Exactly 5 years ago today, I began my own lab. Here’s a thread with 5 things I learned as a PI 
1. You will get so busy, you cannot even imagine. The main difference with working long days/weekends as a postdoc or PhD, is that back then it was all about your project. You essentially did it to yourself. Now there’s endless extraneus stuff + denands on your time.
2. You will automatically get better at seeing the big picture, because there is no way in hell you can keep up with the experimental details of 7 different people.
3. You will wonder why they don’t teach psychology in high school, because suddenly most of your job is about teaching/mentoring/coaching/managing people. And that is the most rewarding, but also the most difficult thing that exists.
4. Your definition of science will change. Lab meeting? Journal club? One-on-ones with my lab peeps? Science. Writing grants? Science. Reviewing stuff? Science. Really, anything with data that requires me to think: Science. More than 50% of my time/energy: not spent on science.
5. No matter how hard everyone works, progress will be slow. It’s hard to get a lab going. You will be more likely to run out of money than you are to run out of ideas. Which is tough, but I guess also better than the other way around.
All of this is work in progress. Other things I need to get better at in the next five years:
1. Saying no.
2 Being more clear about my expectations.
3. Find more time for science.
4. Getting stuff published.
5. Living like a responsible adult who cooks, eats, sleeps and cleans the house on time
2 Being more clear about my expectations.
3. Find more time for science.
4. Getting stuff published.
5. Living like a responsible adult who cooks, eats, sleeps and cleans the house on time
