After Saturday’s GSE Demo Day… I sat back in awe over what I had just experienced over the last 3 weeks. The last 3 weeks was exhausting and a constant hustle but one of the most inspiring experiences in my life. I had the honor of working with 4 teams composed of teen entrepreneurs from across the Bluegrass.
I had the responsibility to help guide them in building a startup by the end of the 3 -week program. I did not know what to expect, but was ready to dig in deep with them. It turned out that these kids were smart–really smart–and I ultimately found myself feeding off their youthful exuberance and unbridled ambition.
Sometimes you’re the mentor, sometimes you’re the mentee.
In the end, my entrepreneurial “battery” got a much needed recharge. Here are the five lessons this amazingly talented group of Es (entrepreneurs – as we like to call them) taught me.
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Excuses are for us… the adults. When I talk with other founders, especially in the year of 2020, we discuss the barriers that are in front of us. I often hear excuses fill with hopelessness on why things just aren’t working in 2020. During GSE – those young minds, when challenged, would simply fire back two or three reasons why it would work – and it would work today. Next time you face criticism, adversity, or are challenged do not get defensive and use excuses. Attack the problem with excitement and find a way to make it work.
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Solve a problem. Many startups and entrepreneurs pursue an idea because they believe it will be cool and popular. tThese young entrepreneurs came up with their ideas by identifying significant problems that had no existing or well executed solution on the market. How incredibly simple, right? In the end, remember that to be a success, your business should solve a problem and provide value to your customers. Fall in love with the problem and not your solution. Often founders create a product before they even understand the actual problem.
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Collaboration is the future. GSE creates an environment that encourages team building, sharing diverse ideas, and real personal growth. They learned quickly that each of them separately was a talented force, but together as a “family” they could conquer the world. One of the most inspiring moments was when our instructor asked teams to talk about the problem they are solving. The other 72 Es jumped in with thoughts, ideas, and connections.
In classic Covid fashion we were virtual, and like fireworks the chat box was flooded with connections… real connections that provided incredible value. The willingness to help other teams – teams they were competing against – was nothing less than inspiring. This is important, because business success depends much more on creating and nurturing these types of professional networks.
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Creativity spurs creativity. The great thing about teens is they have no shortage of creativity. As we get older, life tends to stifle our imagination and ability to innovate. We develop that wonderful thing called fear. If you are someone who feels like you are in a rut, hang out with a teen entrepreneur. Their enthusiasm and ability to think crazily outside of the box, which has yet to be overly soiled by failure and societal paradigms, will rub off on you. Thinking like our teens is probably one of the most intelligent moves you can make.
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Always make room for fun. During GSE, I was witness to an epic talent show and a lineup of Hot Take talks. As an entrepreneur, it is all too easy to get caught up in the daily grind of our business, and forget to come up for air. Having moments of laughter and pure silliness made me realize we must make time for fun. If we do not we get caught in a perpetual cycle of mind numbing work that will make your entrepreneurial experience terrible.
Working with these teen entrepreneurs was incredibly inspiring to me. You do not need to dedicate weeks to gain this experience. What you can do is when you see a young entrepreneur, I highly suggest sitting down with them. Listen with an open mind and willingness to actually learn from someone that is not even old enough to drive. You will not only have the opportunity to inspire the next game changing leader, but you will gain so much more. The minds of our youth is probably the most valuable asset we over look.
