Don’t sit on ideas and plans. Either implement, or discard them quickly.”
Jorge Moll is a renowned medical professional that received his MD from The Federal University of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 1994. By 1998, Dr. Moll completed his medical residency in Neurology at the same university. Afterwards, Moll decided to further his education by receiving his Ph.D. in Experimental Pathophysiology from São Paulo University in 2004.
Currently, Jorge Moll resides as President, Senior Researcher, and Board Member of D’Or Institute of Research and Education (IDOR). Inclusively, Moll is the Founder and head of the Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience Unit (CBNU) and Neuroinformatics Workgroup IDOR, located in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Where did the idea for IDOR come from?
The dream and vision to foster world class research, education and healthcare innovation in Brazil.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
Lots of meetings, but with many different people and covering a wide range of topics. That includes young students and researchers, staff members, business associates, scientists and entrepreneurs from different organizations. Collaboration and free exchange of ideas is fundamental.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Ideas abound. The difficult thing is to select the best candidates, discuss them as with others, drop many of these (or save for later) and pick the ones that can be converted in some kind of action plan. Then work cooperatively.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Artificial intelligence and cognitive systems, and how machines and brains are going to work together. Regenerative medicine and gene therapy is another very hot topic.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Being open, transparent and nimble.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t sit on ideas and plans. Either implement, or discard them quickly.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I think that innovative science is being dramatically hampered by current publication and carreer pathways in both academia and industry. We need new models to address big challenges, which allow pursuing long-term, high risk projects.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Don’t do things over and over. Always question your model.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Having a deep belief that we can change our reality, do interesting things that can impact positively on other’s lives and institutions.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Running a research institute, not a for-profit-company, I have experienced failure in different ways. Basically, not obtaining the expected results, or taking too long. There is no recipe, but I think that repurposing strategies and people’s duties according to their capacities and needs can be quite helpful.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A company that addresses simple needs of people to make their lives easier when coming into a hospital, in a consumer-friendly manner, would be very welcome.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
The last? Mmmm. For my kids, some Netflix series. They love it. For my little girl, little figures and lego, she really enjoys. Professionally, a couple of new web domains to shelter a new NGO idea I’ve been incubating.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Evernote and Trello are very helpful. Love them.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The incredibly long Exegesis, by P.K. Dick.
What is your favorite quote?
One I like is Da Vinci’s “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.
Key Learning
- Making progress involves entertaining and quickly discarding ideas.
- The world needs better models to foster disruptive science and applications.
- Achieving social impact and success requires persistence and true commitment.
- Don’t sit on ideals or plans. Either act on them, share or discard quickly.
Connect:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.