Europe is putting a lot of effort into becoming a Deep-Tech champion, and I cannot be happier about that.

Here is a short recap of what is happening: prizes are everywhere, incubators support more and more ideas and startups, accelerators pop up even in small and remote cities, and governments are pouring money into venture capital funds.

All this interest is great, isn’t it?

Well, from my point of view, all these “opportunities” generate a lot of confusion. And for inexperienced founders, usually the main targets of many of these initiatives, the risk is that all these bright and shiny programs blind them to what actually matters.

As a first-time founder, understanding what really moves you forward (and what not) is paramount.

Years can vanish pitching, entering competitions, applying for accelerators, and writing grants — while no paying customer appears. Some founders get so frustrated they never return to entrepreneurship. Others realize too late that they’ve joined an innovation circus full of flashing lights, cameras, and applause, but little learning.

The truth is simple: the fastest way to learn is to talk with potential customers and users. Everything else risks becoming what Rob Snyder calls “LARPing” (Live Action Role Play) — activity that feels like entrepreneurship but isn’t.

How to become a second-time founder the easy way | Rob Snyder posted on the topic | LinkedIn

As a wannabe entrepreneurs, the best way to avoid being mesmerized by the circus is to learn how to focus on what helps you move forward, thus to learn how to recognize what is a waste of your time.

The missing piece for academics

For first-time founders coming from academia, however, there is a real obstacle: access to external networks and the lack of a commercial reputation. You might know your research community well, but not the industry stakeholders, not the distribution channels, and certainly not the users outside the lab.

That is why some programs can be valuable. They can offer visibility, help you meet people you wouldn’t otherwise reach, and teach you some basics of company building. But learning how to discriminate among programs and deciding whether the time investment is truly valuable for your project must become part of your entrepreneurial skill set.

You should therefore ask yourself:

• How will this initiative reduce the uncertainty surrounding my project?
• Will it connect me to networks that matter for my startup?
• Will the time invested prevent me from doing something more relevant?
• Will it get me closer to difficult-to-reach users, or help me learn faster?

The easiest way to get clarity is to do your own due diligence.

Talk to founders who already went through the program. Did it actually help them grow their startup? How exactly? Would they do it again?