Today’s Entrepreneur is Ashu Desai, founder of Make School. Make School is building a university replacement for computer science. It empower students to build and ship products. They are building the college experience they wished existed, one where their students love coming to school every day and are passionate about their work.
Desai started building products in high school, initially an iPhone app that sold 50k copies. In college he built bluetooth accessories for the iPhone. He dropped out of college to found Make School and build the college experience he wished existed.
Make School self-categorizes itself in education.
Here’s a little about Desai:
I am a(n): Entrepreneur
Companies I’ve founded or co-founded: Make School
If you are an entrepreneur, why?: I want to invent something cool.
My favorite startups: Airbnb, Warby Parker, Tilt, Slack, Lyft, Snapchat
What’s most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?
The most rewarding thing about entrepreneurship is being able to choose the people you work with. I’m a strong believer in the adage “you are the average of your five best friends” so it’s incredibly rewarding for me to be able to spend every day with people who inspire and teach me.
What’s the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs make?:
Not asking for help. Entrepreneurs often fall into the me against the world mentality and worry sharing their problems will show weakness. People are incredibly social learners, the best way to find solutions to your problems is asking others and collecting unique perspectives.
What are the top three lessons you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?
1. Do things that don’t scale. You need to be willing to try any and all potential solutions to problems you’re facing. Be sure not to dismiss ideas because of your own psychological blockades.
2. Stay frugal. Building a culture of frugality into your company can be the difference between running out of money or staying afloat until your next fundraising round or next deal close. It’s easy to lose track of spending if you’re not careful.
3. Stay focused. The best startups are laser focused on a single product and single growth metric. While new ideas, products and opportunities look appealing, the cost of splitting focus often kills startups.
