If you’re looking for a youth-friendly business model with vetted feasibility against something with proven track record, start here and look through companies highlighted for some inspiration:
Dorm Room Fund- a VC fund that invests in promising student (like you!) founded businesses.
NOW that you have a clear idea of what you’d like to build, you are going to need a working prototype. The good news is that you don’t need to know how to code to get started.
Softr.io is a pretty solid choice for building dynamic apps/websites, Wix is another one for simple no-frills websites. Canva is great for any graphic design needs. Consider using ready-made templates to get started.
What Version 1 of OCE looked like
STEP 3: Get The Word Out
This is where most people fail.
They keep building quietly in their room without letting others know about their work. The world is noisy, you have to get out there and be loud, be proud.
To start OCE, I used a lot of Reddit, Facebook, LinkedIn, Discord groups, Listservs, as well as social media (IG, TikTok) to grow. Reply to this email and let me know if you’d like a step-by-step guide on building a digital community like OCE.
Then direct them to my mailing list – built using Convertkit. This is called a "marketing funnel".
Simplified marketing funnel for OCE
There is no right way to spread the word except realizing you can’t be quiet.
See if anyone signs up. If no one does, ask for feedback on why not? Iterate and repeat the process until you’ve got at least 3 users.
3’s the magic number. Once 3 people buy it, you know your product is of value to people.
STEP 4: Operate
The game plan here is all about being organized, keeping productivity high and streamlining as much as possible. The best part is that most of these tools offer free plans.
Task Management- I use Monday.com, Airtable and Notion to keep track of signups, community engagement, and meetings but they can be used to build systems and processes for a variety of projects.
Slack- is the BEST for managing communications overall. We use it among OCE cohorts.
Google Drive- easiest and cheapest way to be paperless.
Zapier- is great if you are like me using a ton of tools, widgets and want to automate as much as possible.
In this digital age, tools are aplenty. You no longer have to run everything on an excel spreadsheet and send out 100s of emails individually by hand. (That's what I did lol)
And with this guide, you are 100% more equipped to get started.
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PS. This summer, build alongside of world-class founders and a community of ambitious youth.
We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders.
Hey Changemakers, Today marks 4 years since the wrap up of our inaugural OCE cohort. And boy oh boy has there been a lot of learning these last 4 years for me. Starting OCE, property management biz, and on a mission to bridging cultures. It has me thinking often about leadership… So today, allow me to share my reflection on the leadership lessons I most wish I could pass on to the 17-year-old Lena. And PS: 2024 cohort application is due end of this month, apply here ASAP so you don't miss...
If you’ve been following OCE on IG or TikTok (which you should), you’ve probably seen the shocking graph reporting pessimism among US high school seniors at an all-time high. Youth happiness is in decline due to a combination of social, economic, technological and ecological pressures. Source- WSJ We now live in a world where teenagers experiences "midlife crisis" before adulthood; a time when young people, historically beacons of optimism, report lower happiness than their elders. It's...
Future Changemakers, I’m guessing you have questions about higher education, starting businesses, landing purposeful career paths. Before you decide to take the plunge, you want to really understand what it entails to work at the forefront of innovation, and to become a founder. Maybe you have some of the same kind of questions we had back when we were in school: How do I start my own business as a teen? Can you actually teach me how to do this? Will this be helpful for my future internship,...
