Episode 92: Multi Story Mentors - Juan Venegas on exploring experiences

Juan Venegas (PhD Physics, 2013) joins Nilufer to talk all things balance, exploration and cultivating a passion. 

Having graduated with Physics PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2013, working in technical science communications all while publishing two sci-fi novels - Juan knows a thing or two about balance! Juan believes that order gives structure to our life, but chaos gives it beauty - and that phrase guides many of his philosophies. 

"One of the best things you can do in life is to make something good out of bad feedback." - Juan

About Multi Story Edinburgh

Multi Story Edinburgh is a student-produced podcast that brings you the stories, experiences and wisdom of University of Edinburgh alumni. We hope they will inspire you, reassure you and remind you that you are part of the global University community that is here to support you as you make your own way in life.

The podcast is run by the Alumni Relations team at the University of Edinburgh. 

All opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Edinburgh.
 
Music
Detective Begining Adventures by KonovalovMusic. Sourced from Tribe of Noise.

Transcript

[Theme music] 

Nilufer 00:05 
What drew you to volunteering, in terms of exploring all your avenues? What is it about— 

Juan 00:10 
—Yeah, you’ve gone deep into my CV. I don’t think I told you— 

Nilufer 00:13 
—there’s nothing I don’t know. 

Nilufer 00:22 
Hello, and welcome to Multi Story Edinburgh, the show where we sit down with some of Edinburgh’s alumni to talk all things post-graduation. I’m Nova Amarelli, your new host, and this season’s theme is Multi Story Mentors—meaning that if you’ve just graduated and don’t know what comes next, don’t worry. Our alumni are here to offer advice, share insights from their careers, and reminisce. 

In this episode, I chat to Juan, an expert communicator on all things science. From his sci-fi novels to his technical writing, he’s explored all kinds of avenues. This data and AI enthusiast, Greenpeace volunteer, and TEDx speaker explains how he keeps balance and exploration at the core of his career. Juan joins me to reminisce on the importance of order and chaos, making fulfilling choices, and setting yourself up for success. Juan, it’s great to have you. I have a wonderful guest with me today—would you love to introduce yourself? 

Juan 01:16 
Hi everyone, I’m Juan Venegas. I graduated from Edinburgh University in Physics in 2013 and since then I’ve been doing a lot of things—from communication to coding to teaching—and now I’m also a sci-fi writer. I’m looking forward to telling you more about that transition. Brilliant. 

Nilufer 01:38 
I wanted to kick off with our theme, Multi Story Mentors, which makes you one of our mentors. Before we get into your advice, if you were to be mentored by anyone at all, who would you pick? 

Juan 01:51 
I think I’m going to go with the main character of the series Californication, Hank Moody. 

Nilufer 01:58 
You’ll have to—I don’t know it—so you’ll have to sort of— 

Juan 02:00 
—explain. He’s a writer, and he does screenwriting at some points during the series. He’s completely inappropriate, living all these wild adventures. When he has to mentor somebody he’s very brutal, but really to the point. I love his passion for life and his devotion.  

It’s interesting—at some point my previous flatmates were watching the series and told me, “We’re not sure we like it.” I thought, “Oh, I love it, it’s great.” They said, “Well, no wonder—you are the main character, basically.” 

And for anyone who’s watched the series, let me clarify: I’m not as successful as Hank Moody in any aspect of his life, but it would be a blast to have him around. 

Nilufer 02:51 
Perfect. What is it about him that’s inspiring to you? Is it just that you’re similar, or is there a way he approaches his work that inspires you? 

Juan 03:00 
He’s very passionate about what he does. He’s very authentic. Part of the series is him trying to compromise—writing for other people, finding motivation through other people’s projects—because sometimes he struggles with that himself. 

Hank Moody starts with a blank page. You see him late at night with a blank page, writing the script, which is very inspirational. We all feel that energy of saying, “I’m going to tackle this, doesn’t matter how late it is,” and pull an all-nighter. 

But normally writing takes more preparation—brainstorming, brewing ideas, preparing characters—so in that sense we’re very different. What I like is his approach to life and his will to live and experiment. In terms of writing, at least from what we see in the series, we are very different. 

Nilufer 04:09 
Interesting. So any influence or advice you’ve taken from him is more about the way he lives his life. Despite your similarities in what you do, it’s more who he is, rather than what he does, that influences you? 

Juan 04:22 
Yes. It’s about the emotional moments he has throughout the series and the way he handles his emotional life. He has brilliant humor and a lot of wit. He can follow conversations in wonderful ways, and he’s able to see through people and understand how people live. I think that’s fundamental to being a writer: having insight into what other people do. 

Nilufer 04:51 
Incredible. If you could mentor yourself at graduation, what advice would you give your younger self? What would you need to hear? 

Juan 05:06 
At the moment I graduated, I’d only done physics in my life—undergraduate, then PhD. I had a willingness to go into science communication. It’s a difficult field. Many people love science, but the reality of research is hard. You’re in a narrow field; you’re not doing the trending things. So a lot of people want to go into science outreach and communication—like Jim Al-Khalili and others—but it’s a crowded field. There’s more supply than demand.  

What I’d say is: start trying things. You’re good at physics—start with something adjacent. One thing I did successfully—somehow—was build up the hours I could write in a day. I love writing. I did a lot of screenwriting as a hobby, but it’s different as a job. What was initially a weekend activity became 20 minutes every day, then two hours every day. You build the muscle for another activity, another career, and you get to know its reality. That helps you know if you really like it. 

So I’d emphasize what I did right: build the habit. And I’d tell myself: it’s okay. Many people have these doubts. Start with something you’re good at and do little experiments until you find something you can commit to—financially, time-wise, and in terms of what you like. 

Nilufer 07:24 
That’s really interesting. So your mindset at graduation was almost doubtful of what was next and how to use your skills and degrees. Was there an element of being so committed to physics for so long that you didn’t know how to navigate the next step? In what ways is your student self similar or different to you now? 

Juan 07:49 
We’re similar in something I’m very conscious about now, but wasn’t then. I was doing my PhD in Physics at Edinburgh, and in the first year I had doubts. I loved screenwriting and doing something creative, so I struggled. 
Instead of quitting everything and going for the romantic idea of being a bohemian writer, I didn’t drop everything. Maybe it was fear, maybe caution. I thought: don’t rush this decision—it’s a big one. I treated it like a nine-to-five: what do I need to do for my PhD to be successful? Be at the office doing research, talk to my supervisor, read papers—roughly nine to five. 
Could I still find time to write outside of it? Yes. I started building those things. It’s healthy to have somewhere to fall back to and to run experiments. Keep the secure option and start exploring. That’s something I had in common with my previous self; I did it unconsciously then. Now I’m very conscious of starting from a stable place and taking it notch by notch. 

Nilufer 09:49 
Interesting. Could you paint a picture of your day-to-day life as a student? Were you in any societies? What did you get up to? 

Juan 10:00 
Philosophically, I’m a big fan of understanding order and chaos in my life. University gives you order. My PhD program gave structure and meaning—you contribute to something bigger than yourself, or in undergrad you build yourself to contribute later. That grounding structure is beautiful. 
On the other side—especially in uni life—you have opportunities to do “crazy” things in the best way. The societies at Edinburgh are wonderful; I hadn’t seen anything like that in Spain. 
So my day would be nine to five at my “job,” with a bit of tutoring. Then I’d go out a lot—dancing tango, swing, the filmmaking society, film quizzes at the Filmhouse and other cinemas. I played football with the physics team. That combination made for a healthy, balanced life. 
I remember a Sunday in my second year: with the filmmaking society we went to Waverley to film a little show involving trains. I helped with sound and filming until two. I ate something quickly—probably a sandwich from my bag—then took my bike to King’s Buildings to play football. It was a terrible match—freezing November at 4 pm—one of those matches where everything goes wrong. I ran extra just to get one good play: a cross for my mate in the box; he headed it, the goalkeeper stopped it. I don’t think we scored. But I loved that day. It was so me: on a day off I did something artistic and something active. 

Nilufer 13:07 
A really healthy balance. Did keeping that order-and-chaos balance help your transition to life in Edinburgh? Did it keep you steady? 

Juan 13:23 
There’s a lot there. First, on order versus chaos: yes, I was at the office doing my PhD—not lazing around. There were ups and downs; it can be very hard and draining. Especially for young graduates starting a PhD, time management is essential—learn it however you want. 
When I started my PhD, one of the worst distractions was social media. Around 2010 it was at a peak; everyone was on it. Today it’s different platforms, but still there. Important advice: don’t look at your phone until lunchtime. The first thing you do in the day should be the core, long-term task that has meaning. Within the orderly part of life, be good at time management. 
About moving to Edinburgh: there are times in life when things will be a mess. You’re better off embracing the chaos and trying new things. It might not be easy, but you can learn a lot. For me, the first year—my first time living abroad—was about adapting. 
Interestingly, I later learned one of the best times to change habits is when you move city. Usually, people recommend building one new habit at a time. But when you move, you have new stimuli, you lose old anchors, and you can build new ones. It’s a good opportunity to redefine yourself. 

Nilufer 16:03 
Reflecting on your time at Edinburgh, what influence did it have on you? In what ways did you change and grow? 

Juan 16:10 
When I was in Spain doing my undergrad, I was a very good student—actually too good. Very thorough and dedicated, and very hard on myself. I wouldn’t take a break until I really needed it, almost collapsing. 
In the first year of my PhD I took a screenwriting course from the city council. One self-assessment question was: “What do you do to comfort yourself when you’re feeling down?” That blew my mind. Treating yourself nicely when you’re low? I have the loveliest family and a positive upbringing, but I was hard on myself. Reading that made me realize I could take a break and choose what nurtures me to keep going. 
I met many kind people in my first year. I learned to be kind to myself and became much more open-minded. I was very happy during my PhD—with ups and downs and emotional times—but kindness and openness were very important. 

Nilufer 18:11 
So, Juan, you did a PhD in Physics at the University of Edinburgh, but since then you’ve worked in copywriting, teaching, and technology. Tell me about the journey post-graduation into these roles. 

Juan 18:25 
Chronologically: after my PhD I did a one-year postdoc in Spain. It was like a “last job” in a heist film—a great opportunity with a researcher I knew and a project with potential. 
Then I came back to Edinburgh and was a teaching assistant in the physics department—very nice, I knew many people. I also did volunteering in Cambodia as a communications officer, which was a good way to transition and gave me space to do those things. If you want to volunteer, I recommend doing it as soon as possible—it’s beautiful, you learn a lot, and you learn what you can and can’t do. 
Together with my next job and many later ones, I was half-time a software developer or data science teacher and half-time a communications person—writing or filmmaking. That’s tough—not for the faint-hearted. It’s enriching because you understand the technical side and can communicate it better than non-technical people, but it’s demanding to juggle two jobs. 
For the rest of the time, it was a clearer alternation: teach for some months, then in summer write full-time. I kept checking with myself that writing full-time was something I enjoyed. Then I’d go back to teaching data science as my main job, doing almost no writing on the side, but that inspired story ideas for sci-fi. That’s been my transition—balancing the two—and I still do. I work for a technical company and do fiction writing on the side. 

Nilufer 21:31 
So the idea of balance and checking in with yourself has been essential—committing a bit of time to each helps you decide what you want to pursue? 

Juan 21:48 
Yes. There were key moments. After the year volunteering in Cambodia and teaching in Edinburgh, I shut everything down for three days to think: what am I going to do with my career? If you have the luxury of that space—no financial pressure—go as deep as possible. 
I concluded what I suspected: I wanted to do writing—screenwriting or similar. Then I planned: write for a few months; if it doesn’t work, go back to teaching. Keep both options to balance. 
Another moment was in the Netherlands. A manager did a bit of coaching and asked, “What do you want in your life?” I brought up the balance of chaos and order. She looked at me: “Juan, that’s not concrete. What do you want to do?” It made me realize—yes, I want to do writing. Then I started integrating writing into my life. 

Nilufer 23:24 
How did you transition from technical, scientific work into writing? 

Juan 23:28
Two key moments. First, when I started my first book, I said: I’m going to write—no matter what—20 minutes a day. Classic habit-building; I didn’t know that then, it just felt right. I’d tried four hours a week, even four hours a day—eventually I couldn’t keep up. So 20 minutes a day, no matter what. If I didn’t do it before bed, it came from my sleep. Let me tell you—there was no day I went to bed too late because of writing; I made sure it happened earlier.
To illustrate: full-time job as a coder/communications person nine to five, gym after, home around 8:30, make dinner by nine. I was watching Mad Men—episodes are 45–50 minutes. I’d stop the episode halfway: “Time to write.” That was painful—after a long day, heavy stomach—“No…” And then, of course, I wouldn’t write for 20 minutes; I’d write for two hours. Importantly, that doesn’t compensate for other days—the next day is at least 20 minutes again. Every day. 
Second: after that conversation with my manager in the Netherlands, I started setting objectives with OKRs—Objectives and Key Results. Every three months I set three areas that need attention—usually work, writing, and a third like physical training or socializing. It doesn’t mean you stop the rest of life; you focus conscious work where you want improvement. It’s not a New Year’s resolution you forget—it recurs every three months, with check-ins and reassessment. 

Nilufer 26:52 
Were there particular challenges in navigating between fields—beyond time management? 

Juan 27:06 
Yes. When people change career—if you have mastery of something, don’t abandon it lightly. Not everyone reaches mastery. I’m happy I didn’t drop my field immediately. 
If you change fields, don’t expect the same mastery in the new one. You’ll compete with people who’ve done it for years. You’ll get negative feedback—embrace it. We talk a lot about how to give feedback; less about how to take it. One of the best things you can do is make something good out of bad feedback. Learn to read between the lines, don’t take it personally, and determine where you can do better—that sends you in the right direction. 
And you might find you don’t like the new thing as much. Luckily I love writing. Some stages are a nightmare—it’s a job—but I love it. Some people abandon a field, go into another, struggle again, and feel lost: “I thought I was good at this.” Calm down. Focus on things you’re good at, experiment slowly, and keep iterating. 

Nilufer 29:51 
Yes—and even if after really pursuing writing you’d stepped back, you positioned yourself to do that. You gave yourself space and a backup—that’s important. So what is it about your work that you enjoy on both sides? 

Juan 30:24 
From the technical side—now more data science and AI—I love how science works: working things out, influencing the “environment” (formulae, code), and the clarity of answers. The program either works or it doesn’t; you get a clear feedback loop. In storytelling you don’t have that—you write as well as you can, but it’s subjective. 
What I love about writing and creative careers is inclusivity—everything is global: sociological, psychological, physical aspects; characters and plot. The creative process—getting things wrong repeatedly until you hit the right idea—I love that. 

Nilufer 31:38 
In what ways do your technical/scientific work and creative writing aid each other? You’re a sci-fi writer—maybe touch on that. 

Juan 31:50
Right as I was finishing my PhD, I remember writing “science and writing” (or “science and communication”) in my notebook and putting verbs between them. I could do science to study writing—that became natural language processing and, eventually, large language models like ChatGPT. I could use writing to explain science—something I did throughout my PhD, using storytelling to make presentations more entertaining with jokes and cliffhangers—very necessary in science.
How can science help with writing? There are different ways. You can like a field—say robotics—learn it, and bring it in. But I like taking stories directly from the math and science—generalizing principles.
For example, body-swap movies like Freaky Friday: instead of two people, what if everyone in the world swapped bodies at the same time? Now it’s a societal issue—doctors aren’t doctors, politicians aren’t politicians, soldiers aren’t soldiers—global chaos. You change the angle from comedic to something else entirely. That’s one of my next novels. I like taking core scientific concepts and applying them. 
I have it easy because I studied science, but if someone writes sci-fi without being a scientist, they should familiarize themselves with core concepts—not just disciplines—because they really enhance writing. 

Nilufer 35:08 
I expected the obvious answer—your sci-fi draws from science—but I love the angle that the scientific approach itself applies across to your novels. 
You’ve volunteered at Greenpeace and a homeless shelter. What drew you to volunteering, as part of exploring your avenues? What is it about that? 

Juan 35:39 
You’ve gone deep into my CV. I don’t think I told you— 

Nilufer 35:43 
—nothing I don’t know. Yes, that was— 

Juan 35:48 
I think a lot of people feel it when they encounter the world’s awful problems—war, poverty, disease. It’s a shock. For me it was a slow process, but discovering how lucky we are and how many things are wrong—near and far—was brutal. 
One summer in Spain during undergrad, I was a bit lost. I was writing my first film and felt I needed to act. I knew about a homeless shelter serving food daily. I went straight there. The coordinator said, “If you want to help, I need to know you’re available time-wise.” I said, “I’m going to be here; I’m ready to start today.” She said, “Start.” 
That same day she showed me around the social canteen. I wiped trays, did small things, and served food at times. The best thing in volunteering is learning—from the people there. Some were troubled, some wonderful and polite, some more aggressive. You understand the social dynamic while you do something practical—you’re part of it, helping in small ways. It was wonderful. 

Nilufer 38:03 
You clearly explore many avenues. Can you speak about the dedication and resilience it takes to explore those passions—volunteering, writing, teaching, work? What motivates you to stay dedicated? 

Juan 38:37 
Sometimes variety helps me—the change can be interesting—but it’s important to do things with presence and dedication: one thing at a time. For me the key is self-reflection about what you like and don’t like. It’s great to try—not everything, but almost everything—once. 
It comes back to balancing order and chaos: make sure you have enough on your plate that gives you life—an activity that is your core and defines you—and keep growing, while leaving space to explore. 

Nilufer 39:29 
How do skills you developed at Edinburgh contribute to your current growth? 

Juan 39:38 
During the PhD it was important to make active choices about what you want to do. I learned to research properly, to go deep into models, and to establish one bit of truth well for you and future generations—the scientific community. I find that beautiful. I try to remember that when I teach, to give students something as solid as possible. 
As I said before, I learned a lot about kindness—and by extension, when you’re kind to yourself, you’re kind to others. 
Societies taught me to socialize beautifully, often without drinking, and in an active way—taking a dance class, doing a quiz—activating your brain and socializing actively. I loved it and integrated it into my life. When I went back to Spain, I designed a night of games based on little things I’d seen here and there. I called it the Hunger Games. People loved these crazy games at my place—it was such a hit. Embracing life was a very important skill. 

Nilufer 41:29 
To summarize, what advice would you give new graduates from Edinburgh who may want a similar path? 

Juan 41:40 
First, take a few days—one or two if that’s all you can—to go deep in yourself. Don’t interact with people during those days; don’t be on your phone or social media. Start with what you think, then talk to people—ask questions, the difficult ones. Check online resources and options, then return to yourself. 
Then make a plan. Chase things that help you, and do things that direct you to eventual success. For example, when I was job-hunting I set: “I’m going to send 120 applications.” The math—whatever the exact numbers—is that you may need hundreds to get interviews. Focus on those process results. 
So: deep thinking, check with other people, then make a good three-month plan. That’s my best advice. 

Nilufer 43:07 
A lot of graduates struggle with structure. That’s such a structured way to alleviate pressure and make room for what you want to pursue while managing it. Often there’s no sense of measurement. 

Juan 43:27 
It’s important to make a plan and hold yourself accountable. Give it an honest try. See what you can do. See if OKRs work for you—maybe they’re too mechanical. If so, try another approach. Keep trying new things, keep learning, and integrate it into yourself. That’s the best way forward. 

[Theme music] 

Nilufer 43:50 
Lastly, we devised a quick-fire quiz for our guests to share some hot-seat opinions and choose a favorite Edinburgh site to see. Let’s see what they had to say. 
Perfect—quick-fire quiz. First: Arthur’s Seat or Calton Hill? 

Juan 44:07 
Calton Hill. 

Nilufer 44:10 
Edinburgh Castle or Holyrood Palace? 

Juan 
Edinburgh Castle. 

Nilufer 
Greyfriars Bobby or the Scott Monument? 

Juan 
The Scott Monument. 

Nilufer 
Princes Street or the Royal Mile? 

Juan 
Royal Mile. 

Nilufer 44:29 
Calton Hill or Edinburgh Castle? 

Juan 
Castle. 

Nilufer 44:31 
Scott Monument or the Royal Mile? 

Juan 
Royal Mile. 

Nilufer 44:42 
So it comes down to Royal Mile or Calton Hill. 

Juan 
I think Royal Mile. 

Nilufer 44:44 
Wow, really? I was rooting for you because you’ve been the first person to say Calton Hill over Arthur’s Seat, and I’m a Calton Hill person. I was hoping you’d see it to the end. 

Juan 44:55 
I don’t need to explain to you how wonderful Calton Hill is. It’s even in my novels; I use it as a background. It’s paradise-like, with monuments randomly around. It’s beautiful. I think I chose the Royal Mile in the end because of the Fringe and the activity there. 

Nilufer 45:12 
To carry on the quiz: best restaurant or café in Edinburgh? 

Juan 45:16 
We ended up in Teviot all the time having halloumi burgers. It’s my favorite building in the world, I think. 

Nilufer 45:21 
It’s so good. So the halloumi burgers—you said. Mine would be the Teviot nachos, but I’d be there in the building. 
To sum up your Edinburgh experience in three words? 

Juan 45:35 
Kindness. Exploration. 

Nilufer 45:42 
Growth—kindness, exploration, and growth. That’s lovely. Thank you so much. 

Juan 45:49 
Thank you very much for having me. And to the audience: it’s a tricky period when you graduate and don’t know what to do. I hope I gave useful advice. If you are at the University of Edinburgh—undergraduate or just graduated—you are in one of the most wonderful places in the world, so enjoy it. 

[Theme music] 

Nilufer 46:13
There you have it, folks. Our conversation with Juan revealed that time management is essential to building good habits; introspection and balance are key to following your passions; and Freaky Friday could easily have been a lot scarier. I hope today’s episode shed light on post-graduation fears and offered advice on the different paths life can take—expected and unexpected, but most importantly, never wrong. 
Thank you for tuning in. To hear from our other alumni, search “Multi Story Edinburgh” wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll see you on the next one. 

[Theme music]