Life Consideration Series
In the context of discussions like 202308 Various Aspects of Funding Research and Life on the Software Engineering Path, as well as conversations with people during stays in places like 202310 Bay Area and 202311 Newport, Providence, Boston (Thanksgiving), the following thoughts have been pondered:
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Reflecting on:
- Understanding what one wants to do and what motivates them has become clearer.
- Concerns about which systems, communities, and funding methods to utilize.
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Broadly considering the dichotomy between starting a business and pursuing research.
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Initially, the belief was that one should engage in research rather than business, as the motivation lay more in exploring interesting possibilities than in generating profits.
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However, it was realized that deriving this conclusion from that premise was erroneous.
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Reasons being:
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While pursuing various other objectives, using the mechanism of business to achieve them.
- People may have various goals such as “social good,” “creating interesting things,” or “finding personal happiness,” but it’s rare to encounter someone whose sole purpose is to win at the game of capitalism.
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Engaging in business entails responsibilities (such as generating profits), but it is about shouldering those responsibilities while also striving to align with other objectives.
- By using one’s intellect, it’s believed that balancing profit-making with other purposes is often achievable.
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That’s true (blu3mo)
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Whether in academia or industry, stakeholders funding research exist, necessitating a harmonization of their interests with one’s own objectives.
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It’s essential to conduct research that aligns with grant approval criteria or meets corporate needs.
- Having storytelling skills can make it easier to pursue personal goals in that context.
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In essence:
- There is no clear boundary between business and research.
- To secure funding regardless of the direction chosen, some form of constraint is inevitable.
- It’s about carrying that constraint while achieving the intended goals.
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While it may seem obvious when written down, understanding this concept has been facilitated by knowing various examples (blu3mo).
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Fundraising within the framework of a typical “startup”:
- Common methods include Equity Financing.
- When raising funds from venture capitalists, rapid growth leading to an exit within about 10 years is often expected.
- Outsourcing Proof of Concept (PoC) development.
- Government grants, etc.
- Providing value to customers in B2B/B2C models.
- Unconventional examples:
- Tier V, which seemed to have secured research funding from the government.
- Eukarya, involving programs like SBIR.
- COTEN, link.
- new.computer
- ink & switch
- Common methods include Equity Financing.
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Fundraising within the framework of a typical “research lab”:
- Common sources include research grants from governments or donations.
- Collaborative research with companies.
- Schemes like those at Media Lab.
- Internal research labs within companies.
- Various big tech companies like microsoft research, google research, fair, and meta reality labs.
- In Japan:
- Entities such as Sony CSL, Omron SINIC X, mercari, pfn, etc.
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Some individuals engage in both research and business simultaneously.