It wasn’t too long ago that we farewelled 24 inspiring entrepreneurs from The University of Melbourne’s Master of Entrepreneurship cohort in 2018. And pretty soon, we’ll be back to do it all again with the fourth cohort of entrepreneurs in training joining us in 2019.
Making the decision to devote a year of your life to full-time study can be daunting. That’s why we asked last year’s students to share their advice for the incoming cohort, some of which we can all take a leaf from.
1. Claire Bremner, founder of KELPD
“Try to avoid getting tunnel vision on executing a business idea you may have brought into the course. Come in open minded and ready to learn it’s less about the idea per se and more about customer problems worth solving!”
2. Nicholas Taylor, co-founder of Tyki
“Always be willing to help each other out and share your skills. Even when you think you don’t have time. You’ll be spending a lot of time together as a cohort and you’ll all need one another’s help at some stage.”
3. Lisa Stephenson, co-founder of Codello
“Don’t freak if you can’t read all the recommended reading. Absorb at your own pace – your state of mind will thank you for it.”
4. Jaxon Hickey, co-founder of Codello
“Don’t get too caught up in the minor details. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that entrepreneurship is a long game so be sure to put things into perspective and keep smiling.”
5. Belen Varela
“Coming from the other side of the world, I wish I’d had a better idea of the startup ecosystem in Melbourne before I started. Who’s who? What value can I offer to them and what’s the opportunity for me as an entrepreneur joining them? Do your research.”
[We’ve got a resource for that! Check out our essential guide to Melbourne’s startup scene]
6. Tony Tan, co-founder of Silfresh
“The thing I probably wanted to know was that the time spent here is absolutely worth it. The biggest takeaway that I got from this year was dealing with a whole range of people who disagree with you. People who are really different to you. But these experiences are what will push you to succeed. It’s what will give you the resilience to push through tough times within your business, and that’s why the course is really worth it.”
How did you survive the early days of your startup journey? We’d love to hear from you.
