Reasoned from the lift equation: if you cannot change density or angle of attack, change the wing.
A vertical take-off aircraft wants a small wing to hover and a large wing to cruise efficiently.
Recruited and led a team of 4, taking the design, analysis and prototyping myself. Worked from the lift equation to the configuration, then built and flew 2 prototypes.
A cruise lift-to-drag ratio of 2.4 in CFD, and an estimated 2.5 hours of endurance unloaded.
Vertical flight worked and forward flight worked; the handover between them did not - the aircraft could not build enough airspeed during the rotation. That is where the design would have to change, not in the wing.