Ph.D. vs Startup skillset
scott_s: I think being a professor trying to get tenure is more similar to founding a startup than getting the Ph.D. itself.Professors trying to get tenure have to produce good research which results in a high quantity of high quality publications, attract and advise graduate students and chase grant money. In the beginning, professors will do most of the research themself, but as their group grows, their students mature as researchers and they have a steady flow of grant money, they're more like managers.Also, I think stating what you'd like to do after you get your Ph.D. is like the caterpillar stating what kind of butterfly it wants to be. The process will change you in ways you can't predict, and you may want different things.From someone who can see the end, good luck with your beginning.