The Analytical Scientist, June 2025
Build a team that knows your application space, be prepared to pivot, and ignore tempting but unscalable detours
Over the years, I’ve worked with many early-stage instrument companies – ranging from engineering spinouts with little market knowledge to seasoned entrepreneurs who’ve done it all before. Some founders know the science but not the business; others are navigating both for the first time.
No matter your starting point, launching an instrument company is tough. Expect sleepless nights, a slow path to revenue, and the need for patience, focus, and resilience.
I often refer to a 1995 paper that looked at the marketing-to-engineering ratio in startup companies and how it correlates with ultimate success (1). It was a thorough study that profiled a lot of companies, and the takeaway was pretty clear: you need a marketing-to-engineering ratio of one or greater to succeed. If you’ve got many more engineers than marketeers, your chances of failure go up significantly.
R. E. Grabowski, "Who is going to buy the darn thing? [marketing]," Proceedings of Electro/International 1995, Boston, MA, USA, 69-96 (1995). DOI: 10.1109/ELECTR.1995.471046.
