Today I had the pleasure of teaching an Atlanta Tech Village (ATV) Startup Summer School course over Zoom. It was the first Intro to Entrepreneurship course. The turnout was great—kudos to the ATV staff for organizing everything.

I enjoyed the experience, and I’m appreciative of the opportunity. Here are some of my takeaways:

• Zoom – It felt weird not seeing the audience as I presented. I wasn’t able to gauge whether it was going well. Based on the questions at the end, I think it did, but I was flying blind before that.
• Gaps – Entrepreneurship is fraught with unknowns. Courses like this one can accelerate your trajectory by filling your knowledge and relational gaps.
• Flashbacks – I was in their shoes years ago, but I’d forgotten how helpful it is when fundamental questions are answered. It connect the dots. Sometimes the little things make a big difference.  I was reminded of my aha! moments as I learned from more experienced entrepreneurs.
• Focus – Preparing the material, I realized how much information is out there for new entrepreneurs. I tried to help them focus on the things that matter most at this early stage.  
• Interest – I was surprised by the number of attendees. Apparently, many people want to become entrepreneurs, which is great.
• Nervousness – I was nervous before I started talking, which felt odd. After a while I settled in and relaxed as I spoke from experience.
• Hindsight – The things I discussed seem simple, looking back, but to new entrepreneurs they feel hard if not impossible. The view is different from the top of the mountain—something to look forward to!

I was pleased with how the course turned out, and I hope the information was useful. Without others helping me early on, I would have failed. With that in mind, I want to continue helping rising entrepreneurs and giving back.  

Startup Summer School is a nine-week bootcamp with weekly courses taught by instructors who volunteer their time. Check out the ATV schedule and sign up if you’re interested.