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Raj Narayan serves as the managing director of the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science at NC State University, where he is also a professor of the practice of entrepreneurship. In this role, Narayan develops programs and partnerships in engineering, technology, and science that drive economic growth, spur innovation, and build communities equipped to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to advancing education for K-12 teachers and students.
Narayan brings an interdisciplinary background to his work, having completed his undergraduate studies in business and law before joining NC State. Over nearly three decades at the institution, he has helped researchers develop innovative collaborations, supported entrepreneurs in commercializing their ideas, and taught and mentored countless students navigating the space between technical expertise and real-world impact. NC State’s motto, “Think and Do,” is one Narayan has helped shape and that drives his institute’s work every day.
Engineering and entrepreneurship have more in common than most people realize. Both fields are fundamentally driven by the same core skill: problem solving. For engineering students considering a leap into entrepreneurship, that overlap is worth paying attention to.
“Engineers are problem solvers, and entrepreneurs are problem solvers. Those are two very complementary skills. What engineers need to do is keep a broad mind about what the problem is and, corollary to that, what the need is. Does that problem prevent the need from being met?” says Narayan. “Engineers are also very adaptive. They have to be in order to solve problems, and that adaptability is something they can bring directly to the entrepreneurial context as well.”
That adaptability, he argues, is one of the most underrated assets an engineering grad brings to a startup environment. The ability to pivot, absorb new information, and adjust course is not just useful in entrepreneurship. It is essential.
Having the raw materials for entrepreneurship is one thing. Making the mental shift to actually think like a founder is another. According to Narayan, it starts with honest self-reflection.
“People have within them capabilities they have to unlock. Leadership capabilities and entrepreneurial mindsets that they may not have been exposed to. First and foremost, you have to be willing to make that change for yourself. Take the time to understand your aspirations, identify opportunities to gain additional skills, and do a little self-inventory,” he encourages.
“Engineering schools are highly focused on problem solving, and those skills are complementary to a lot of what entrepreneurship requires, but figuring out where you have to supplement and grow takes some honest self-reflection.”
Part of that shift also means learning to let go of their solution. In a startup environment, being overly attached to how a problem is solved can be just as limiting as being unable to identify the problem in the first place.
“CEOs of entrepreneurial companies are everything from the strategic decision maker to the garbage person. You do it all. But in that same spirit, you also have to know when to let go and when to bring in other expertise to complement your own. Don’t fall in love with the solution. Fall in love with the problem,” says Narayan.
Technical founders have a deep passion for what they are building and the expertise to back it up. This isn’t something that can be taught. But that same intensity can sometimes work against them.
“Technical founders are like a parent in a way. It is very hard to tell a parent that their kid is ugly. They have put their heart and soul into this, their time, their hard work. They have gone after grants. There is a lot of sweat equity that goes into the work of a technical founder, and that passion is part of what tech leaders bring to the table,” says Narayan.
That intensity, combined with technical credibility, can be a powerful asset when it comes to attracting investors and early believers. But Narayan is quick to point out that the most successful technical founders are the ones who recognize where their expertise ends.
“I have met a lot of technical founders who have been phenomenal CEOs as well. That is a skill set they learn, sometimes on the job, oftentimes with the help of a mentor. There are some who are able to encompass a very broad role as CEO, and there are others who have been more successful by learning how to build a team they trust and can empower. It is a matter of giving it a shot and figuring out what speaks to your interests, capabilities, and aspirations as a founder,” says Narayan.
Entrepreneurship is not a solo sport, and who you surround yourself with can make or break a company. Narayan is deliberate in how he advises founders to approach building their inner circle.
“It is really important to understand what the other person’s motivations are when coming to the table. Always look for people who are smarter than you, people who challenge your thinking in a way that is positively disruptive, who bring different mindsets and ideas. Think of a diversified portfolio. In life, we meet people with such different perspectives and lived experiences that their own portfolios can be highly complementary. You want people who know what it has been like to go through challenges, people who understand the subject matter, and people who know how to build relationships, because entrepreneurship is a lot about relationship building,” says Narayan.
Choosing the wrong people early can be just as costly as choosing the wrong idea. “Whether it is hiring people, building a board, or finding investors, think long term. It is much like a marriage. Divorces are difficult, and the last thing you want is groupthink or too much conflict that prevents progress. Don’t let process get in the way of progress,” says Narayan.
Ideas are a dime a dozen. What turns a good idea into a scalable business is something far more specific, and according to Narayan, it starts with understanding whether anyone actually needs what you are building.
“You have got to identify an enduring customer need. You can have the best widget around, but if people do not need it, who is going to buy it? Aligning the problem to the need and understanding how your solution sits at that nexus of opportunity, with a clear and measurable value proposition, is one of the hardest things in entrepreneurship. In concept, it sounds simple, but when you get into practice, it is far more challenging,” says Narayan.
Beyond the idea itself, Narayan points to something that seasoned investors understand well, but first-time founders often overlook. “A lot of times, people think that when investors put money into something, they are investing in the technology. But what really drives it is their investment in people. What is what has always driven me in making investments is the people. What does this group of leaders, starting this very risky endeavor, believe about themselves, about their opportunity, about the potential impact they can create? That is what triggers investment,” says Narayan.
Building an entrepreneurial mindset does not stop at formal coursework. Narayan encourages engineering students to get out into their communities, explore interdisciplinary interests, and start building the skills that technical training alone does not always cover.
“Find communities around you that are doing this type of work. Start within your school, go to events put on by entrepreneurship programs, understand what the lay of the land is, and see what speaks to you. Entrepreneurial mindsets are most effective when they cross disciplines. Think about building communication skills, because you will have to present ideas. Take a speech class, take a business writing course. The ability to write compelling stories and present them is incredibly important for any founder,” says Narayan.
He is also quick to remind students that entrepreneurship does not have to look like a Silicon Valley startup to count. Sometimes it looks like following a passion into something entirely unexpected. “I know a young graduate from chemical engineering who started an auto shop because he loved automobiles. He leveraged his engineering expertise and followed his passion into entrepreneurship. He is a great mechanic, but he also runs a really good business. It does not always have to be high tech. The key is to get into it, recognize what you want to do, and make that commitment,” says Narayan.
Narayan’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is simple. “Get started. Find something within your community and start getting to know people. Learn about where the opportunities are, where the programs are, and sign up. Go to it,” he urges.
“Be present, be engaged, and have some fun, because this is a really cool environment to be in. It will unlock things about yourself that you never knew. It will inspire you and connect you with people with different ways of thinking who will become lifelong friends. And all it takes is initiative, which, as an engineering student, you already have. You know how to solve problems. So take advantage of that.”
With a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities in higher education, Kimmy Gustafson regularly contributes insightful articles to OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com, providing readers with a comprehensive view on the evolving landscape of engineering education since 2019. She has interviewed many engineering experts on a range of subjects, including geoengineering.
Kimmy has been a freelance writer for more than a decade, writing hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics such as startups, nonprofits, healthcare, kiteboarding, the outdoors, and higher education. She is passionate about seeing the world and has traveled to over 27 countries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. When not working, she can be found outdoors, parenting, kiteboarding, or cooking.
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