How to Become an Entrepreneur as a Student: 3 Things You Must Know Before Starting

How to Become an Entrepreneur as a Student: 3 Things You Must Know Before Starting

Do you have a business idea, lots of energy, and a dream of building something of your own?

Becoming an entrepreneur while you’re still a student is possible — but only if you know how to start in the right direction.

📚 Pro tip: Read The Lean Startup by Eric Ries – it’s a must before you launch anything → Get it here

Here are 3 key things every student entrepreneur should know before launching their first startup.

1. 🔍 Learn How the Local Innovation Ecosystem Works

Every city and university has an innovation ecosystem — a mix of people, spaces, events, and programs designed to help you grow your idea.

What to look for:

  • University incubators or accelerators

  • Coworking spaces open to students and young founders

  • Startup events, pitch nights, hackathons

  • Mentorship programs, youth entrepreneur associations, local foundations

👉 Start with your university: most have resources for entrepreneurship, business plan competitions, or internal grants.

🔑 Tip: Find a mentor who’s done it before. Real advice and real connections go a long way.

2. 🤝 Don’t Build Alone: Find the Right Co-Founders

Even the best idea won’t work if you’re doing everything yourself. You’ll need a founding team with complementary skills.

Essential co-founders:

  • Tech lead (CTO) – If your idea involves tech, you need someone you trust to build it

  • Marketing/sales – You need customer acquisition from day one

  • Product/operations – Someone who understands your market and sets priorities

  • Finance/strategy – Someone who can handle budgets, pitching, and fundraising

💡 Where to find them:

  • University startup events

  • Online communities like the Startup Founder & Co-Founder Italia LinkedIn group

  • Hackathons and pre-acceleration programs

  • Student clubs in business, engineering, or economics

🔑 Tip: Choose people who believe in your mission but bring different expertise. Test-drive the collaboration with a side project before launching officially.

3. 💸 Can You Start a Business Without Money?

Absolutely. Many great startups started broke — but they got started anyway.

Once your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is ready, here’s where funding can come from:

  • FFF: Friends, Family & Fools – People who believe in you, not just your idea

  • Grants for students or innovation projects – Check regional or university calls

  • Crowdfunding or pre-orders – Great for simple, physical products

  • Free tools – You can launch and test with very little using today’s digital platforms

🔑 Tip: Launch with the smallest version of your product. The sooner you validate, the faster you can get real support.

🚀 Ready to Take the Leap?

Becoming a student entrepreneur takes vision, focus, and the courage to make mistakes quickly. But if you start small, work with the right people, and stay consistent — your idea could become reality sooner than you think.

Got a project but don’t know how to start?

🎯 Check out Startup Fashion — the brand launched by Campus Innovazione to help young entrepreneurs network better, stand out at events, and spark conversations with bold T-shirts and hoodies.

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