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Failure is just the Beginning | Fouad Maksoud | TEDxAUBSalon


I’m sure each one of you here had

I’m sure each one of you here had watched Steve Jobs commencement speech

watched Steve Jobs commencement speech

watched Steve Jobs commencement speech and Stanford one thing that stayed with

and Stanford one thing that stayed with

and Stanford one thing that stayed with me was you cannot connect the dots

me was you cannot connect the dots

me was you cannot connect the dots looking forward you can only connect

looking forward you can only connect

looking forward you can only connect them looking backwards I was a medical

them looking backwards I was a medical

them looking backwards I was a medical student with aspirations of being a

student with aspirations of being a

student with aspirations of being a doctor to heal pain but at the end of

doctor to heal pain but at the end of

doctor to heal pain but at the end of the first year I dropped out and changed

the first year I dropped out and changed

the first year I dropped out and changed my degree after much thought I decided

my degree after much thought I decided

my degree after much thought I decided to become a petrochemical engineer

to become a petrochemical engineer

to become a petrochemical engineer totally different I wish I could tell

totally different I wish I could tell

totally different I wish I could tell you that I was a genius who started

you that I was a genius who started

you that I was a genius who started watching documentaries about

watching documentaries about

watching documentaries about nanotechnology fibers or dreaming of

nanotechnology fibers or dreaming of

nanotechnology fibers or dreaming of them who even dreams about that but like

them who even dreams about that but like

them who even dreams about that but like many ordinary people I found my passion

many ordinary people I found my passion

many ordinary people I found my passion for nanotechnology the day I started

for nanotechnology the day I started

for nanotechnology the day I started working with it at the time a UB had the

working with it at the time a UB had the

working with it at the time a UB had the first nanotech lab in the region and I

first nanotech lab in the region and I

first nanotech lab in the region and I was really curious about that field so I

was really curious about that field so I

was really curious about that field so I joined that team with lots of day and

joined that team with lots of day and

joined that team with lots of day and might shift in the lab it was not

might shift in the lab it was not

might shift in the lab it was not glamorous it was definitely not

glamorous it was definitely not

glamorous it was definitely not action-packed but look it was the start

action-packed but look it was the start

action-packed but look it was the start of a love that began to grow over the

of a love that began to grow over the

of a love that began to grow over the past couple of years an idea came to

past couple of years an idea came to

past couple of years an idea came to mind

mind

mind why not merge my initial interest and

why not merge my initial interest and

why not merge my initial interest and Madison was the work I’m doing right now

Madison was the work I’m doing right now

Madison was the work I’m doing right now so I set out my mind write a proposal

so I set out my mind write a proposal

so I set out my mind write a proposal and presented to my advisors their

and presented to my advisors their

and presented to my advisors their answer to me that day was it was

answer to me that day was it was

answer to me that day was it was unfeasible engineering-wise was this a

unfeasible engineering-wise was this a

unfeasible engineering-wise was this a failure on my part

failure on my part

failure on my part did I miss calculate somewhere in my

did I miss calculate somewhere in my

did I miss calculate somewhere in my head ideas were spinning but if you

head ideas were spinning but if you

head ideas were spinning but if you can’t convince your research advisor the

can’t convince your research advisor the

can’t convince your research advisor the one who taught you

one who taught you

one who taught you you know in the first place you

you know in the first place you

you know in the first place you certainly begin to question yourself but

certainly begin to question yourself but

certainly begin to question yourself but being stubborn I decided to pursue that

being stubborn I decided to pursue that

being stubborn I decided to pursue that idea if I have the slightest chance

idea if I have the slightest chance

idea if I have the slightest chance I want to grasp it and isn’t that what

I want to grasp it and isn’t that what

I want to grasp it and isn’t that what research is all about what I realized is

research is all about what I realized is

research is all about what I realized is that you can with the research you can

that you can with the research you can

that you can with the research you can and this is what I wanted to do so I

and this is what I wanted to do so I

and this is what I wanted to do so I held on to that idea and pushed myself

held on to that idea and pushed myself

held on to that idea and pushed myself to work on developing it into reality

to work on developing it into reality

to work on developing it into reality and here’s where it all changed so I

and here’s where it all changed so I

and here’s where it all changed so I moved on to my family’s Chalet chilled

moved on to my family’s Chalet chilled

moved on to my family’s Chalet chilled up the beach and ideas kept popping into

up the beach and ideas kept popping into

up the beach and ideas kept popping into my head if only life was like movies it

my head if only life was like movies it

my head if only life was like movies it would be perfect what I actually did was

would be perfect what I actually did was

would be perfect what I actually did was sell lots of what I owned rented

sell lots of what I owned rented

sell lots of what I owned rented virtually and turn it into a full

virtually and turn it into a full

virtually and turn it into a full chemical engineering laboratory my

chemical engineering laboratory my

chemical engineering laboratory my parents thought I might have gone crazy

parents thought I might have gone crazy

parents thought I might have gone crazy they even wanted to send me to a

they even wanted to send me to a

they even wanted to send me to a psychologist some of my friends did as

psychologist some of my friends did as

psychologist some of my friends did as well but I was persistent 10 months had

well but I was persistent 10 months had

well but I was persistent 10 months had passed I was living between four walls

passed I was living between four walls

passed I was living between four walls of my mini lab with no results day after

of my mini lab with no results day after

of my mini lab with no results day after day was negative answers I began to

day was negative answers I began to

day was negative answers I began to believe I had failed I even start

believe I had failed I even start

believe I had failed I even start questioning myself what the heck were

questioning myself what the heck were

questioning myself what the heck were you thinking about this idea might not

you thinking about this idea might not

you thinking about this idea might not even be achievable at first I chose to

even be achievable at first I chose to

even be achievable at first I chose to give up I thought that a different goal

give up I thought that a different goal

give up I thought that a different goal is not worth the effort

is not worth the effort

is not worth the effort but before surrendering I wanted to try

but before surrendering I wanted to try

but before surrendering I wanted to try one last thing I might as well do what

one last thing I might as well do what

one last thing I might as well do what every lab researcher likes to do shock

every lab researcher likes to do shock

every lab researcher likes to do shock things into submission so I applied

things into submission so I applied

things into submission so I applied 40,000 volt to the polymer I’m working

40,000 volt to the polymer I’m working

40,000 volt to the polymer I’m working with

with

with and something changed I was able to

and something changed I was able to

and something changed I was able to scale up that nanotechnology thousand

scale up that nanotechnology thousand

scale up that nanotechnology thousand times what was something I thought to be

times what was something I thought to be

times what was something I thought to be a failure turned out to be my biggest

a failure turned out to be my biggest

a failure turned out to be my biggest success and now I thought it was the

success and now I thought it was the

success and now I thought it was the failure of my life but it was my plan a

failure of my life but it was my plan a

failure of my life but it was my plan a and I can’t shift anymore the basis of

and I can’t shift anymore the basis of

and I can’t shift anymore the basis of the snap of this invention as to

the snap of this invention as to

the snap of this invention as to hardness nanotechnology as means to

hardness nanotechnology as means to

hardness nanotechnology as means to apply petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals

apply petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals

apply petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals toward an early textile so I was able to

toward an early textile so I was able to

toward an early textile so I was able to transform any wearable clothes and to

transform any wearable clothes and to

transform any wearable clothes and to waterproof breathable and the

waterproof breathable and the

waterproof breathable and the antibacterial phase that delivers

antibacterial phase that delivers

antibacterial phase that delivers medicine from the inside for different

medicine from the inside for different

medicine from the inside for different health issues like wound burns

health issues like wound burns

health issues like wound burns especially third-degree burns diabeetus

especially third-degree burns diabeetus

especially third-degree burns diabeetus ulcers and muscle strain and this is

ulcers and muscle strain and this is

ulcers and muscle strain and this is done through the impregnation of a drug

done through the impregnation of a drug

done through the impregnation of a drug delivery system inside the Nano fibers

delivery system inside the Nano fibers

delivery system inside the Nano fibers that delivered the medication and

that delivered the medication and

that delivered the medication and extract the accident through the right

extract the accident through the right

extract the accident through the right moisture vapor transmission rate and

moisture vapor transmission rate and

moisture vapor transmission rate and reality imagine there’s lots of nano

reality imagine there’s lots of nano

reality imagine there’s lots of nano fibers on your t-shirt and there’s drugs

fibers on your t-shirt and there’s drugs

fibers on your t-shirt and there’s drugs inside and some micro tunnels that

inside and some micro tunnels that

inside and some micro tunnels that remove secretions of the wound without

remove secretions of the wound without

remove secretions of the wound without having to remove the bandage itself and

having to remove the bandage itself and

having to remove the bandage itself and risk infection as simple as that but

risk infection as simple as that but

risk infection as simple as that but like all researchers I have bigger ideas

like all researchers I have bigger ideas

like all researchers I have bigger ideas in mind my goal is more than a half a

in mind my goal is more than a half a

in mind my goal is more than a half a tonne machine that heals and so my

tonne machine that heals and so my

tonne machine that heals and so my colleagues and I said to do just that we

colleagues and I said to do just that we

colleagues and I said to do just that we started initially with electro spun

started initially with electro spun

started initially with electro spun surgical mesh for heaney repair and

surgical mesh for heaney repair and

surgical mesh for heaney repair and micro engineered synthetic vascular

micro engineered synthetic vascular

micro engineered synthetic vascular graft for coronary bypass the importance

graft for coronary bypass the importance

graft for coronary bypass the importance of nano fibers resides in the fact that

of nano fibers resides in the fact that

of nano fibers resides in the fact that that can create scaffolds

that can create scaffolds

that can create scaffolds of different body tissue and organs and

of different body tissue and organs and

of different body tissue and organs and biomimetic blood vessel networks

biomimetic blood vessel networks

biomimetic blood vessel networks allowing cells to grow within layers of

allowing cells to grow within layers of

allowing cells to grow within layers of the support system and self arranged

the support system and self arranged

the support system and self arranged into the anticipated configuration what

into the anticipated configuration what

into the anticipated configuration what I was doing is contributing to the

I was doing is contributing to the

I was doing is contributing to the future of medicine but I was doing it

future of medicine but I was doing it

future of medicine but I was doing it with an idea that was at first a failed

with an idea that was at first a failed

with an idea that was at first a failed idea each failure

idea each failure

idea each failure each disappointment made me who I am

each disappointment made me who I am

each disappointment made me who I am today I never aspired to dream big as

today I never aspired to dream big as

today I never aspired to dream big as big as I do now and I can’t imagine

big as I do now and I can’t imagine

big as I do now and I can’t imagine where failure may lead I’m sure to a

where failure may lead I’m sure to a

where failure may lead I’m sure to a bigger goal what we should always think

bigger goal what we should always think

bigger goal what we should always think about is that even your biggest failure

about is that even your biggest failure

about is that even your biggest failure can result to a bigger success thank you

can result to a bigger success thank you

can result to a bigger success thank you [Applause]

”

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