This Is What I learned As Part Of The Tow-Knight Fellowship
Today I opened my University locker to clean it out. I found my winter boots, some books and, probably all the emotions I’ve lived with in New York for the last five months as a Tow-Knight Entrepreneurial Journalism Fellow at CUNY. The semester is over. A semester that changed my life.
The Tow-Knight Entrepreneurial Journalism Program taught me some of the most important things I could ever learned as a young entrepreneur. Not only from its theory, but from starting to think entrepreneurship as a holistic experience.
When I arrived here last January I not only brought with me my passion for entrepreneurship and my eight years of experience. I also carried an open mind. This is what I learned:
- Understand the essence of what your readers want. You could be the most intelligent developer or journalist, but if you don’t have the ability to communicate with your audience, listen to them and understand what they want, it’s gonna be difficult to create a successful company.
- As journalists, we need to start talking about business. Journalism is a service but we do need to build sustainable media companies if we want to survive. Content creation is not and should not be a hobby.
- Dependence on an investor’s wallet is not something that you want. Not when you are starting your startup and you are not profitable. Please, take the time to think about how you’ll generate revenue and then think about going to an investor.
- We don’t all have an entrepreneurial spirit and there is nothing wrong with that. Being an entrepreneur requires courage, strength and perseverance. You’ll also need the ability to learn to do several things when you start (like been an accountant, a community manager and a marketing director, at the same time).
- Pivot always when you need to. If your idea is not working, change it. If you need to adjust something, do it fast. As part of the program we learned to run Sprints, a technique to solve problems and test new ideas in five days if possible. I applied it successfully with WeAreClimate.com, my new startup that is growing its community every week. Open your mind. Understand that change is part of the process and you don’t want a static company. Actually, that could be boring.
- You might cross the bridge and still not be on the other side. The creation of a startup requires an excessive amount of time and effort. And that might not be what you want. But if you decide to stay on the road, be aware that is not going to be easy. You need to know yourself, what you can offer and create from your knowledge as much as you can.
- The companies that already made it have a lot to teach you, even if you don’t agree with them. Ask for advice. You might find interesting lessons and new ideas that you were not expecting.
- Now that you created your company, how will you measure the impact that you are generating? That could be challenging if you create a social impact startup like mine, but not impossible.
- You could be the best journalist in the world, but how will the audience know of your existence? Please, create and adjust a marketing plan, even if that means a creative, engaging one.
- Entrepreneurship will give you freedom but uncertainty. If you don’t have the skills and the mindset; If you don’t have the discipline to organize yourself, you can always choose a better road.
- Have fun. Please. Try to have a lot of fun. Being an entrepreneur is a beautiful choice. Don’t frustrate yourself thinking in terms of failure-success. You’ll learn a lot and that is something that nobody can teach you.
- Believe in yourself. You can always be where you want to be. We are unique from our DNA, and thus unique creators. Believe in the magic of the process and the impact that your company could possibly have on the industry.
Let’s connect!
I’m helping startups to find and create from their heart, through my Startup Coaching service. You can contact me on:
