It has been a year!
One year has passed since I started Letarte Scientific Consulting (LSC). I am very grateful to my network that allowed me to achieve what I wanted to do for a while.
I want to say thank you specifically to:
• All my clients; I worked with 12 companies over the last year.
• The mentors who inspired and encouraged me.
• The former employers who prepared me and helped me make this decision.
• The random connections at conferences and on the volleyball court.
• The friends and former coworkers who hired me.
• The larger consulting firms that trust me to be their large molecules analytical consultant.
• And to the other consultants that I have worked with and form whom I have learned from.
It is really hard to believe it has been 12 months. It was all a blast. I have seen so many projects, made new connections and learned a so much by being exposed to different modalities, solving different problems and learning to adapt to different situations.
Being a consultant has pros and cons compared to woking at a large pharma. On the benefits, it is nice to have the flexibility of working from home most of the time. I can organize my schedule to attend my kids sports games and drive them to practice, or go for an afternoon driving range session, a morning yoga class. The work is also more focused; more science, less fluff. No performance reviews, resource forecasting, all hands meetings, etc.
Another benefit, if you like good food and know your way around the kitchen, you can make yourself a decent lunch. Or put a roast in the oven in between meetings to have a nice dinner with the family later. Coffee is pretty good at home too.
Consulting and working from home also has downsides. No health care subsidies, bonus, 401k, stocks, sick days or paid vacations. You need to figure it out yourself. But with a decent hourly rate and generous tax deductions, it is possible to make it work. Being the home-based parent, you become the default person for kids dentist, doctor’s appointments etc. I was not really prepared for that.
The part about more science and less fluff is a double-edged sword too. Since most of the work is remote, I do miss the casual discussions at the cafeteria, the 1:1 where you really connect and the happy hours after work. Having coworkers also sets a certain standard of discipline that it is easy to fall short of when it is just you and your dog all day. I have found that going for drinks or coffee with friends, working from a cafe, library or coworking space helps with interacting with human adults.
Very grateful for year 1 and looking forward for year 2. Please stay in touch and connect.
Simon