This episode is also valuable if you’re trying to figure out how to build a better lab.

Understanding the science and role of work-life balance is essential for creating a healthy and productive group.

+ General work anxiety that is not caused by advisors

+ Overwork and anxiety caused by supervisors

+ Practical tips for students and postdocs (based on my and others’ experiences)

+ Actionable advice on how to improve work-life balance in your own lab

I discuss:

- The science of work-life balance (depletion, enrichment, the spillover effect, peak-end theory, delayed gratification, and the impact of daily fluctuations)

- Common misconceptions about work-life balance

- Mechanisms that lead to imbalances in academia

📍 Evergreen Content:

The content should stay valuable for a long time. Previously, I created the Electrochemical Colloquium with ‘evergreen lectures,’ which became very popular within the Electrochemical community. Now, it’s time to move on and make something bigger.

5. Science is evolving rapidly across multiple fields, but few channels / podcasts cover it at a proper level. As an avid scientist myself, I’ve long hoped to bring deep conversations to the forefront (the Electrochemical colloquium was a just warm-up).

4. Building a career in industry is not easy. What should you know when you’re already in R&D, design or sales? What are the best ways to move forward and excel?

3. Many researchers want to make a tangible impact on society but have little guidance. In my view, an entrepreneurial mindset is key. But to get prepared? How to transition? How to succeed? How can you as a researcher build your own enterprise?

2. Faculty struggle with funding, projects and growing groups. Many face challenges in team building, maintaining high-quality research, keeping up with their fields, etc. What can help? Leadership experiences shared by highly accomplished scientists and leaders in R&D.

📍 Key reasons are:

1. Students struggle with advisors, research, presentations, visas, internships, etc. Most have no mentors and lack career guidance. They look for curated & useful information but it’s largely missing.

4. Your PhD is NOT the end of your education.

It’s just the beginning of your research expertise.

It can easily take decades of R&D to become a true expert.

This deep expertise is vital for continuing innovations like those seen in Moore’s law.

3. Real innovations don’t happen overnight.

In Moore’s law, each 100x increase takes ~10 years.

So, don’t expect that your PhD will solve big things.

Instead, if possible, focus on generating knowledge that could serve as the foundation for new tech.

2. But scientists can’t build scalable technologies.

Prototypes - yes. But not real tech.

It’s not their role.

Scientists generate the knowledge that can be used by talented engineers who actually build great tech.

Of course, it doesn’t mean one person can’t be both a scientist and an engineer.

1. It all starts with science.

Phenomena should be understood first.

Quantum mechanics, solid state physics, thin film synthesis, solid state electrochemistry, etc.

Understanding = developing a theory that can predict the behavior of a system.

Without it, there's no ground for great engineering.