Three Stages Towards Your PhD - A Business Analogy

Getting a PhD degree is different from getting all previous degrees. PhD program involves open-ended research rather than well-defined projects. This is why it often takes 4-5 years or even longer to complete the training. While it's a long process by nature, the PhD program can be broken down into three principal stages. The entire PhD program corresponds largely to the chronological order of these stages. In business terms, they are marketing, engineering, and sales.
1. Marketing -- Identifying the research opportunity

Before a company makes any products, it first decides what products to make. This normally follows the thinking that what products have the potentiality to make money. This is called marketing. Marketing is in some sense a prediction of the future -- it predicts what products have the best potential to be "killer" ones. Marketing is very important as it sets the direction of a company.

The "marketing" stage in the PhD program is its earliest stage: finding a research topic. This is often very difficult for a new PhD student, due to the prediction-of-the-future nature of marketing. No one, not even your professor, is certain what topic will work out before actually working on it. This dilemma, however, can be alleviated with experience from your advisor, as well as your growing understanding of the field. Intuition sometimes plays an important role at this stage, too.

This early stage is also when you can switch topics quickly, if the original one doesn't seem to work out. Overall, this stage "sets the tone" for your entire PhD work. This means it determines what specific areas you will become an expert in, and whether your research effort will have impact.

2. Engineering -- Working out the selected research topic

Once the company has set the direction, and has decided to make a certain product, the next stage is to actually make it. This is the engineering stage. At this stage, the objective is not to worry about whether this is the right product or whether it will sell, or even how to sell it. The only objective is to manufacture it.

The "engineering" stage in the PhD program is to work out the chosen research topic. A good research idea is wasted if it can not be worked out. This is also a stage where you apply extensively your knowledge and skills to innovating on a topic. To delve into an unknown territory you need to first familiarize with all the known areas. Taking courses, for instance, is a way to equip yourself with the necessary background knowledge.

The first two stages often comprise the largest portion of the PhD study.

3. Sales -- Presenting your completed research work

Now the company has the product ready, and it moves into the sales stage. Product doesn't sell itself; a salesperson (or advertising) does.

The "sales" stage in the PhD program is to present your conducted work. This includes writing a research paper and giving an oral presentation. A good presentation adds value to the work, and a poor presentation tarnishes a good work. Presenting your work is the only way to let the rest of the world know about your research achievements.

As you can see, it takes all three stages to work together to build a successful business. Likewise, all these three stages are indispensable in a successful PhD training. The PhD training aims to put you one up in all three aspects, regardless of where you stood before entering the PhD program.