaling, and spend a few focused moments thinking about the following:
- If each inner voice had a microphone, who have I been giving the stage to (and who’s waiting backstage)?
- Which inner voice has grown quieter over the years, and what would it take to invite it back?
- Which voice have I been ignoring because it doesn’t sound “productive” enough?
- Which voice tends to get loud when I’m tired or stretched thin, and what might it really need?
- Which voice in me is speaking from fear right now, and what is it trying to protect?
There’s no right or wrong answer. If nothing comes up, that’s okay too! Use this as space to notice what is real for you today. A few messy lines are enough.
If you're comfortable sharing your insights with us, let us know at foundingwell@vallelegal.com.