From Ivory Tower to Startup Power: How College Professors Can Build a Business in Uncertain Times

Higher Ed Is Shaking—But That’s Your Signal

The world of academia is at a crossroads. Mass layoffs, budget cuts, collapsing departments, and bloated administrations are pushing even the most dedicated scholars to ask: Is there a future here?

If you're a college professor—especially on a teaching track—this isn’t just a crisis. It’s a strategic moment to ask:

“What else can I do with my expertise, network, and experience?”

Spoiler: you can start a business. And not only is it possible—it may be the smartest move you'll make this decade.

Why Professors Make Exceptional Entrepreneurs

Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI and a former academic, shared at the HBS Entrepreneurship Summit that “action produces information”—a pivot from the purely theoretical mindset of academia. Yet, the best entrepreneurs don’t leave academia behind—they translate it.

Here’s why you’re already better prepared than you think:

• ✅ You know how to do deep research and distill complex ideas.
  
  

• ✅ You’ve spent years teaching, mentoring, and designing learning experiences (hello, product design!).
  
  

• ✅ You can manage long-term projects under uncertain conditions.
  
  

• ✅ You're mission-driven. So are great companies.
  
  

Step-by-Step: How Professors Can Launch a Business

1. Start With a “Problem You See Every Day”

Whether it’s students struggling with writing, colleagues lost in bureaucracy, or industries craving better training—you’re sitting on unmet needs.

Ask yourself:

• What do people ask me for help with all the time?
  
  

• What do I wish existed in my classroom, department, or discipline?
  
  

• What are colleagues always complaining about?
  
  

2. Pick a Simple, Low-Risk Format First

You don’t need VC money or a co-founder. Just try:

• Running a paid workshop
  
  

• Offering 1:1 consulting
  
  

• Selling a mini-course on platforms like Gumroad, Teachable, or Udemy
  
  

• Creating a research method toolkit for non-academics
  
  

Start small. Aravind’s first ML experiment wasn’t about billions—it was about learning by doing. That’s the real startup DNA.

3. Use Your Research to Build Credibility

If you're publishing, speaking at conferences, or mentoring grad students—use that as content marketing.

Turn your teaching slides into:

• Blog posts
  
  

• LinkedIn carousels
  
  

• Free email courses
  
  

• YouTube explainers
  
  

This builds your audience and helps you refine your product-market fit.

4. Don’t Wait to Be “Ready”

Per Srinivas: “Most founders spend a year in the idea maze. Just launch something.”

So instead of obsessing over your idea:

• Mock up a one-page website
  
  

• Share a Google Form asking what your audience wants
  
  

• Test a 3-week cohort program
  
  

Iteration beats perfection. Action creates insight.

Business Ideas for Professors (That Actually Work)

🔧 Academic Skill Training
Teach academic writing, stats, data analysis, or research design to non-academics, grad students, or corporations.

📚 Course-to-Consulting
Turn your course into a mini-consulting business: syllabus design for edtechs, instructional design for HR departments, or DEI coaching.

🧠 Knowledge-Based Microservices
Build niche products like:

• A content analysis coding kit for researchers
  
  

• A reproducibility checklist for labs
  
  

• A rubric system for grading capstones
  
  

🌍 Global Research Agencies
Remote-first research agencies are booming. Offer qualitative insights to NGOs, policy orgs, or brands needing cultural intelligence.

Still in Academia? Perfect. That’s Your Lab

Unlike tech founders who build in isolation, you have students, colleagues, and content to test on today. Use your position to pilot programs, get feedback, and build proof of concept—all while still employed.

Your classroom is your prototype lab. Your department is your beta group.

Final Advice: Don’t Wait for Academia to Validate You

The harsh truth? Academia isn’t going to protect you. But your training and insight are still incredibly valuable—especially beyond the campus walls.

So take a page from Aravind Srinivas. Translate your academic grit into entrepreneurial resilience. Start now. Test quickly. Build with intention.

Because the best time to prepare for disruption... is before it disrupts you.

💬 Want More?

Let me know if you'd like:

• A free Business Model Canvas for academic entrepreneurs
  
  

• A list of funding opportunities (yes, even for non-tech ideas!)
  
  

• Tools for content creation or online teaching setup
  
  

Let’s rewrite the professor’s career path—on our own terms. 🚀