In this edition of KERCasts, Victor Montori interviews Dr. Eelco de Koning, a professor of diabetology at the Leiden University Medical Center and head of the Leiden Diabetes Center. Dr. de Koning walks Dr. Montori through his formative experiences as a budding clinician and researcher, how locals’ advice to “go slow” when climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro can inform how we support patients, and the value of blazing one’s own trail in life and in work.