Justin Coetzee, Founder of GoMetro, shares his story of launching his business and the experiences gained along the road to scaling up with the students of the Global School for Entrepreneurship. During the webinar he shared some key takeaways from his own journey as an entrepreneur. From launching GoMetro to taking the stage in the finals of Get in the Ring 2014.
One of the first insights shared was the importance of hiring a young and diverse team to help grow business. It’s the young and open-minded persons that are able to bring business forward. They are open to innovation and change that new technology can bring to the world.
“The younger the person, the more open they are to a crazy idea (….) The younger generation is more open to technology, more open to the possibilities. Surrounding yourself with these kind of people is a great benefit to any organisation”
Startup Hack: Hire the retired. While energy and enthusiasm are a great driver for any business on the road to growth, experience and wisdom should never be underestimated. The chance to add valuable field experience and insights to your team is one that should not be passed up.
“A quick hack as an entrepreneur: Hire from the retired ranks (…) they really want their knowledge to go into the world still. They really want to mentor, they really want to coach”
Another out-of-the box take away presented during the webinar was the comparison drawn between a startup and a fighter pilot.
“I’ve always used the idea that startups are fighter pilots (…) a fighter pilot has to respond to all sorts of different opportunities. There’s all sorts of things to manage, you’ve got a burn-rate to manage, but there’s only a really small window of opportunity where you can act”
Our next session will be with EyeVerify Founder and Get in the Ring winner of 2013 – Toby Rush.
Learn more about the Global School for Entrepreneurship.