Failure is experience and experience is learning: Sara Naseri at TEDxCopenhagen
The speaker argues that belief and persistent action are vital for entrepreneurial success, drawing parallels between wanting to fly to Never Never Land and developing a breakthrough sunscreen using the Buckyball molecule to protect against harmful U radiation. The journey highlights that success requires building experience, establishing a strong network, and securing capital, even when facing setbacks like initial failures or deceptive legal agreements. ## Speakers & Context - The speaker, a young entrepreneur, shares lessons learned from founding a company after inventing a chemical compound to prevent skin cancer. - The speaker cites childhood belief in Peter Pan and the desire to reach Never Never Land as an analogy for undeterred belief in one's ideas. ## Theses & Positions - Success requires three essential components: experience, a professional network, and capital. - The feeling of achieving success is driven by belief and the willingness to take risks, embracing the fear of failing. - Entrepreneurial growth is hampered by not having adequate experience, insufficient connections, or lacking capital. - A core lesson is that *"working hard does not always equal success"* and that failing is merely an experience. - The optimal approach to networking is to aim for *"the top of the top"* to gain access to influential contacts. ## Concepts & Definitions - **U radiation:** Ultraviolet radiation, which penetrates deeply into the skin, causing sunburns, skin cancer, and death. - **Ozone layer:** Earth's natural layer protecting the planet from most harmful U radiation. - **Buckyball:** A unique, round, spatial molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms, which is inert, possesses its own UV absorbing properties, and can be chemically opened to encapsulate other molecules. - **Proof of Principle:** The initial stage of demonstrating that the proposed solution is feasible, achieved in cooperation with Yale University. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Sunburn/Skin Cancer Causation:** U radiation penetrates the skin, releasing absorbed energy which causes damage. - **Protection Mechanism:** The final solution combines the natural UV absorbing properties of the ozone layer with the unique encapsulation properties of the Buckyball molecule. - **Final Product Application:** The compound, developed as a powder, can be added to sun lotion, plastics, paints, and coatings on cars. ## Timeline & Sequence - **Before age 10:** Insisted on leaving the window open at night due to belief in Peter Pan. - **Age 16:** Invented the chemical compound designed to prevent skin cancer from solar U radiation. - **Post-high school (over two years):** Founded the company, achieved proof of principle, filed two worldwide patent applications, and established product development in Japan. - **2010:** The Buckyball molecule was nominated the most beautiful molecule in the world. - **Within the second year of high school:** Experienced the first media rush and subsequent contract negotiation attempts. ## Named Entities - **Peter Pan:** Character referenced by the speaker for establishing the theme of belief and freedom. - **Emily:** Co-founder of the company. - **Yale University:** Partnered with for the initial proof of principle. - **Japan:** Location where product development was subsequently moved. ## Numbers & Data - The Sun is more than **150 million kilometers** away. - The Buckyball molecule consists of **60** carbon atoms. - The combination is expected to provide **99.99%** protection against all U radiation continuously. - The size comparison: **one million** of these nanoscaled molecules can fit on the tip of a needle. - The company filed **two** worldwide patent applications. ## Examples & Cases - **Initial Failure Case (High School Science Competition):** Presented a project that was sound but was rejected by the jury because they didn't believe the students had developed the idea independently. - **Success Case (Intel Challenge):** Six months after the initial failure, the team won the Intel challenge for having the best business idea with the biggest potential in Western Europe. - **Network Building Example:** The speaker repeatedly called a Nobel Prize winner of the Buckyball molecule, eventually connecting with the Nobel laureate's secretary who facilitated contact with leading experts. - **Legal Mistake:** Signing a contract during the second year of high school exams based only on advice from their high school teacher. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **Chemical Compound:** Invention designed to prevent skin cancer from U radiation. - **Buckyball:** The stable, UV-absorbing container molecule used to encapsulate ozone. - **Ozone:** A small molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms, used as the active UV absorber. - **Final Product:** A powder formulation usable in sun lotion, plastics, paints, and coatings on cars. ## References Cited - **Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1996):** The year the Buckyball molecule's significance was recognized. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Sunscreen Limitation:** Initial sunscreen options were found insufficient and not optimizable for sufficient protection. - **Protection Strategy:** The alternative to conventional sunscreen was creating a *personal ozone layer* using encapsulation technology. - **Networking Strategy:** Comparing *"starting bottom up"* (slow/ineffective) versus *"starting from the top"* (more direct, though riskier). ## Counterarguments & Caveats - **Adult Trust:** Recognizing that not all adults encountered in a young entrepreneur's life are trustworthy, contrasting with the initially safe environment of parents and teachers. - **Investment Potential:** Acknowledging that while capital is plentiful, investors only invest when they see clear potential in the *team* and the *idea*. ## Methodology - **Invention/Research:** Investigated various sun protection methods, eventually discarding existing sunscreen models. - **Scientific Breakthrough:** Developing a carrier molecule (Buckyball) to stabilize and deliver ozone, which is otherwise toxic and gaseous. - **Business Development:** Raising venture capital and moving product development to Japan in collaboration with leading chemical groups. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - Believe strongly and persistently; do not be afraid of failure. - If afraid of failure, one remains on the ground, but *"thinking positive, daring will let you fly."* - To succeed, one must build experience, cultivate a professional network by going "top of the top," and secure capital by demonstrating profound potential. - To avoid limitations, one must adopt a mindset free from the fear of failure, metaphorically returning to Never Never Land. ## Implications & Consequences - The scientific combination of ozone and the Buckyball molecule creates a novel, globally protecting UV shield. - Professional failure or setbacks (like the contract mistake) are opportunities to learn critical lessons about vulnerability and trust in adults. ## Verbatim Moments - *"I believed in Peter Pan yes and I wanted him to come and take me to Never Never Land a place where if you believe hard enough you can even fly."* - *"The ozone layer protects Earth against most of the U radiation if the ozone layer had been perfect almost no harmful U radiation would reach Earth but it's not."* - *"our aim and driving force became to find a solution that could prevent it from being developed in the first place."* - *"why not take what's missing up there down to earth and create a personal ozone layer."* - *"the famous baky ball the discovery of this molecule is about the same age as I am but it was so significant that it actually won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1996."* - *"I don't sleep with my window open anymore and I don't believe in Peter Pan but I do believe that if you're afraid of taking risks if you're afraid of failing afraid of stepping outside of your comfort zone you will be left on the ground while believing thinking positive daring will let you fly."* - *"failing is just experience and experience is learning."* - *"don't go for B people don't even go for a go for A+ because because they have the keys to open the doors to the right Network which can potentially change everything."* - *"let's be honest not all of them are that."* - *"i guess that's the beauty of being young you just don't know any better"* - *"those of you who are still hoping you can't shut the window because it is all in your mindset"*