I’ve been reflecting on a peculiar observation from my dual life as an IVF specialist and an angel investor. The common thread? Uncertainty. It seems counterintuitive that both IVF and startups, fields that are fraught with unpredictability, should find their footing and even thrive in it. Yet, that’s exactly what I’ve seen time and again. The truth is, our desperate quest for certainty might actually be hindering us from fully embracing the potential of both these worlds.
In the clinic, I meet couples every day who are grappling with the uncertainty of their IVF journey. One particular patient comes to mind—a woman in her late thirties, whose path to motherhood was riddled with challenges. Each cycle felt like a roll of the dice, with no guaranteed outcome. Despite the advances in embryology techniques and preimplantation genetic testing, we’re still at the mercy of nature’s whims. She once told me that the most difficult part wasn’t the physical toll of the treatment, but the emotional rollercoaster of waiting and hoping. That’s the paradox of IVF: it’s a scientific marvel shrouded in mystery.
Similarly, in the startup ecosystem, uncertainty is the name of the game. I remember a founder I backed who was navigating the turbulent waters of a tech startup. The business model was sound, the team was strong, yet the market dynamics were unpredictable. Every pitch, every product iteration was a step into the unknown. He confessed that the hardest part was not the competition or the funding, but the unpredictability of user behavior and market acceptance. Yet, it is this very uncertainty that fuels innovation and adaptation. It forces founders to pivot, to iterate, and to constantly evolve.
The key to thriving in uncertainty, as I’ve observed, is not in controlling it but in learning to dance with it. In both IVF and startups, flexibility and resilience are more valuable than certainty. The ability to adapt, to change course when necessary, and to persist in the face of setbacks is what ultimately leads to success. I often tell my patients that while the outcome of IVF is uncertain, what we can control is how we respond to each cycle, each result. Similarly, I advise founders to focus on what they can control—their product, their team, their vision—and to be open to the lessons that uncertainty offers.
This brings me to a critical point: the role of expectations. In IVF, managing expectations is crucial. Patients who come in with the understanding that success might not be immediate are often better positioned to handle the emotional ups and downs. I’ve written about this before in What Indian Startups Can Learn from IVF Patients About Managing Expectations. The same holds true for startups. Founders who are prepared for the long haul, who understand that success is not an overnight phenomenon, are more likely to navigate their journey effectively. This is not about pessimism but about realistic optimism—hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.
In both fields, I’ve learned to trust my gut feelings over algorithms, as I discussed in Why I Trust a Gut Feeling Over Algorithms in Both IVF and Investment Decisions. There’s a certain wisdom in intuition that complements the data. In IVF, this might mean customizing a treatment plan based on subtle cues from the patient’s history. In investing, it could involve backing a founder whose passion and vision resonate deeply, even if the spreadsheets don’t fully align.
Ultimately, embracing uncertainty requires a shift in mindset. It’s about seeing possibilities where others see obstacles and recognizing that the journey is as valuable as the destination. As I often remind myself, both in the clinic and in board meetings, uncertainty isn’t a barrier to overcome but a space to explore. It’s where the magic happens, where breakthroughs occur, and where true resilience is forged.
So, to my peers both in the medical and entrepreneurial fields, I say, let’s not shy away from uncertainty. Instead, let’s lean into it, learn from it, and let it guide us to places we never imagined. The hard thing is doable, not because it’s easy or certain, but because we’re willing to embrace the unknown and persist despite it. That’s where the real growth lies.