A big part of the contest’s success, Kaghazian says, lies in the resources and connections it provides: Students are paired with mentors, usually venture capitalists or established entrepreneurs, who can provide guidance in the early stages of figuring out a plan, helping them “get ready to go out into the real world.”
Mechanical engineering graduate student Josh Siegel ’11, president of the MIT Entrepreneurs Club, agrees that a key element to Institute-wide success in creating companies is the relationships people build through both classes and the many clubs and competitions devoted to entrepreneurship. In his club, for example, Siegel says the emphasis is on hearing from people in the midst of grappling with the financial, organizational, interpersonal and legal issues involved in getting a company up and running.