Why Team Competitions Are Not Entrepreneurship – And Might Be Counterproductive for Students
In today’s educational landscape, entrepreneurship is often taught through the lens of startup contests, where teams compete for the top spot. While these competitions may seem like an exciting way to engage students, they often provide a distorted and counterproductive view of what entrepreneurship really is. At Entreprenerds, we believe that the essence of entrepreneurship goes far beyond winning a competition. Here's why we think the traditional startup contest framework is flawed and how we do things differently.
Why Startup Contests Can Be Counterproductive
Startup contests, particularly for students, often come with the promise of fostering creativity and innovation. However, these contests can mislead students about the true nature of entrepreneurship. Here are some key issues:
Unrealistic Timeframes Real businesses take time to develop, iterate, and grow. Startup contests, on the other hand, force teams to come up with business ideas in a short amount of time, often leading to underdeveloped concepts. These artificial deadlines don’t allow for the careful consideration and refinement that real ventures need(contests are not entrep…).
Flawed Evaluation Criteria Many startup contests judge teams based on their ability to pitch an idea in comparison to others, not on the merits of the business concept itself. This often means teams are evaluated against fictional or hypothetical businesses that don’t have to deal with real-world challenges like market competition, customer feedback, or regulatory hurdles. The result? Students are left with a skewed perception of what it takes to succeed in entrepreneurship.
The Myth of Winning Startup contests focus on the concept of "winning" as the ultimate goal, which can be misleading. Entrepreneurship is about solving problems, creating value, and continuously learning and adapting—not just outperforming others in a contest. When the focus is solely on winning, students may develop unrealistic expectations about what entrepreneurship looks like in the real world
Counterproductive Mindsets These competitions can instill the wrong mindset in students by placing too much emphasis on short-term success and glorifying a “win or lose” mentality. This can lead to a fear of failure, discouraging students from taking risks and learning from mistakes, which are crucial components of the entrepreneurial journey
The Entreprenerds Challenge: A New Approach
At Entreprenerds, we have developed a challenge that moves beyond the limitations of startup contests. We emphasize long-term growth, real-world experiences, and building anti-fragile entrepreneurs—those who thrive not just in moments of success, but in the face of adversity.
1. Building Teams for Long-Term Success Unlike traditional contests, the Entreprenerds Challenge doesn’t pit teams against each other. Instead, we focus on forming teams with complementary skills. These teams are encouraged to share experiences, learn from one another, and collaborate towards a common goal. This fosters a culture of mutual support, which is critical for long-term entrepreneurial success
2. Real Businesses in Real Markets One of the key differences in our approach is that we immerse teams in market-like environments where they can interact with real customers and solve real problems. This hands-on experience is invaluable for understanding how business works in the real world, helping students gain practical skills that can’t be learned through hypothetical case studies or fictional businesses
3. Outperforming Themselves, Not Others At Entreprenerds, we encourage teams to focus on their own progress rather than comparing themselves to others. The goal is continuous improvement, where teams aim to outperform what they did yesterday. This growth mindset helps students become resilient and adaptable, prepared for the long-term challenges that real entrepreneurs face
4. Cultivating Anti-Fragile Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship is not about short-term glory, but about building resilience and thriving under pressure. The Entreprenerds Challenge is designed to help students become anti-fragile—entrepreneurs who not only survive setbacks but grow stronger from them. This focus on long-term success ensures that participants are ready to face the unpredictable, evolving nature of the business world
Beyond Short-Term Wins: A Call for Long-Term Thinking
Startup contests may offer excitement, but they often fail to capture the reality of entrepreneurship. At Entreprenerds, we believe that entrepreneurship education should focus on creating sustainable, long-term success. Students need to understand that entrepreneurship is not a race to the finish line but a journey that requires patience, resilience, and adaptability.
By shifting the focus from competition to collaboration, from winning to learning, and from fictional scenarios to real-world application, we can better prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs. At Entreprenerds, we’re committed to fostering the mindset, skills, and experiences students need to make a lasting impact—not just in the classroom, but in the real world.
