Bottom Business: A Chronicle Towards My Success

Going a little crazy....

2011-04-06T19:05:00.002-04:00

Ok...I'm not going this crazy -->

I realize it's been a long time since I've made a post. I just posted a video previously of myself talking about Campus Helper and the Coop student I've been using for it.

So what's new?....hmmmm

Where to start?...

Campus Helper is going well. There was a change up in management, so the company has been more or less positioned into my hands. I still see my partners most days, but they are busy working their jobs right now. "When the going gets tough"... as the saying goes.

It's been a stressful couple of months. One note to all entrepreneurs is that if you have a business idea, you better be ready to work on it for a long time and NOT GET PAID. If you don't have the pockets for it, then you better think twice about what you're sacrificing. Even I have been looking for job opportunities here and there to keep me afloat. I still teach piano every week which pays for my gas, but I have been watching my bank account diminish every week without replenishing.

There's no shame in working as an entrepreneur. We all have to eat don't we? The issue comes in mentally sacrificing the time you would normally take to wind down, relax, watch TV, or work out, and spend it on your idea and business. If you can do this with a clear conscience, you're on the right track I believe. When there is doubt, there is loss in productivity (which happens to all of us)...it's how efficient you can get past those thoughts and get back on the ball.

Here's hoping my next post is a happier one :S

Best,

Justin

Campus Helper - On Cable 14 For the Record -Starts at '9:26'

2011-04-06T18:47:00.001-04:00

Time for changes changes and more changes

2010-11-29T12:58:00.007-05:00

Ok. Yah. Longtime no post. 3 months in fact.

Instead of relaying excuses again, let's summarize some updates quickly and look at what's next in the works for your local young entrepreneur:

1. Finished all my tollgates. I'm officially done the requirements for my Masters so MEEI will soon be behind me and there can be more focus on the businesses I've started and plan to start.

2. The company that I've been working with I plan on moving forward with in the new year. This will be one of the main ventures I see great success in

3. Campus Helper (www.campushelper.ca) has been progressing incredibly. There was a seriously great uptake in clients that we actually had to remove most of our marketing in order to deal with the current clients that were coming in. This will be one of my main focuses coming in the new year.

4. I will be launching a Women's Entrepreneurship in the new year. I've partnered with the McMaster Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (XCEEi) program and with Ines Rios of St. Joseph’s Immigrant Women’s Centre. This will prove to be a great series to support the female (immigrant) entrepreneurs in our city.

5. I will be going to the Philippines from the 8th of December to January 1st...so I'm having a well deserved (if not poorly timed) vacation (^_^)

So the MEEI program is more or less over and done with. What's the verdict?

It was good.

Was it great?...it could have used some improvements, been better organized, had more resources, but in the end, it was an experience. I will take the benefits from it and move forward. I've bettered my network, obtained some "credibility" in entrepreneurship, and I've partnered with some great minds for businesses that will be my first great successes.

I feel bad I didn't make better use of this blog to show my steps forward, but through the success of my true businesses, I plan on updating this blog more readily and give hints / tips to help out some curious minds.

All I can say now is one thing. No more "fluff". What's "fluff"? Fluff is talk, and talk is cheap (free in most cases!). The time for action is now and decision making will be key for my future. I've got so many ventures in the pipeline, and I'm surrounding myself with the people that count.

I'm not sure if there will be a post again before the new year, but if not, HAPPY NEW YEAR, and it's time for changes changes and more changes!

You're Young and Upcoming Successful Entrepreneur,

Justin Policarpio

Not really a post...but I was in the newspaper today...so I thought I would share.

2010-08-18T11:47:00.004-04:00

From left: Justin Policarpio, Salman Bawa and Pratheep Soundararajan, co-founders of Campus Helper

High-tech opportunities abound

Educated newcomers see infrastructure for knowledge-driven startups

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR (Aug 18, 2010)

Access to opportunity is a relative measure. This becomes clear when you speak with Salman Bawa about the advantages of being a young entrepreneur sprouting roots in Hamilton.

Bawa is from Karachi, a city of 12 million in southern Pakistan on the Arabian Sea. He's in Hamilton completing a master's program offered by the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation at McMaster University, and pioneering a new type of solar window.

"Canada, relative to current-day Pakistan, provides a greater degree of social stability and advanced infrastructure needed to start and grow a technology business," he says. "As a newcomer to Hamilton, I see a healthy environment for young people eager to seize opportunities."

Not everyone shares Bawa's upbeat assessment.

A new study commissioned by the Hamilton Economic Summit documents how the next generation view Hamilton as a community of choice. Its methodology included focus groups and an online survey completed by more than 1,000 respondents. Attention was paid to understanding the values and perceptions of people such as Bawa -- highly educated and mobile individuals who have what it takes to thrive in today's creativity-driven knowledge economy.

Findings show that a majority of young native-born residents believe that a lack of jobs is causing a flight of next-generation talent from our city. The study shows that less than 40 per cent of local postsecondary students feel confident about finding employment in Hamilton that matches their education and career aspirations.

To an extent, perception is reality. Hamilton has shed its skin as a major provider of employment in mature sectors such as mass manufacturing and product assembly. Gone too are the many branch plants that once offered entry-level employment and a ladder for corporate advancement.

Some mourn the passing of a bygone era. Yet newcomers such as Bawa see things differently. They're among a cohort of young entrepreneurs willing to cocreate new wealth-producing opportunities from the ground up.

"Hamilton has the foundation to develop an entrepreneurial class that will generate jobs in growing sectors such as alternative energy, advanced manufacturing and biosciences," he says. "That's not true of all cities."

This foundation includes quality educational institutions, an acceptance of diversity coupled with a strong social safety net, high-speed data networks, and rapid mobility across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Equally important is the growing culture of innovation in Hamilton. This has strengthened collaboration and led to several tangible assets. These include the West Hamilton Innovation District anchored by McMaster Innovation Park, new facilities and programs at Mohawk College, the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network, among others.

The inventory also includes the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice at McMaster University. This houses the centre where Bawa studies and plugs into a network of local entrepreneurs. It's where relationships form, ideas take shape and new enterprises emerge. And it's where Bawa teamed up with two other student entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities in Hamilton.

Justin Policarpio is helping to market a new product branded Anoven, a portable instrument that enables the high-speed analysis of DNA.

Pratheep Soundararajan was born in Sri Lanka and followed his family to Canada in 1993 to escape sectarian violence. One of his entrepreneurial projects is to find new markets for an existing digital sign technology.

The three men have co-founded Campus Helper (campushelper.ca). It's an in-home tutoring service that matches university students with elementary and secondary school learners.

They hope their startup will one day help thousands more Hamiltonian and foreign-born students to complete their postsecondary education and join Canada's entrepreneurial class.

"We think Canada and its cities, in partnership with education and business, are ready to produce a new generation of entrepreneurs," says Bawa. "And we believe that newcomers who have experienced struggle and hardship will be among the first to access Hamilton's many untapped business opportunities."

//

If you are interested in having a Campus Helper tutor your child, go to www.campushelper.ca or Campus Helper at 289-700-5561

May --> August...a new business opportunity on its way: Campus Helper

2010-08-02T17:47:00.004-04:00

Ok. So it's been abour 2.5 months since my last post. Yah I know. Trust me it's been busy.

So I guess might as well start with the updates.

1. Thesis project has been progressing well. I've been moving forward with some government support to move the project forward. It's been stressful along the way, but at the same time, a really great experience. It's so important to keep a positive outlook when trying to start your own businesses, especially at such a young age. The benefit is that I have so much support from mentors and advisers and contacts from my work at the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network.

2. Regarding the MEEI program, I just finished up my 3rd term last week, and WOW it was a busy one. There was so much 'school work' that it was actually really difficult to move forward with my primary project alone. Still, it had to be done, and now that it's August, I have 'some' time off, but if I want to get my 2nd tollgate done this month, I won't be getting much a vacation after all.

3. I honestly can't even remember if I mentioned the 2nd business I've started with two classmates on a previous post. Anyways, I've started a company called Campus Helper with two students in my program :)

It's a really neat business. We focus on matching university students (mcmaster students) to elementary, highschool, and 1st year university students in the Hamilton community. The benefit of the business is that we are community driven, and we really allow the city to better connect with the talented youth of their local university. The three of us have been working on this business a lot lately, and it's going great. We are again getting so much support from the people we know. We will be having the official launch in September.

We ought to be in the Hamilton Spectator this month. We actually had our photo shoot a couple days back...hahaha...yah...

Anyways, I'll be trying to keep up with the blog...but no promises...lifes busy as a budding entrepreneur.

Best,

Justin

BIO 2010 Convention Chicago - An experience unlike any other

2010-05-07T10:59:00.005-04:00

Wow. Just Wow. The last 5 days in Chicago for BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) has probably been the most inspiring experience I have ever had. The amount of people, companies, representatives...it was literally overwhelming.

The first day I got in was Sunday night and I attended the Canadian Kick-Off event. The event was good, and I caught up with some colleagues from back home. The next morning was the first official day of BIO. I registered, looked around McCormick Place, which was a HUGE venue, then I attended a few talks. I headed out into the city, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I LOVE Chicago. It's so clean, big, the people are nice, and the architecture is just beautiful. I walked the waterfront, through the parks, and through the entire downtown city for a good 3 hours.

Tuesday was the opening of the exhibit. The exhibits were huge (apparently past years were even BIGGER). You could visit pavilions based on technology as well as based on country.

I must say, I was most impressed by technologies in India, Singapore, and Germany. I was able to Network for both the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network and my biotech startup. It was an ability for me to really learn the international competition for molecular diagnostics, as well as offer the Canadian support of a biosciences network. The international representatives were so interesting to talk to.

I'm so privileged to have gotten this opportunity to go to BIO. If you ever have the same opportunity, I really suggest you take it. You will not regret the experience in the least.

Some Tips if you ever attend:

1. Have REALLY comfortable shoes...you'll be walking a LOT

2. Have PLENTY of business cards. Don't underestimate the opportunity of networking, and even entering draws for neat stuff (ie. iPAD)

3. Have a comfortable bag to carry brochures and promo material. It gets pretty heavy after awhile, and a 1 strap bag will literally make your shoulder fall off.

4. Confidence is key at events like this. Everyone is there for the same reason. Networking and seeing if an opportunity will arise for potential deals.

5. Get ready for a plenty of Food / Fun / Booze nearing the end of the exhibits and the Opening and Gala receptions.

I can't wait for my next BIO experience, but I know I'll never forget my first one. I'd like to thank GHBN, specifically my boss Darlene, for supporting me and giving me this opportunity to attend BIO.

~Justin

Tollgate 1 - Passed...and other random updates...

2010-04-21T11:09:00.004-04:00

Hello Everyone,

yah yah yah...I know...it's been awhile again :S

Some updates from my recent doings. This will again be brief but sweet.

1. I passed my tollgate this Monday. I'm 1/3 finished on my way to getting my MEEI masters. The experience was good. I prepared a lot, but at the same time, I still felt like I could have prepared a little better. In any case, it's done, and I have a lot of work to do to make sure I'm ready for my next one (hopefully in August...)

2. My biotech startup has been progressing well. We have been getting some very strong endorsements from individuals and organizations for the technology. Lots of meetings, so little time :)

3. I'll be attending the 2010 BIO convention in Chicago this year. I'm SUPER excited about that. I've never actually been, but this will be an unbelievable experience for me to say the least. I've talked a lot to people regarding BIO, and everyone agrees that it will completely change my perspective on global markets. This is a really great learning experience for me, plus I'll have some time away from the norm for awhile.

4. My coop student for GHBN has been great. He's been helping a lot with Campus Helper (www.campushelper.ca and www.twitter.com/campushelper). We're having our first orientation night on May 20, 2010, and the company itself has been progressing RAPIDLY. ummmm....I'm not even sure if I already blogged about Campus Helper...but in any case, it is a service company that will be using University Campus students as tutors for the Hamilton District School Board. We'll likely be in the newspaper in May from an interview I did with the industry education council last week.

All in all, life is progressing, so are my business, and I'm grateful for all the support, mentors, partners in business, family, and friends that have been helping me along the way

Till Next Time,

Justin

Social Networking - Don't Fear, It's Hear, Just get used to it

2010-03-03T15:15:00.002-05:00

Wow. So I just came back today from an unbelievably inspiring event from a local Hamilton organization called Kitestring (www.kitestring.ca).

The event was strictly on the benefits of Social Networking in your business, career, and literally to stay in the loop as to how communication is advancing forward.

I've never been to an event that was run so professionally, yet so outlandishly different. I met some really interesting people, and local businesses, and the kind of networking that was done this afternoon was unlike any I've done before. I probably made more contacts through Twitter than anything else.

We hope a lot of the people who attended the event were able to see the #snowballsocial posts on Kitespring judging the Entrepreneurship 101 Quick Pitch competition.

I just wanted to write a short blog post on the event. I hope some of the contacts I met today will be beneficial in at least one of the many projects I'm working on right now. Great Time all-in-all.

~Justin

TieQuest is a No Go...

2010-02-11T17:11:00.003-05:00

So some updates for everyone.

1. Program is going well. Work with my industry partner is going smoothly and he's even indulged me with some really cool stories from his past as a serial entrepreneur. Those were really Enjoyable.

2. I have an official Business Mentor. He has a great background in a number of areas, specifically the biotechnology and medical device sector. His experience is very broad, and he is a person that will give my biotech startup the attention and mentoring it needs to progress.

3. Sad News. I applied to the TieQuest competition (TIE = The Indus Entreprenuers), but I was not accepted:

"I am sorry to inform you that, following a review of your Project Profile (in case you submitted), your entry has not been selected by the judges to move forward to the next round of the competition. This is not to be viewed as a reflection on your venture, rather on the highly competitive environment of TiEQuest, which has attracted entries of very high caliber."

It's unfortunate, but I guess it just means less work for me............................

Oh who am I kidding....I would have totally relished in all the work, and I'm a little peeved. I had a perfect product for it, but perhaps it's still just too early stage for them...who knows.

What's really interesting is that TIE didn't accept a single student in the MEEI program. In 2008 an MEEI student won the TieQuest competition ($100,000)....but this year, no one made it past the 2nd round (writing a 1 page project profile).

We're not sure how to think about this, but I guess all we can do is keep working on our projects and not really worry about TieQuest anymore...who needs $100,000 anyways?

I'll get my funding another way, and maybe it won't have to be squeezed into a little box on a single page and read for 10 minutes....But one can only wish

=P

~Justin

Lessons Learned - Adaptation

2010-01-26T12:51:00.003-05:00

So following up from my last post, I've found my industry partner. It was a bit of a fiasco, but I've decided to continue (diligently and open minded) with my project.

The point of this post is really to emphasize that in the MEEI program you have access to your supervisors for important decisions such as this. I personally had access to my own personal mentor as well who plays a big role in the decisions I make in my forward success.

Recently I met with my supervisors and my mentor to discuss my predicament. I honestly was feeling a lot of emotions (frustration/anxiety/cautiousness/etc.) at the time, and they all agree that my emotions are clouding my business judgement towards possibly leaving a very substantial project and potential business. I agreed to this, but the person that I am is not going to allow an event like this to occur without learning from the experience.

Now, as far as communication goes, it is VERY important in this program, and especially important to me. I was guided by my supervisors and mentors that with my industry partner, I may not have been clear about the importance of communication for this business, and it is technically fair that since I did not emphasize this from the beginning (I assumed from the way we were working that both parties felt this way) he was not obligated to stay in contact with me, and so he had the right to not check and respond to his emails and voice mails. Although all this may have been assumed, in a business perspective, it's fair that I give him a second chance and work through our differences.

This is still a touchy subject, but in the end, this is an experience for me that I can learn from. I need to arrange things with my industry partner in order to move forward, and by me working through these differences, I'll only become a better business person for it.

You won't always get to progress down the road of success without hitting a few road bumps along the way. Even though I have (many) options to change my project, join other groups, or join a new industry partner, I'm going to continue working with my current project, and create a positive change in the way we communicate and do work.

In any case, I'd really like to again emphasize the point that going through this program, you are "unknowing"....therefore, use the resources you have to really get a professional opinion as to how you should operate. I was told many times that:

"Things don't always go as you plan, but your ability to adapt to change is a strong trait in your development as a business person."

I'm taking this as an opportunity for me to develop my adaptation skills.

An unforeseen issue...

2010-01-16T20:19:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone,

I realize it's been awhile since my last post (again...). I've been pretty busy with MEEI. My new term for classes has begun, and it's been going well. It seems this term is going to be much more academic than the last, which I'm not exactly too thrilled about.

I'm taking Project Management, which seems interesting. I'm sure it will add a lot of value and skills for myself if I'm ever managing a team and given a specific project to manage them with. I'm really just not a fan of classes where its 3 hours of a professor talking, and we listen, and that's the end of it. I really prefer interaction.

The second class I'm taking is our second module course, Breakthrough Technology Development . I'm not going to lie, after speaking to a number of senior students in this course, I was told that this one is quite a load of work, and it wasn't exactly a favourite amongst the crowds, but I'll leave my judgment for after the term is finished.

So if you've read my previous posts, I bet your asking yourself how my Enterprise Project is going...well to tell you the truth...it's not...yup....no progress so far for the New Year. So what's the deal?

Well, it turns out my industry partner has more or less fallen off the earth...

It's really weird. I emailed him a few times over the break, but I never got a response from him, but I assumed it was the holidays, so no biggie. But then the New Year came, and again, no response from emails. I called his phone, and his voice mail is full...so now...what do I do? It's gotten to the point where I'm actually not too worried about the work, but it's more so that I'm worried about his well being. I'm sure he's going to show up somewhere, but honestly, it's been more than a month since I've heard from him. I'm getting really worried/stressed/

Finished First Term $5000 Richer!

2009-12-09T16:27:00.006-05:00

Hello Everyone,

So it was a LOT harder to keep up with this blog as much as I wanted to. I think I should be able to update you all with my success so far though, because I finished the first term of the MEEI program last Friday.

1. Our group project went great! I really like all the people I was able to work with. I feel like we built a friendship and partnership with the 6 of us. We got along very nicely, and we were very productive and efficient when we worked. It was interesting to note that we all had strengths and weaknesses as individuals, but together we built a very strong team.

2. My final presentation for my class I think went quite well. Everyone seemed to like it. It got to the point where I could go over my entire presentation without ever needing to have anything memorized or rehearsed. I made the slides so that I could literally just talk about what I've done so far, and that seemed to be something everyone really liked. The rest of the class did very well in their solo final presentations. It was neat learning about all the other projects more deeply.

3. On Friday of last week I participated in a TecNet Waterloo / McMaster Business Innovation competition. It was a GREAT experience for me. We were all asked to prepare a 90 second pitch, as well as an optional poster for presenting and networking at the beginning of the day.

The first round I presented my pitch, I think I did ok. Apparently the judges thought I did very well because I made the first round cuts. There was a total of 25 students presenting between McMaster and Waterloo. The top 7 students from each school were selected, and then asked to present again. After the second presentation, we were asked a number of questions about the business / technology / market. The questions were equally difficult for each group, but I think I handled mine well.

My biotech startup was awarded 2nd out of the McMaster University projects. We received $5000 for our business. I'm not going to lie, this was a total ego boost for myself. I've been working pretty heavily since then. I don't want to lose pace.

I hope to be able to update this blog more often, but time will tell. I'd just like to finish off by saying so far, I'm really enjoying the MEEI program. There is a lot I've learned, but the best part is that I've been able to learn by "doing" instead of just learning and reading.

~Justin

The Balances of Life: Enjoying the Little Things (Nov 16, 2009)

2009-11-16T14:24:00.006-05:00

So I realize it's been a number of days since my last post. Unfortunately a lot of work in the MEEI program has snuck up on me, and it's taking up a LOT of my time. I've slowly been progressing with my enterprise project, and my mentors are more or less confirmed. I have a number of presentations this week with my class group, and I'm rather optimistic about those. The issue is that my time has been invested more in that project than my enterprise one. The balance of time is something that you will definately have to deal with and get better at in this program.

The point of this post (and I hope down the road prospective students will be reading this) is that you HAVE to make time for the little things in your life. School and work will always be there and in your life, but family, friends, and the time spent with them is something precious. Those memories cannot be learned by going to numerous lectures, or by spending endless hours at your desk. You have to give yourself a break now and again to just relax and enjoy the people in your life.

This weekend I made sure to spend some time with my parents because I feel I've been living more at McMaster than at my own house, and the time used to visit my parents at their house has diminished as a consequence. My parents were able to describe to me their trip to the Philippines, and we were able to get into a couple of debates that are always a constructive use of our time, as well as good exercise for the brain. Just spending the time to sit down with them with a cup of tea while discussing our lives was without a doubt more valuable than anything I can think of.

I truly hope that things progress smoothly for me in this program (I will likely hit road bumps...), but I know (and hope that you discover) that in the end, the people in my life are always going to be the most important part of me.

~Justin

Feeling the Ups and Downs (Nov 3, 2009)

2009-11-03T22:26:00.003-05:00

Quick update for everyone. I've met with both of my potential mentors. I've obtained my Technical Mentor. I'll be having the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute on my team for manufacturing R&D. I've also met with my potential mentor from Trivaris. That one is still pending.

To better explain the title of this post, it seems going through the process of this program, there are a lot of ups and downs that you encounter through meetings and discoveries by research. It's amazing how you can have a really great day of informal meetings and just overall a productive time, but the next day you may realize you're really not on the right path. You may of looked over something (eg. the difficulty in entering your market), or perhaps a contact you thought would be really useful is actually not at all.

Best thing to do is stay positive I think. It gets really hard when you spend the time and effort in something, but a negative approach to anything is NEVER useful. That said, I'm going to be positive about the things I'm learning, even if they don't exactly benefit me.

I'll have a more descriptive post next time I hope.

Justin

Making your Value Proposition (Oct 28, 2009)

2009-10-27T22:02:00.008-04:00

Ok, so before I go into my Value Proposition, I want to update on meetings.

My industry partner has been a great person to talk to lately. It's really easy for me to give my input and bounce ideas off him. Which brings me to the point that COMMUNICATION is unbelievably important. We have talks on the phone for 1-2 hours and its very productive.

He is very organized when it comes to our conversations, which is great for both of us!

As far as meeting my technical and business mentors, I have both those meetings on Thursday that I plan on following up with a blog post.

Now...Value Proposition.

I came to this term "value proposition" and though it seems like a simple enough term...it really isn't. People take value proposition lightly all the time, but in reality, no company will succeed with a weak value proposition.

When i figured out that I would have to describe the benefit of our company's value in approximately 10 words or less...I was completely taken aback.

So when you're confused about something, where better to go than the internet these days. I actually went onto youtube to search for videos on Value Proposition and the 5 minute speech (something we had to do in class today)...and turns out it was harder than I thought to find really good examples.

This guy has a good 3 minute video on Value Proposition. He has some fair points, and its short and sweet to understand the main points of Value Proposition.

Next. I started to brainstorm my own product...not as easy to come up with a value proposition than I thought...you really have to step away from your technology, and really FOCUS on what you're bringing to the table...what makes you better...what are you bringing to the customer that the customer is literally in need of.

There is a pain that the customer is feeling....what are you doing to treat that pain...is your product REALLY helping the customer, or is it just something that is "neat" or "cool" and you're pushing it on the customer that really doesn't know that they need it?

So looking at our product...I realize that in molecular diagnostic testing...we have a faster method and we're less expensive by saving costs on all fronts...therefore:

"With my biotech startup system we let you analyze immediate results for a fraction of the cost"

That statement is my first Value Proposition. 15 words. It portrays what we do that is different than competitors, it's simple, understandable, lacks any technology lingo, and short.

There will obviously be changes to this, but with that statement, I made a 5 minute pitch on our market and Value Proposition which was successful today. People understood that there was a Problem, we had a Solution, and there was a definite Payoff. Now that I have my pitch talk, I can work easier towards gaining interest in the business sector (those without a science background). Absolute necessary and beneficial tool for us.

I will update hopefully the end of this week as to my meeting with my mentors.

~Justin

Finding the Right Mentor for You (Oct 22, 2009)

2009-10-22T16:04:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Times have been pretty busy last 2 weeks. Entrepreneurship 101 lecture was a great success. We got just over 100 participants, and the speaker Rafik Loutfy did an excellent job in opening the series with his lecture on “How Can I change the world” - Disruptive Innovation. The lecture will be available on the series website soon, along with pictures and other media.

So, updating on my project, I've been having a lot of trouble isolating which mentor I would like to select for my program. Interesting side story, I did a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Interpretive Report. I'm apparently an ENFP. I'm Extraverted Intuition with Feeling. To think an academic would have feeling....haha

This test gave me some important points for me to think about however. Being Extraverted, I tend to relate easily to the outer world of people and things. My Intuition means I use imagination to see new possibilities and insights - focusing on the future (this is an important one). Feeling shows that I base decisions on values and people-centered concerns. Lastly, Perceiving says that I tend to not want to miss anything; life is likely to be spontaneous and flexible.

Synopsis of ENFP:
- Warmly enthusiasitic and imaginative
- See life as full of possibilities
- Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on patterns they see
- Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support
- Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency

Ok, so learning this, I've realized how I've been approaching my Enterprise Project, and where I need to make improvements. I mentioned that being higher in intuition, I look into the future prospects, but I inadvertently focus less on my current status, or the Present. I was previously thinking a mentor like a doctor or clinician would be best for me because my future position of our device I see in hospitals and healthcare. However, looking at my current position, since the device is something that will involve optics, mechanical engineering, software engineering, and a number of other areas for prototype completion, the MMRI group at McMaster University would be a beneficial linkage for me.

Updates on further collaboration in the days to come. In the meantime, make sure you continue to check http://www.businessinnovation.ca/entrepreneurship101/ for updates on Entrepreneurship 101.

Justin

Not Everyone Will Like Your Idea...Unfortunately

2009-10-15T14:38:00.004-04:00

10/15/09

Updating from my meetings yesterday, we were able to get some input from a lab technician who is currently using a competing product for gel electrophoresis. Interesting enough, she seemed to like the competition in a sense that it was easy enough to use, but the biggest negative was that it was far too costly. She used it as essentially a screen for RNA products before amplifying her products further down the road (the idea of garbage in, garbage out).

I guess it's important to know that not everybody will be jumping at your ideas and inventions when you present it to them.

I learned some interesting points doing some market research over the weekend and past days. It seems that Molecular Diagnostics (or Nucleic Acid Base Testing) is going to be a pretty big market in the years to come. Essentially replacing a lot of current techniques in clinical settings for testing of infectious diseases (flu, std, etc.). Instead of making cultures and other time intensive experiments, the new way of testing for disease will be testing the DNA of individuals for mutations or genes of disease interest. You can imagine that hospitals will want a fast, less expensive, and specific test for this. We hope to fill this gap with our product.

Our meeting with the patent agent went well enough. She gave us some insight and a key contact if we plan on using the University to support us for patenting. This whole patent procedure is proving to be a pain in our side, but really it should be something that I use to learn the skills needed for starting a technology based business.

Working on the Enterprise Project along with working on our group project is starting to become pretty heavy work wise, but I'm happy that everyone in our group seems to be on the ball when it comes to being proactive and getting work done. It shouldn't be too much of a hassle getting this group project complete.

Resources Galore (Google Patent, MarketResearch, Etc.)

2009-10-13T12:31:00.005-04:00

10/13/09

Today is going to be another short post for everyone. I have a meeting tomorrow that should be an eye opener. We are meeting with a person from the McMaster Industry Liaison Office to discuss our forward steps in patenting our product. We are also meeting with the coordinator of the labs on the 5th floor of MDCL, just as a possible contact for forward networking.

Amazingly I've been sick for a good week now. Just on the limbo between a cold and my normal self. It's more annoying than anything else.

I'm also meeting with my group for our first group project. My weekend task was to just do some patent research and think of some questions for our focus group.

Speaking of patent research, I was amazed to see the kind of resources McMaster graduates have access to through our library access. I have access to Market Research reports with estimated costs of $3-$5k. I essentially downloaded my tuition's worth in market research reports the past weekend. Really cool stuff.

I will update everyone on my future steps for patent research for my enterprise project.

~Justin

Being Sick is Procrastination for Adults

2009-10-09T20:13:00.005-04:00

10/09/09

Just updating today. I've been sick as **** this week, so my productivity has been at a minimum. Wednesday we were able to visit the Xerox Research Centre of Canada. Really cool place.

They are doing top notch research in solid ink printing. Cool stuff.

I had a meeting with my supervisor today discussing possible technology mentors. Since Molecular Diagnostics is a market on the rise, we want to get a mentor that is "popular" enough to attract attention to our product. We have some good ideas so far.

On another note, I've started my course projects which will start to take up a lot of my time as well. They will be great practice for me never the less. Market research, patent searches, presenting, focus groups, etc. All things I'll need for my future path to serial entrepreneurship (^_^)

So a short post/update again.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving weekend. I'll hopefully catch up on some lost sleep.

~Justin

What Everybody Ought to Know About Being an Entrepreneur?

2009-10-06T19:30:00.007-04:00

10/6/09

Hi all,

Was kind of sick this weekend, but feeling better as the days progress. So here's a couple notes from previous lectures:

"An entrepreneur is defined as an individual who sees an opportunity that others do not and marshals the resources to exploit it"

- Two critical elements --> Sensing and Exploiting an opportunity
- Sense opportunity --> Exploit opportunity

Entrepreneurial traits are NOT teachable. They come from family background, culture, and positive/negative environments

- We want to learn on a basis of both Creativity and Management

Main reasons to be an entrepreneur
- Become independent
- Potential financial rewards
- More personal contacts with people
- Skill development
- Challenge
- Enjoyment

*Do NOT run out of cash --> you run out of cash, and you’re dead

You have to be humble and you have to listen to what other people and the market are telling you

Failures: Internal
- Due to lack of capital
- Poor management
- Inadequate planning
External - Poor sales
- No breaking out strategy
- New competition
- Shortage of good staff

//

The sensing
1st is the human problem you’re solving!
The bigger the chaos, the better the opportunity for business/innovation

The key to success is failing quickly --> then recouping quickly

- This forces you to answer the toughest questions
- Always make NEW MISTAKES

Market Gaps = occur as a result of changes in the environment

You have to watch the time window --> you cannot miss the opportunity

Social trends drive market gaps --> this can kill a company (example is the plastic bag for grocery shopping)
- This is a very powerful force to create opportunity, but also destroy other companies

Brontosaurus Factor
- Big companies are like dinosaurs
- Loss of peripheral vision
- They are arrogant
- Slow movers (example is IBM in the 70s and 80s)

Its always about the ease that new technologies do things

Forces creating the market gap:
Social Trends
Political Actions
Economic Forces

It’s a balancing act to balance Opportunity size and the Resources (Timmons Model of Entrepreneurial Process)

- Your idea has to be 10X easier and 10X cheaper in order for people to change their habits
Our project is an Unfilled Need (versus technology push / market pull)
- Changes in market open up opportunities

- Typical sources
o Regulatory controls
o Customer preference
o Changes in working practices
o Technical innovation
o Price pressures
o Quality failure
o Crisis and disaster

Attractive Opportunity:
1. Satisfy unmet customer needs
2. Has medium to long term potential (is a result of a trend NOT a fad)
3. Of a sufficient market size
4. Achieve a good net margin (revenue from sale – cost of production --> after that you still have to subtract all other expenses and taxes)
5. Require little capital
6. Achieve a positive cash flow
7. Break even fast
8. Economically viable – desire rate of return
9. ***An attractive industry --> caused by the industry growth rate --> if it is growing, it is attractive***
10. Meets the entrepreneur’s expectations
11. Fits with the entrepreneur’s skills and the venture resources and capabilities
12. Low risk

Evaluating the Opportunity:
Market Test
The Test of Fit
The Economic Test

The Entrepreneurial (SME) Economy in Canada Context
Definition of Small Business in Canada
- Number of Employees
- Total Revenue
- Profits
- Type of Management-Ownership Structure

R&D = important contribution to any business. It is an expense and not an investment. You cannot get rid of R&D for profit gain, because in the long term, you’re screwed

SR&ED (scientific research and experimental development) --> Get Some

The Translation of Technology Skill

2009-10-02T20:43:00.005-04:00

10/2/09

The meeting with my industry partner was a long one today and we were able to get a lot of stuff organized. I love being organized :)

I will be thinking about business mentors / technology mentors over the weekend to be part of my committee and advisory panel.

I was able to discuss ways of presenting our idea to our "business audience" or those people with less technical background than most.

Because our idea has to do with DNA analysis, and work around this, we are thinking that recent issues in the H1N1 area may bring interest at least to the actual purpose and need of the device.

Side note: I'm starting to realize that with this blog it's going to be hard for me to go in depth into the development of my project...I have to choose my words and statements carefully...at least for the beginning because everything is still really preliminary. I apologize to you guys if everything just sounds really vague at the moment.

Some updates on my program. I'll be visiting the Xerox Research Centre in Mississauga next week for my lecture, so I'll let you guys know how that goes.

***Something that I really want to bring up regarding entrepreneurs with new technology***

Alright. So you're maybe an engineer, scientist, inventor, innovator, etc. You have a new technology. This point has been stressed upon me relentlessly over the past week, and it even came up in my meeting today. Your business IS NOT YOUR TECHNOLOGY

When you try to bring interest to investors/collaborators/etc....it's not just about your technology and what it can do. Trust me. They know it's cool, and they know you've probably spent the last 10 years of your life developing it...AND they know YOU know a lot more about it than they do themselves (the latter being the biggest gap between inventor and investor). If you can't bring your idea/research down to common levels (what problem does it fix, how, and the benefits of this versus anything similar) then you're going to have A LOT of trouble getting people with deep pockets and a large contact list interested in you. Through my work at GHBN you see this a lot. You see it even more in academia with researchers and the like.

"The translation of technology"...this is a skill most entrepreneurs with an academic/research intensive background need to learn and improve on.

Think about it like this. You read the newspaper and see a headline for new stem cell research taking place at your local university. The skill of the writer is their ability to take all the complex research and science and "translate" it into something the average person can understand.

That said, I'll be working on this for our device over the weekend and hopefully I'll have a presentation draft finished. And I won't forget the 10-20-30 rule by Guy Kawasaki.

~Justin

Slow Day: time to work on my Twitter

2009-10-01T17:24:00.005-04:00

10/1/09

Today was kind of a slow day. I am going to have a meeting with my industry partner tomorrow to really organize our thoughts. We have a lot on our plates now from the past week of meetings / events / and research.

We need to really just isolate now what market we need to research more in depth and which to penetrate.

Since today was a slower day, I've been working on my twitter wallpaper. Zixpk is a great website that has wallpapers and stuff.

You can check out my twitter wallpaper here...and follow if you are so inclined :)

Credit is given to the original artist Leonid Ershov

I will update on meeting tomorrow, as well as some notes from previous lectures on being an entrepreneur.

I also want to mention the fact that GHBN along with my program MEEI will be running an entrepreneurship 101 lecture series for 2009/2010. This will also be mentioned in the near future once things are finalized.

~Justin

Innovation Night: Follow Up

2009-09-30T21:46:00.006-04:00

9/30/09

Wow. So Innovation Night is a REALLY cool event.

It was a great crowd (the pub was PACKED). There were a lot of people, and the presentations were pretty interesting. I ran into some people that I think would be beneficial in creating an advisory group of sorts. One of them is a close acquaintance from the City of Hamilton, and the other is from a group called MITACS. They're great :)

I was able to speak to Mark near the end of the event. I spent the majority of the time at the event looking for him, but right before I left I was able to find him. I've met him briefly before, and I think my boss recently mentioned my name to him, so he knew who I was (which is always a plus).

I explained to him that I am with GHBN and that I am now doing the MEEI program (our program has a good relationship with Trivaris). I briefly explained the device to him, and said that I would like to have a meeting with him and my industry partner. He said that they might have some interesting people in optics that we might want to meet.

I think a preliminary meeting with him and his contacts, just to at least get us in their limelight, would be good idea. They have some pretty good connections that we might need further down the road. I'll be emailing him tomorrow for sure. That said, I'm going to watch some TV. Need a break from business... (^_^)

~Justin

Innovation Night: A gathering of budding entrepreneurs

2009-09-30T17:35:00.006-04:00

9/30/09

Just a quick update for today. My class yesterday went really well. I will be posting lecture points that I think stood out and that will be useful for you. I have a bunch of contacts that I will need to get on regarding my Enterprise Project...however, tonight I will be going to an event that is run by a commercialization firm called Trivaris...GHBN has a community sponsor role in the event.

Trivaris is stationed in the new McMaster complex called McMaster Innovationn Park (MIP).

Anyways, the event I'm going to tonight is called Innovation Night. It is a really neat concept. The event takes place at a bar in Burlington Ontario called Emma's Back Porch

During the night, there are presentations by entrepreneurs who essentially pitch their ideas for approximately 5 minutes. It is very informal and a great place to network with an ambitious group of people.

I myself will not be presenting, but perhaps in the future. The only drawback I see from this event is if the presenter decides to share his idea without a patent, you never know who is copying it down on a beer coaster in the back :)

I hope to chat with Mark Chamberlain about my project. Trivaris has some expertise in optics, and this might be useful for my Enterprise Project. He may also be a potential Business Mentor for my program.

I'll let everyone know how the event goes.

~Justin

Customer Services (Part 2) What can we do to develop customer service?

2009-09-29T12:02:00.007-04:00

9/29/09

Continuing my last post, I was talking about Customer Service and its importance...

I left off at Trust and Respect

For a customer to fill the information gap, they need to “trust” your credentials
- Of 450 businesses, 68% of loss of business they said was due to a feeling of indifference from someone who represented their company
- Feeling of indifference negatively affected the bottom line

The cost of losing a customer :

For every 1 person that bothered to complain, there are 20 that are staying silent
The average wronged customer will tell 8-16 people what went wrong

91% of unhappy customers will never buy from you again

The problem is not when things go wrong, it’s how you deal with it. It cost 5 times to obtain a customer you lost, compared to a new customer

Of 362 firms, 80% of executives believed their business had superior customer service, but intentions are not enough in today’s market place.

Here is an example of a company with "good customer services"

Apple iPod product was the differentiator in the market
- Then they got a service that was a differentiator --> iTunes
- Then they revamped their store --> ability to make customer feel valued

Customers don’t remember what you said, but how they felt...think about your own experiences

Customer experience is the differentiator in these economic times

Faces we bring into business:

1. Me Focus

2. Academic with a Me Focus

3. Corporate Focus

It’s hard to be customer focused without meeting and having introductions with them. In our head, it’s always what we think…there is a disconnect

There is a true value of brining humanity into business --> customer service --> example is “small mom and pop” business --> you get a real connection with your customer

What can we do to develop customer service?

1. Earn their trust and respect
• Do not multitask --> put your customer face on --> acknowledge the customer --> smile
• It’s all about the first impression --> you get 30 seconds --> afterwards they make a decision
• Create a person discussion --> says “you’re interested in me” --> builds trust
• Sharpen listening skills
• Eye contact + handshake + smile + etc.
• Clear your mind when you greet them
• Be receptive

2. Be a diagnostician
• Ask questions
• Speaking to a person, not his wallet --> it’s not just about the sale

3. Be aware
• Be aware of product centric thinking

4. Stay enthusiastic
• Keep your energy up
• Park your BMW = bitching, moaning, and whining --> this drains you of your energy
• Stay around people that are alive and energetic

Choose your attitude --> It’s something you choose.
You choose to be happy!

Customer Services (Part 1)...How important is it to you?

2009-09-28T17:27:00.010-04:00

9/28/09

Hi everyone,

Hope you all had a great weekend.

I also hope everyone likes the new layout I selected for my blog. It was a lot of html work for me to grasp, but hey, any skill to get me forward in life (^_^)

Today was a pretty productive day for myself. I organized my course material and everything needed for class tomorrow.

For my post today, I think I'll share some notes I have from a class we had on Customer Services. I know what you're thinking..."customer services...that's the LAST thing I need to worry about"...but trust me...it has its benefits.

The speakers name was Michelle. Her background story was:

- 32 years in customer service at Air Canada
- Learned what it means to deliver a customer experience
- Taught her basics of customer experience
- 23 yrs old started a month old project
- Internal customer service intention versus perception (intention of trying to help colleagues didn’t match the perception of it)
- Experience towards “customer experience”

Apparently most business actually think they are delivering on the business end, but in fact, there is a huge gap between what business THINK customers want and what customers actually do want.

Customer Services = action in business that makes people feel VALUED

A customer is any two people in a business relationship

Internally you have to look at everyone as a customer (supervisor --> employee --> customer)

A Valued employee = valued customer...don't think that your own employees are not your "customers"...remember...a happy employee makes a happy customer, and vice versa

There are two reasons why a customer will buy from you:

1. Trust / Respect = trust in the person they are buying from
2. Ready = they buy when they’re ready to buy

If a person (customer) does not feel valued, they will not trust the person selling to them
- The opposite is true

Trust / Respect are feelings --> 50-80% of the reason people buy anything has to do with trust and respect (ie. It is an emotional)

To be continued...(I'll finish this post tomorrow...I should write some emails for my project...hope I've enlightened you today)

~Justin

New Layout...

2009-09-26T22:23:00.010-04:00

9/26/09

So I decided if I'm going to pursue with this Blog, I should spruce it up a bit. I've added a new layout, and a lot of links to that I think will be able to help me (us) in our progress.

I'm getting better at html in the process. Always a good skill.

~Justin

First meeting with Supervisor and Industry Partner

2009-09-25T16:58:00.007-04:00

9/25/09

So my meeting today with my supervisor and Industry partner went great today. We met at the MaRS building in Toronto. I went early to touch base with the Market Readiness program at MaRS.

These people are going to be a great resource for me in the future. Their program works like this: Companies that make less than $1M a year have the opportunity to use them as a means of market research / intelligence. I met with my contact/friend who works there (best part about working for a networking company...you build a network of your own), caught him up to speed with my Masters program and my project. He is excited to work with me in the near future, and I'm really excited to have him as a resource.

So as I mentioned, the meeting itself went really well between myself, supervisor, and industry partner. My supervisor likes the idea, but my first step is to really understand the size of the market, and where we can penetrate it.

On my to do list is to get a gathering of McMaster researchers (probably those in the infectious disease group) together to have an informal presentation of my project to them, and garner any interest.

The BEST part about my program, or at least something I didn't realize sooner, is that the program gives me the opportunity to have a Technical Mentor as well as a Business Mentor (from a pool of 73 mentors). These two people, along with my supervisor and one other person are essentially going to make up my advisory group / committee.

The best benefit is that with my Technical Mentor, I have the ability/opportunity to apply for Ontario Centres of Excellence grants because this mentor would take position as a PI (professional investigator), thus making us eligible for funds that would normally not be available for Industry persons who do not have an academic partner.

So my next update will likely be next week. The weekend is my relaxing time. I'm also a piano teacher at the Ontario Conservatory of Music in Hamilton, so I do that on Saturdays, and I like to play basketball on Sundays.

I'll hopefully get a short update on Monday, and I'll post anything (videos, lectures, cool links) that I come across.

~Justin

Up to Speed

2009-09-24T19:50:00.007-04:00

9/24/09

Ok. So with all my previous postings today to catch everyone up, I'll let you know where I stand as of right now.

I just received an email with a confirmation for a meeting in Toronto at the MaRS Discovery District with my Project Partner and my supervisor.

The meeting will be at 12PM. Afterward I will post an update as to what my supervisor thinks, and discussions for moving forward.

I'm feeling rather positive about this meeting because I've spent a fair bit of time with my Project Partner already, and I had a long meeting with him on Wednesday. We were also able to meet with my boss at the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network (GHBN) who was able to give us some great leads and contacts for down the road connections. She is great like that.

I've also decided to keep all my media stuff posted below. I've added the video by Guy Kawasaki, but I also added a link Slide Show presentations by this person named Alex Osterwalder. He is from Switzerland, but I saw him speak at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto early this year. He is a great speaker, and his workshops are very creative. He created this idea of a "business model canvas". It's a way of organizing your thoughts/market/customers/etc. onto a canvas.

A presentation (power point) of his innovative business model design:
http://www.businessmodelalchemist.com/tools

Skip to slide 43 if you just want to see the canvas. Slide 61 shows the summary outline of the canvas.

His website:
http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/

His Blog (I REALLY suggest you follow...has some really cool stuff and ideas):
http://www.businessmodelalchemist.com/

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/business_design

~Justin

My Enterprise Project and some notes on Angel Investing

2009-09-24T18:06:00.009-04:00

9/24/09

Just thought I should let you all know about my Enterprise Project (well as much as I can tell you so far).

I will (hopefully) be working with a company called (name of company). Don't bother googling it yet. I'm sure they have not created their website yet.

The product is directed towards common lab procedures. We hope to be hitting a market trend that we see occurring in high scale / throughput procedures in lab experiments.

I will be meeting with my Supervisor (who is also the director of the the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation) and my partner at Anoven hopefully soon.

I'll leave you all with some words of wisdom from our guest speakers last week:

Eugene Roman (CIO of OpenText Corporation) and

Dan Mothersill (President of the National Angel Capital Organization)

"The net sum value of a killer technology, disruptive science, breakthrough product, or compelling service idea s zero – unless you can demonstrate how you will turn it into a significantly profitable business within the next three-to-five years."

~Daniel Mothersill

1. Innovation @ Work some pointers
• Prepare for what you will face in the future
• Anticipate future needs
• Use poor/limited information when necessary
• Expect the unexpected
• Think long term as well as short term
• Dream productively
• Learn from you predecessors

2. “Do or do not... there is no try.” (this is actually Yoda...Dan Mothersill's mentor)

3. Recognize that you have to make a team in your plan and a direction - show a GROWTH strategy

- I need a group of entrepreneurs to surround me to support and mentor me
- I need someone on my team that can translate this into a real business

4. Venture Capital (VC) versus Angel Investors

VCs (somewhat bias opinion by Dan)
- Money managers (MBA, CFAs)
- Oversee other people’s money
- Report to their funders
- Basically have little experience in growing businesses
- Follow the 20/60/20 rule (0 / - / +) (20% break even, 60% fail, 20% successful investment)

Angels (usually not in bio or pharma investment)
- Serial entrepreneurs
- Possess business acumen
- Mentor companies
- Provide cash
- Patient money (3-5 yrs)
- 50% success rate
- Give back to the community

5. Angels are looking for:
- Technology -10%
Unique, protected technology
- Traction in the Market – 30%
The market has already accepted and is buying/adopted the company’s product
- Team – 60%
A strong, seasoned management team with good advisors and all the competencies needed!

They are looking for business acumen (management), domain knowledge (scientist), and operational expertise (knows how to sell) in a startup company

~Justin

Guy Kawasaki...a lecture by the author of 'The Art of the Start'

2009-09-24T17:29:00.002-04:00

9/24/09

This is a great lecture to start everyone off on. I really enjoyed it. Guy has an ability to really connect with his audience, and his level of knowledge is immense.

By the way, his book "The Art of the Start" is really good so far.

~Justin

Creating my business...follow my success

2009-09-24T16:52:00.005-04:00

9/24/09

So let me catch everyone up. My name is Justin Policarpio. I am a 22 year old male living in Ontario Canada. I have decided to make a personal blog (never thought those words would actually come out of my mouth) about my path to success in creating a business....well success or failure...in any case I hope that by following me, you yourself can learn, as I learn.

Synopsis of my background:

(2004-2008) - Undergrad degree in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University

(2008) - OMG...what am I going to do!?!?...don't like lab work anymore, and a masters in something I don't want to do doesn't seem all that enticing...hmm

day after last exam (2008) - Awesome...I got a job!...I'm working with the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network (GHBN - www.ghbn.org)

(2008-2009) - I love my job!!!...this is great...working with entrepreneurs, small businesses, govnernment (don't love that so much), and academia...but seems like I can do more...

(2009-present) - Accepted to Masters Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEEI) at McMaster University. Still working with GHBN part-time.

So some points about the MEEI program I'm in. The program is 18 months. Each student is linked to a person with an invention/product/idea that has commercial value. Within the program, I learn how to create business plans, do market research, and everything else to find a market for the Enterprise Project that I will be working with for the 18 months. In the end, I hope to have done enough work to build this business out. If it is a success, I'll be part of a business at the age of 23-24. If it fails, the better I know what not to do in the future.

So..."Why the Blog?"...well look at it this way. Everything I learn, I will be posting on this blog. I have access to some pretty top notch mentors (CEOs, Venture Capital, Angel Investors, etc.), resources, and insight...so why not share my new learned knowledge with YOU!

Every step I take (more or less) I will share with you. You can tell me how you would approach the road blocks, and I can tell you the outcome of each decision I make.

There are enough entrepreneurs out there in the world, but you have to understand that a person with just an idea is useless. An entrepreneur is someone with the ability to sense an opportunity and has the ability to exploit that opportunity (can you tell I've been to some lectures already?...)

With the help of this program, I hope to fine tune my skills to actually be a successful entrepreneur. At the same time, I hope I can help you to find your own path to success.

That said, this post is already getting a bit too long. I hope you find this story an interesting one.

I will have some posts to follow this one with some knowledge/links/videos I've already come across that might be interesting to you.

Cheers,

Justin