Venture Creation - Speed Dating

By Noam Agmon

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a speed-dating session with industry mentors at the New Venture Creation Seminar, hosted by Lilach Danewitz at the Adelson Entrepreneurship School of Reichman University. This unique format gave us 15 minutes to present our venture and get feedback from each of the eight seasoned industry experts, each offering a wealth of knowledge and experience in their respective fields.

The mentors' backgrounds were as diverse as they were impressive - ranging from financial wizardry, entrepreneurial prowess, to legal expertise. Each mentor brought a distinct lens to view our project. The financial experts delved into the viability and scalability of our business model, the entrepreneurial veterans shed light on possible go to market strategies, and the legal expert navigated us through potential regulatory hurdles.

The most striking takeaway from this session was how each mentor pinpointed different aspects of our business model. Their insights were like pieces of a puzzle, helping us to see the bigger picture while also zooming in on specific challenges. This process was instrumental in narrowing down the exact problems we need to tackle to move our project forward.

The #1 lesson I have learned that day is: Listen proactively. Listen to many experts. Listen some more.

I am immensely grateful for this enriching experience. The mentors' guidance not only clarified our path but also injected fresh enthusiasm into our venture. Their diverse perspectives have been a catalyst for refined strategy and renewed focus.