Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. When I started as a postdoc at the University of Cambridge back in 2013, I knew – absolutely knew – that I would eventually become a professor. It was a done deal, there was no question. Instead, after many twists and turns, I started hatching an idea to start a business, and in 2017, I incorporated The Supplant Company. It was a rocky journey during which we had to change strategy numerous times. But eventually, an amazing team and I turned an idea into something real. Since that time, we've developed multiple products, filed multiple patents, raised $27 million in funding, rolled out our first ingredient in Chef Thomas Keller's restaurants, launched a chocolate and cookie line with Chef Keller and launched a business-to-business consumer packaged goods line in the U.S. On the back of all this, I've summarized some lessons learned...