Last year was full of trial and error in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I explored different projects, worked with different teams, tested new approaches, and most times faced outright failure. Through it all, one truth became clearer than any publication or credential could show: what makes a great researcher isn’t always visible on a CV. It’s grit, curiosity, resilience, and the ability to navigate setbacks while keeping your goals in sight.

Many people start research with genuine excitement: the idea of leading a project, exploring a question, or pursuing a PhD feels thrilling. But then the first hurdles arrive. For instance, a study design that doesn’t yield useful data, delays in approvals, challenges coordinating teams across regions, or projects that stall. For some, the excitement fades, and interest quietly disappears.

Then there’s the stubborn “know-it-all,” who refuses to compromise, dismisses advice from team members, and pushes their own agenda no matter what. Brilliant ideas alone aren’t enough as research is rarely a solo journey (although it feels like it most times).

Here’s the dilemma: how do you showcase these qualities on a CV or an application? Degrees, publications, and awards are easy to list. Grit, adaptability, and intellectual humility are not. Yet, these are often the very traits that determine whether someone will thrive in research.

Over the past years, I’ve realised that the “best” researchers aren’t necessarily those with the most impressive credentials. They are the ones who persist through delays and disappointments, remain curious even when progress is slow, and balance independence with teamwork. They learn from failure, adapt their approach, and continue asking questions when no one else does. They are patient, reflective, and resilient in ways no transcript can capture.

This mismatch between what’s measurable and what’s essential creates a tension in how we evaluate researchers. Applications reward neat packages: degrees, marks, publications. But real research is messy. It rewards persistence, adaptability, and grit. It rewards the ability to learn from failure and collaborate effectively while maintaining intellectual independence.

So here’s a question worth reflecting on: is it time we rethink how we assess whether someone is truly fit for a research project or programme? Food for thought.

Don’t Miss These Workshops

Our AI Research Accelerator Workshop in July sold out in record time, and it’s easy to see why. Participants walked away with actionable strategies to accelerate their research, step-by-step frameworks for tackling complex projects, and ready-to-use templates that save hours of work. Even if you missed the live session, you can access the full 3-hour recording, complete with slides, templates, and all the resources we used.

For those interested in systematic reviews, the Next-Gen Systematic Reviews Workshop was another full-house hit. Attendees left equipped with practical tools to design, conduct, and report reviews more efficiently (basically what would take you months to learn distilled into 4 hours).

These workshops are hands-on experiences designed to make your research smarter, faster, and more impactful.

Life Outside Academia

In my journey to thrive outside academia, I’ve been persistent with my resistance training, focusing on progressive overload and better nutrition. Over the past decade, I’ve been consistent with athletic work but not systematic with my eating or training. Already, my energy levels and sleep have improved tremendously, though it’s still early days to see changes in strength.

I recently met with an esteemed senior lecturer in philosophy and started listening to a podcast on my commutes about history of philosophy. It makes me wonder what makes the works of great philosophers memorable. Is it challenging conventional norms, creativity in thinking, or the emphasis on intellectual debate over modern-day capitalist gains?

I want to build a personal connection with everyone who reads and follows my journey. Reach out if you are on a path of self-improvement as this matters to me more than any publication. If you are striving for greatness, let’s connect.

Keep living, keep exploring, keep succeeding.

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