You know the old saying — “Follow your passion to build a business.”
Cute.
But not super helpful.
Because if passion alone paid the bills, half the world would be professional snack tasters, video gamers, or K-pop analysts.
The truth?
The most successful businesses aren’t built on passion alone.
They’re built at the intersection of passion, skill, and who you know. That’s what we call your Zone of Genius.
It’s the sweet spot where:
- What you’re good at
- Who you know
- What lights you up
all collide — and spark real, feasible business ideas worth building.
But FIRST
If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:
📈
Forget Goal-Setting, Here’s What Actually Works
Read More →
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🎨
Best tools for building your passion project
Read More →
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The Wrong Way to Start a Business
Too many people hear “AI is the future” and immediately try to build an AI tool.
Six months later: They’ve spent their savings, built something no one wants to pay for, and are wondering if they should’ve just opened a boba shop instead.
That’s how burnout happens.
That’s how you waste time chasing ideas that were never yours to begin with.
Let’s fix that.
Start With Your Zone of Genius
Here’s the framework we swear by at OCE. It’s helped teens unlock business ideas that actually make sense — for them.
Step 1: Start with a blank page
Write down three things:
- Your Experience & Skills — The HOW
What are you actually good at?
What do people already come to you for?
What could you get paid for, even informally?
Examples: video editing, organizing events, tutoring, writing, reselling sneakers, designing logos.
- Your Resources & Network — The WHO
Who do you already have access to?
Family, friends, teachers, Discord mods, a friend’s older sibling who runs a startup — all count.
Example: Your cousin owns a salon. Your teacher’s spouse runs a nonprofit. Your friend’s mom works at Shopify.
- Your Passion — The WHY
What gets you fired up?
What do you care about enough to stay up late researching or ranting about at lunch?
Examples: sustainability, mental health, youth empowerment, design, sports, tech for good.
That's your Zone of Genius.
And chances are, the idea that fits YOU is sitting right there..
Let’s look at some real examples…
Founders Who Built From Their Zone of Genius
STEP 2: Identify the intersection
Ava Duvall (Gen Z social media agency founder)
- Skills: Content creation + platform growth
- Network: Other young creators + early-stage startup clients
- Passion: Helping brands speak Gen Z
→ Turned her TikTok/IG content skills into a consulting agency helping brands grow — without a traditional resume.
Moziah Bridges (Mo’s Bows, started at 9)
- Skills: Sewing + design
- Network: Family in fashion and small business circles
- Passion: Fashion + self-expression
→ Started sewing bow ties at home, landed media features, built a brand, and eventually signed an NBA licensing deal as a teen.
Ben Francis (Gymshark, started at 19)
- Skills: Basic web design, fitness training, content creation
- Network: Local gym community + online fitness influencers
- Passion: Fitness + aesthetics
→ Started by screen-printing gym clothes from his bedroom, partnered with influencers before influencer marketing was a thing. Now it’s a billion-dollar brand.
“Great idea,” you think. “But I have zero coding skills.”
Well, let us introduce you to some other people who made it work...
Yours Truly (Guess who?)
Experience: Operations & Strategy (0 experience in coding)
Network: Founders across ASEAN + Silicon Valley tech experts
Passion: Empowering youth, global learning, social innovation
→ Yours Truly launched OCE, a global innovation program that connects teens with founders across Asia to co-create solutions for pressing social issues.
Key takeaway?
You don’t need to be an engineer.
You need a weird mix of your own skills, relationships, and passions — and the courage to ship something that solves a real problem.
The "right" business idea isn't out there waiting for you.
It’s already in your notebook — you just haven’t connected the dots yet.
If you want help connecting the dots, hit reply.
We’ll help you brainstorm something that’s not only doable — but deeply you.
Let’s get building,
P.S. Want us to feature your Zone of Genius story in the next newsletter? Drop us a line and tell us what you’re working on
Like what you read? Share with friends!
PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions (such as your own community) where it is needed the most. Want in?
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.
You can also explore purposeful opportunities through our Impact Internship Opportunities Database.
Get Curious.
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Lena
https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/
