LESSON LEARNED

Starting this course I didn’t know what to expect from it, it all started with a lecture where I attended just to see what it was. I had never seen anything like it, the way the lecturer went around in the classroom just throwing questions everywhere, it was hard get a hold of what it was all about but the word entrepreneur kept coming up and I was intrigued to know more. It was just one catch, the next lecture we were supposed to pitch an idea, I did not have any idea and did not know how to pitch but I needed the credits so I did my best. At least I did my pitch and from that it could only go better, I was nervous and it was so outside my comfort zone. From that point I decided that I will take the course and just do it all.

Even though I thought some of the aspects of the course was a little bit too extreme, like how the environment in the startup scene is and how you should push yourself to meet people and gather a social network, I’ve learned a lot. I mean everybody is still humans and not some super humans who is doing everything right, which we have exercise trough guest lecturers. But what have I learned?

I’ve learned what an entrepreneur is, guidelines to become an entrepreneur and what not to do as an entrepreneur. Don’t give away small parts of your company in the beginning!

I’ve learned how to pitch, what to not do and what to do when pitching. Show your product!

I’ve learned what a business model is and how to make one. Use colors to show connections!

I’ve learned how to develop a prototype and what to think of. Use free tools and make it simple to understand!

I’ve learned how to navigate among investors, what a business angle is and how to present your idea to VCs. Don’t give away to incubators in the beginning, use the free locations you have!

I’ve learned a lot about how to run a company from the simulation. How to calculate the demand to avoid overproduction and why it’s not good to lower the compensations for the workers!

I’ve seen and learned from experienced entrepreneurs who was guest lecturer. They are all humans but what is different is that they really do what they believe in, they do not let fear stop them!

Even though I’ve learned a lot about entrepreneurship, investors, bossiness plans, pitching and startups I don’t think that is the most valuable that I will bring with me from this course. The most valuable I will take with me from this course is that I’ve grown a little bit as a person, each week I’ve been challenging myself to step outside my comfort zone and with that I have been developing my person. Just by pitching my idea I realized that I could do it, maybe in another way next time, but still I did it. Going to startup events and mingle around with totally unknown people, probably I will be better at it next time but I did it my first time. Selling coffee and being nice to the customers, I’ve done something similar before but still I learn a lot about how to communicate and how to say stop when people try to get free refill.

Now the last step of this course is to finish the venture idea report and make use of all our gathered knowledge during the simulation and the course. Utilizing all our knowledge to analyze and understand how we can take our idea to make some great money from it!

Thank you Serdar for pushing us to learn and to develop ourselves! And thanks to everybody in the class for contributing with knowledge and a good atmosphere in the classroom.