Dan Recht helps scientists commercialize technologies

“What can physicists do? ” is an interview series that profiles physicists who opted for careers outside of academia.

What was your research area?

I focused on the kinetics of materials, specifically the melting and solidification of silicon to create metastable alloys that had interesting optical and electronic properties. One of the potential applications was making more efficient solar cells.

What were you looking for in a job?

The realization that I didn’t want to do multiple postdocs and then play the lottery about where I’d live, combined with my excitement about solar energy, led me away from academia. I got a job in South Korea doing technology scouting. I researched energy startups all over the world.

What do you do now?

After working at three startups, I came to Activate in 2023. Activate is a nonprofit that supports scientists and engineers who are trying to commercialize technology. I used to be involved in the selection process for our fellowship program. Now I steward the process. And I work on the operational side, making sure that fellows learn to move into an entrepreneurial mindset. I track our impact.

I have one-on-one meetings with directors, with my team, and with our development team to help with fundraising. I also spend time hiring people.

How do you use your physics?

One way is being able to quickly come up to speed on the science that a fellow or applicant is commercializing. Another is persistence: I am comfortable with the fellows I work with being on a marathon and looking ahead with them to more distant accomplishments. That patience comes out of my physics background.

And as a PhD student, I gained communication skills. I can talk on both technical and nontechnical levels with fellows, potential funders, and the public.

What new skills have you needed?

Technoeconomics. I had a crash course working as a consultant at McKinsey & Company right after finishing my undergraduate studies. I learned, for example, how to make decisions based on limited information.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

In deep-tech startups, job security is delivered by the community, not by the company. Companies form and fail; their needs change. In startup land, there is no criticism about job-hopping.