On March 12th, participants of the S3E Start program were engaged in their fourth webinar, featuring our long-time partner Roger Debo. This exclusive webinar was tailored for S3E Start Research Teams and Technology Transfer Officers and was also open to our community of experts.

About Roger:
Roger Debo is a distinguished leader in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization, whose impact extends globally. As the former CTEC Director at Rutgers University and Director for the Entrepreneurship Collaborative at NC state university from 2000 to 2015, Roger's expertise has shaped the landscape of deep tech innovation. During his career, Roger served as an advisor and consultant for ten companies, demonstrated visionary leadership as the interim CEO or Board member for five startups.

This 'cold calling' webinar, titled Knowledge is Power, aimed to provide S3E Start participants with strategies for validating their deep tech projects within the industry. It delved into critical pitfalls faced by deep tech startups, particularly emphasizing the 'Valley of Death' phase—the gap between breakthrough invention and commercial application. Through insightful analysis, Roger heightened participants' awareness of vulnerable points in their projects, facilitating a proactive approach to mitigating the risks of failure.

During the webinar, several sub-themes were explored in depth, including:

• The perspective of investors Vs the Entrepreneur’s Perspective;
• The distinction between primary and secondary information;
• The concept of external information and its significance for startups, offering valuable insights from an entrepreneur's standpoint on how to acquire and leverage such knowledge effectively;
• The discussion outlined questions that a startup should answer, namely: Is there an opportunity here? Is there a need? Is there a suitable market? Do we have a competitive advantage? What is needed for adoption?
• Last but not least, Roger guided the participants on where to find secondary information.

In conclusion, Roger's webinar on cold calling strategies offered S3E Start participants invaluable insights into navigating the challenges of deep tech startups. Covering essential topics like investor perspectives, acquiring external information, and distinguishing between primary and secondary data, the session equipped participants with strategies for enhancing their projects. By emphasizing the importance of knowledge and awareness, Roger provided participants with the tools needed for informed decision-making and strategic planning in their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Learn more about the S3E Start and the S3E Project here. Stay tuned for future insights!