R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; & Striving Towards Happiness

David Maslach
R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; & Striving Towards Happiness

Professor David Maslach talks about graduate school, research, science, Innovation, and entrepreneurship. The R3ciprocity project is my way to give back as much as I possibly can. I seek to provide insights and tools to change how we understand science, and make it more democratic.

  1. 1D AGO

    I’m Terrified I’m Screwing Everything Up — Every Single Day

    I get these waves. Waves of fear. Of doubt. At least once or twice a day. Why am I doing this? Why am I so public about something I don’t even understand myself? I don’t want to mess up anyone’s life. What if someone hears this and does something terrible because they misunderstood me? What if I’m screwing it all up? I feel like a buffoon most of the time. A giant mess, walking around pretending to know. Sometimes I think I might be the hero in my own life. But mostly… I don’t. I’m 46. And I still feel like the insecure kid on that dirt road — Ryczko Road — where nothing made sense. None of this goes away. The more I do this, the more doubt I have. The more faith I need — and I’m not even a faith-kind-of-person. But I’ve learned: you’ll never really know. And that fear never disappears. You just learn to live with it. Take care.

    6 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Don’t Ban ChatGPT. Teach People to Handle Complexity.

    I have seen a lot of people—especially in academia—try to ban ChatGPT outright. But the world doesn’t work like that. Banning tools like this doesn’t teach students how to live in a messy, shifting world—it just teaches them guilt and silence. I grew up in a strict household, so I get the instinct. But I also know what happens when people are told something is morally wrong: they hide. They feel shame. And they don’t know how to talk about it when they slip. This episode is about building something better. Not rigid rules—but real conversations about how tools can be both powerful and flawed. We need to teach people how to think, how to ask questions, and how to live honestly inside a world that’s constantly changing. And that’s a much harder—but more human—lesson than just saying “don’t.”

    8 min

  3. 4D AGO

    What If No One Reads What You Built?

    So what if you work on something for two, three, five years… You write the dissertation. You build the app. You post the idea. And no one looks. Your advisor doesn’t read it. Your peers don’t respond. The internet gives you five views and one pity like. This is not a bug in research. This is the game. Dissertations go unread. Projects die in inboxes. New ideas get met with condescension, silence, or worse—indifference. But you’re not trying to reach the world. You’re looking for one person— Someone playful enough to engage, curious enough to see potential. Most people won’t. They’ll never move a finger. It’s not malice—it’s just how it is. The work is in finding that spark. One out of ten million. That’s how momentum starts. Ignore the rest. Reframe the silence as signal. Look for the spark. Keep going—quietly, persistently—until it catches. It won’t take a year. It might take a decade. Maybe more. But those of us who build know the truth: That’s the work.

    11 min

  4. 5D AGO

    Why You Need Both Arrogance and Humility to Succeed

    This is just a one-minute thought—but it might change how you see yourself. We’re told to be humble. But the truth is, no one gets far without a little arrogance. You need to believe you can do it— Even when others doubt you. Even when you doubt yourself. At the same time, that belief can’t turn into self-importance. You also have to listen. Stay open. Learn fast. It’s not about choosing one or the other. The people who go furthest? They hold both: a quiet arrogance and a grounded humility.

    1 min

  5. 6D AGO

    Academia Doesn’t Leave Room for Being Human

    I have a PhD. I’m a professor. And still—some days, I can’t keep up. There are emails I haven’t answered. People I haven’t followed up with. Promises I meant to keep but couldn’t. Not because I don’t care. But because I’m human. I wrestle with guilt. With fear. With the thought: “What will they think of me?” I’ve always been shy, and when people take me seriously, it still scares me a little. But I’m learning—slowly—to let go. If they judge me, that’s on them. If I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got, that’s enough. Academia doesn’t always make space for that truth—but I will. Today, I’m choosing to take a breath. To notice the beauty around me. And to remind myself: I’m doing okay. So are you.

    8 min

  6. JUN 19

    What If You Picked the Wrong Career—and Can’t Fix It?

    What If You Picked the Wrong Career—And Can’t Fix It? I think about this almost every day. I am sure you do, my friend. What if I picked the wrong career? What if I can’t undo it? I’m a professor. I have a PhD—with 15 years of experience. But most days, I still ask: What the hell am I doing here? This isn’t what I imagined. I feel typecast. Trapped. Like I can’t change direction because the world already decided who I am. I’m an old man. But here’s the truth: those boundaries—those roles we think are fixed—they’re mostly made up. Nobody really knows what they’re doing when they start. You just figure it out as you go. And when I see a 72-year-old training to be a lifeguard after 40 years as a programmer at my swimming pool (true story), I’m reminded: it’s never too late to start again. If you’re stuck, forgive yourself. I hear people say, “You just didn’t do your homework.” F that. No one knows what they’re getting into. You figure it out as you go. Say “screw it” to the expectations. Try the thing. Muck around. You don’t need permission. Just start. And when people judge you? Build a boundary in your head. Politely Say SCREW YOU. Keep moving. That’s what I’m doing. And if you’re a PhD who feels this way—know you’re not alone. You didn’t mess it up. You’re just living a story that’s still being written. This is for every PhD who quietly wonders: “What if I chose wrong?” If you need someone to hear this, share it!

    12 min

  7. JUN 17

    I’m Still Not Over My PhD — 15 Years Later

    I’m Still Not Over My PhD — 15 Years Later It’s been almost 15 years since I ended my PhD. I graduated in 2011. And if I’m being honest, I’m still not over it. I came in strong—undergrad and master’s at one of the best engineering schools in the world. The first in my family to get an university degree told me I was no slouch. I thought I’d accelerate through a top business school, graduate in four years, and be on my way. Perhaps being a business professor or management consultant. But that’s not what happened. What happened was… grief, confusion, silence, rejection. Two years of wandering at the beginning of my PhD program, trying to find mentors and figuring out me. I eventually found extraordinary mentors that pushed me every day and were often there to listen to lement. A job market that punished my pedigree— Canadian schools just don’t have the same cache in the market. I can’t tell you the number of times I heard: Waterloo what? Ivey who? I didn’t know about the US academic market, so I never applied to those programs. I WAS living my dream schools. Endless ambiguity and crushing self-doubt. I nearly quit. Perhaps, more than once. I had a newborn one the way and a toddler. I was ready to work in a factory for nearly minimum wage if one more door closed. Then, one opened at one institution. I’ve been here ever since. But the scars linger. The questions. The bitterness. The confusion over why some thrive and others feel like they never quite click. Even today. And the deep, unshakable sense that I had to figure it out alone. That’s why I built the R3ciprocity Project—to help fix this broken system. I’ve spent embarrassingly amounts of money and time trying to build this platform because of it. I get the same rejection. The same silence. But, I keep going forward because I know that this is important. I get the private messages and nods. If you’re in it right now and struggling, you’re not weak. I can tell you the majority of the professors out there feel the same way that I do. You just don’t see it. You’re not alone. You’re living through what most of us never talk about. Keep going.

    16 min

  8. JUN 14

    The Rise of the Normal Nerd: Why ‘Solid 7s’ Will Win the New Information War

    We’re living through the biggest information shift in 100 years—and no one’s prepared. Institutions are stuck. Algorithms reward chaos. But there’s hope in something no one talks about: being a thoughtful, average, flawed, and kind person who still shows up every day. In a world built for extremes, the future belongs to those who build slow, human, and real.

    11 min
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Professor David Maslach talks about graduate school, research, science, Innovation, and entrepreneurship. The R3ciprocity project is my way to give back as much as I possibly can. I seek to provide insights and tools to change how we understand science, and make it more democratic.

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