Entrepreneurialism
During 2018 summer, I attended a startup weekend in Iowa City through TechStars. I went into the weekend with just a simple idea and not a clue what entrepreneurship was. The weekend took place over around 50 hours. We started out by giving pitches of our ideas, then forming teams, and developing a business plan. By the end of the weekend, I had done lots of customer discovery, market research, formulated a potential business model, and created a sketch of what the final product would look like. After the team presented, we were shocked to find out that we had won the competition. I decided to stick with my idea following the weekend, and thus formed BetterHireS, a website that connects high school talent with business need by providing students with meaningful work experiences.
Since then, I have developed a logo, reworked business plans over and over again, moved from a self-taught coder to a web-development firm, discussed work opportunities for youth with Iowa government, met with mentors, and launched my website officially in August of 2019. I learned more in the process of creating my business than I could ever learn behind a desk in class. There is beauty to learning as you go, and being okay with the fact that you don't and won't know everything.
Entrepreneurship is a job for anyone who wants to try it. It requires creativity, courage, innovation, drive, and imperfection. Entrepreneurs are not discouraged by failure and instead see it as a way to grow further. Teen entrepreneurship is not popular, but it should be. High schoolers are shown formulated paths to life through career days and college visits, but are never told to think of something that is needed in the world and run with that idea. Students do not have to abide to the cookie cutter definition of success. Learning from real experience is just as important, if not more, than learning in a classroom.
Being a GT student helped me navigate the challenges posed by starting a business at 16 due to my acceptance of failure. I knew that it would be hard, but I also knew that I wanted to work hard. GT classes are helpful in that they teach this mindset.
Since then, I have developed a logo, reworked business plans over and over again, moved from a self-taught coder to a web-development firm, discussed work opportunities for youth with Iowa government, met with mentors, and launched my website officially in August of 2019. I learned more in the process of creating my business than I could ever learn behind a desk in class. There is beauty to learning as you go, and being okay with the fact that you don't and won't know everything.
Entrepreneurship is a job for anyone who wants to try it. It requires creativity, courage, innovation, drive, and imperfection. Entrepreneurs are not discouraged by failure and instead see it as a way to grow further. Teen entrepreneurship is not popular, but it should be. High schoolers are shown formulated paths to life through career days and college visits, but are never told to think of something that is needed in the world and run with that idea. Students do not have to abide to the cookie cutter definition of success. Learning from real experience is just as important, if not more, than learning in a classroom.
Being a GT student helped me navigate the challenges posed by starting a business at 16 due to my acceptance of failure. I knew that it would be hard, but I also knew that I wanted to work hard. GT classes are helpful in that they teach this mindset.
How do students find out about programs like TechStars?
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