There are so many benefits to basic research, where scientists work to uncover new knowledge and develop new technology without any particular commercial application in mind. These are the truly transformative moments in science, because these discoveries unlock possibilities that no one could have predicted.
But there’s another benefit that comes with simply doing basic research: we grow the next generation of trained minds to solve problems in our innovation economy.
“Many of the best entrepreneurs start in the sciences,” says Daniel Debow, CEO and co-founder of Helpful. “My former head of sales was a research scientist. He learned how to solve problems, he learned how to have a situation of deep ambiguity, which is the core of all early start ups, and to not be afraid by that, to not be thrown off.”
In a way, all start ups are working through a series of experiments, says Debow. If they’re carefully constructed, the team can move forward with a better understanding of reality and drive those towards a solution.
