From PhD Student to Machine Learning Entrepreneur: SuperAnnotate CEO Tigran Petrosyan (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: How is it working with your brother?

Tigran Petrosyan: Many people tell me that they would never work with their siblings. When you do it right, it can be a blessing. We have done quite a lot of work early on to make sure that not only the brotherhood works, but also the business side works.

We’ve gone a very long way. You can trust each other. You know that you rely on each other and you can be safe. Having that backup all the time is critical, especially when you’re building something new and innovative. The rate of failure can be high.

Sramana Mitra: I’ll share with you a little story from my experience. My dad started a company with his brother. It was a disaster.

Tigran Petrosyan: What do you think didn’t work?

Sramana Mitra: There’s sibling rivalry and jealousy that come in the way. My father owned eight ships. They built it up from zero to eight ships. My uncle didn’t want to go public. My father was the domain expert, so my uncle didn’t want to lose control. After that, it fizzled.

Tigran Petrosyan: We had points where it could be one direction or the other. If we weren’t brothers, it probably would have been a disaster. We realized that if we lose that, we’re losing the most sacred thing we have – our brotherhood. At the same time, the company can have troubles as well.

Sramana Mitra: You and your brother were students when you started, right?

Tigran Petrosyan: Right. No business experience and working experience other than just being in research and academia. If I knew the things I know now, I’m not sure if I would start a company.

Sramana Mitra: I was a Ph.D. student at MIT. I started a company in 1994 while I was in the program. The internet was just starting. I left. I took my Masters. I don’t have an MBA. I didn’t have business experience. I had technical experience. I was a computer scientist. I had to figure things out myself. I understand what it means to leave a Ph.D. program to start a company.

Tigran Petrosyan: Interestingly enough, I’m sometimes asked if I regret dropping out of my Ph.D., especially as I was just about to write my thesis. My answer is, if not the best, it’s the second best decision of my life after I met my wife. The things I learned are so invaluable – the people I meet and what it means to build a company.

Sramana Mitra: If your aspirations are to become an entrepreneur, leaving the Ph.D. program is no problem. In your case, you had a few years to do some research and build technology that you could apply to your company. The four years of work that you did, you actually got value out of that. It actually paid off.

Tigran Petrosyan: Absolutely. I believe Ph.D. is not about the degree in the end. It’s about what you learn – critical thinking, how to find new information you need. Doing something that no one has done before. That’s Ph.D. You don’t need a degree.

Sramana Mitra: Fantastic! Thank you for your time.

This segment is part 5 in the series : From PhD Student to Machine Learning Entrepreneur: SuperAnnotate CEO Tigran Petrosyan
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