Academic training equips microbiologists with deep scientific expertise, critical thinking and resilience, but it rarely prepares us for the wide range of career paths available beyond the university lab. In this talk, I will reflect on my journey from academic microbiology into clinical training and ultimately into leading a MedTech spin-out developing rapid diagnostics for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). My career began with a PhD investigating bacterial metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, followed by clinical scientist training in public health microbiology. While these experiences developed deep scientific expertise, they also revealed the gap between laboratory discovery and technologies that meaningfully impact patient care. I will discuss how this insight led me to Cytecom, a University of Warwick spin-out developing rapid AMR diagnostics using a novel optical electrophysiology approach to measure cell vitality. The talk will explore key lessons from transitioning from academia into entrepreneurship, including reframing scientific problems in terms of clinical need, customer value, and health-system economics; navigating early-stage funding and technology translation; and building interdisciplinary teams that bridge science, medicine and business. Through reflections on successes, pivots and challenges along the way, I aim to provide practical insights for early-career researchers considering careers beyond academia. Ultimately, the session will highlight how microbiologists can translate their expertise into innovations that address global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance while pursuing impactful and unconventional career paths.