After many years working on his life project, Dr. Daniel Flamingo, known as Doc was ready to present his results to a room full of scientists and potential funders.
He needs the money to keep wokring on his research. He knows he can change the world with it.
He had rehearsed the presentation more than a hundred times and he is ready for every question they might ask.
“Good morning. My name is Daniel Flamingo and I’m a research fellow at the University of Manchester, where I work in the Department of Life Sciences…”
He started with his role in the laboratory, then his research, his methods and his results. He was feeling scared, his heart was racing, but still he was ready.
And then, halfway through the presentation, he looked up, and what he saw was not what he was expecting.
A scientist was yawning, while another was staring at his phone, probably scrolling on Intagram. A girl ne quietly left the room to go to the bathroom. Many others were looking at their laptops.
Daniel froze. What the hell is happening he said to himself!
The most important presentation of his career. he needed funding to continue the project and nobody seemed to care.
After the presentation, an older professor approached him.
His name was Dr. Egg Benedict. He had left academia years earlier and built a successful biotechnology startup.
Dr. Egg said: “ Daniel, the science is good and the project has protential, but you made a mistake. The biggest one.
“What do you mean?” Asked Doc
“You were the hero of this story, it was all about you, your lab, your project, your results”
Doc looked confused.
“Nobody care about your laboratory. They care about their problems and their goals. They are the Heroes and in a story there is place for only one”
“I will tell you what my mentor said to me, many years ago, when I was in your exact spot, struggling…desperate”
Dr. Egg gave Doc 3 easy rules
Start with their problem, not with yourself. Give them a reason to care.
Position yourself as the guide, not the hero. Your job is to help them solve that problem.
Show them where your idea can take them. Give them a clear path from their problem to a better outcome.
“Do this and they will listen to you”
He paused.
“Otherwise, you’ll become what happens to too many brilliant scientists.”
“What?”
“The scientist who spends his life doing great work…”
“…and remains invisible in the shadow of his own laboratory.”
