STRM.blog

The concept of T- and I-shaped profiles has been attributed to both McKinsey & Company and the CEO of IDEO, a firm known for design innovation. T-shaped personalities are typically defined as combining a depth of skills and experience (the vertical part of the “T”) along with broad knowledge and the ability and interest to work across disciplines (the horizontal part). In contrast, I-shaped personalities focus their interest and expertise only in one particular field.

While T-shaped employees are often lauded for having skills like creativity, problem-solving acumen, and an aptitude for collaboration, I-shaped employees are admired for their deep technical expertise and grassroots understanding of complex topics. Both are valued at STRM.BIO and play important and complementary roles in the programs they support.

Daniel Bode, the subject of a recent social post, is a case example. Daniel is a cross-functional PhD scientist and former scientific program lead who has moved into a business development role at STRM. He will now be working closely with our VP of business development on strategic initiatives related to partnering, licensing, and intelligence, while continuing to provide scientific program oversight.

At STRM.BIO, we welcome and need T-shaped team members like Daniel as much as I-shaped specialists to be successful. When blazing a new trail towards establishing and validating a novel approach to in vivo gene correction, we rely on broad and deep skill sets including scientific, technical, and business.

It should be made clear, however, that skills such as creativity, problem solving, and collaboration are not limited to T-shaped personalities. They exist across all members of our team and they reinforce domain expertise, which is necessary across high-performing cross-functional programs.

Whatever your letter of the alphabet, consider STRM.BIO a career opportunity. Diversity is at the core of our strategy. We aim to leverage the varied, complementary experiences and perspectives represented within our team to curate a culture in which everyone is heard and everyone contributes. Our decision-making is driven by a meritocracy of ideas, with opinions weighted by their quality and supporting rationale rather than seniority or title. At STRM.BIO, no one person’s voice automatically carries more weight than another’s, and our most junior employees have the same access to the CEO and other executive management as anyone else. Every team member is trusted and expected to help direct the company’s strategic trajectory.

If this sounds like a place where you could flourish and grow, check out our careers page to find open positions and learn more about our values and how we work.