{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Owner's Roundtable","title":"From Lab to Leadership: Scaling a Deep-Tech Business with Jack Nicholas of Qdot Technology","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1874,"description":"What does it take to turn world-class academic research into a real, revenue-generating company? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Jack Nicholas, Co-Founder and CTO of Qdot Technology, to unpack his journey from Oxford University’s labs to the front lines of clean aviation.Jack shares how his Ph.D. research in cooling nuclear fusion reactors became the foundation for a deep-tech startup tackling one of aviation’s hardest problems: thermal management for zero-emissions flight. Along the way, he opens up about the realities of spinning a company out of a university, the costly mistake of leading with technology instead of customer problems, and why he ultimately stepped aside as CEO to put the right leader in place.This is a candid conversation about the long timelines of deep tech, raising capital in tougher markets, navigating VC relationships, and why finding the right people may be the hardest and most important challenge of all. What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeThe hidden challenges of spinning a company out of a top universityWhy starting with “great technology” instead of a clear problem can slow growthWhen founders should step out of the CEO roleHow investor expectations have shifted from vision to early revenuePractical advice for raising capital and pitching VCsWhy recruitment is harder (and more critical) than most founders expectAbout Jack NicholasJack Nicholas is the Co-Founder and CTO of Qdot Technology, a deep-tech company advancing thermal management solutions for clean aviation. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, where his research focused on cooling technologies for nuclear fusion reactors. After completing his doctorate, Jack led the design of a £1M industrial test facility for next-generation gas turbine materials in collaboration with aerospace partners. Today, he applies that expertise to solving the thermal challenges standing in the way of zero-emissions flight.—Looking...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/rzlj8TzuVYVktfPoUt5-bBHXADjNcknvabuetQFHRE8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZjNm/YWU5OTZlYTYxZGUy/YjZlNTAyZDhhMjUz/NTgxZi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}