REFLECTIONS ON: BUILDING A BUSINESS
Building A Business @SBS Lecture #1:
Professor Constantin-C Coussios, “How to Start A Business”
“The value of an idea lies in the using of it”-Thomas Edison
On 14 October 2014, Professor Constantin-C. Coussios, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professorial Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, kicked off The 2014 “Building a Business” Lecture Series to a packed house in Nelson Mandela Theatre at SBS.
All eyes in the crowd widened in awe as Professor Coussios introduced the two companies he founded during his time in Oxford. The fist of the two, OrganOx Ltd, founded in 2008, has developed a novel normothermic perfusion device for improved liver preservation prior to transplantation through to first-in-man trials and first sales. Following this success, In 2014, Coussios co-founded OxSonics Ltd, which is developing a new generation of ultrasound-based medical devices for drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery.
Following this fascinating summary of his entrepreneurial success in the field of biomedical science, Professor Coussios moved on quickly and took a universal approach to the advice he offered. He engaged directly and effectively with the diverse audience by breaking down what he believed were some of the tools necessary to build any type of business.
COUSSIOS TOP 5’s FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Professor Coussios’ explained 5 key questions that everyone thinking of embarking on an entrepreneurial business venture should ask themselves:
- Do I have a great idea?
- Am I passionate about translating this idea?
- Can I handle uncertainty?
- Am I investable ?
- Can I assemble a great team?
Professor Coussios concluded this lecture on an inspiring note. Quoting Jeff Bezos on the essence of the entrepreneurial character, he said: “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”
To hear all of Professor Coussios’s top tips, watch his full lecture here.
Building a Business is a nine-week lecture series designed to teach the fundamentals of developing a business. To watch past lectures or find out what’s up next, click here.
Source: Skoll Scholarship