The 2015 – 2016 academic year was filled with countless classes, activities, and events. During the summer break, we’re featuring a new series titled YCIS Beijing Rewind. The series looks back at this past year and gives attention to various events and accomplishments that we didn’t get the chance to appreciate when they occurred. In this edition of YCIS Beijing Rewind, we highlight one of the more unique workshops our Secondary students participated in: a roundtable discussion with a tech startup entrepreneur.

Note: this piece contains content from an original article on the Beijing Kids website published on July 8, 2016.

Last spring, the Yew Chung International School of Beijing, in conjunction with Beijing Kids, welcomed Tim Metz, co-founder of Saent, to the school campus to speak with a group of Upper Secondary school students on his experiences with founding his own company. Saent creates devices and software aimed at increasing user focus during work and inculcating healthier working habits.

Students also had the opportunity to ask Mr Metz questions at the end of his presentation! Here are some of the highlights:

How do you plan on advertising your business?

We plan on advertising mainly through digital word-of-mouth mechanisms within the product itself. For example, we have a leaderboard where users can invite classmates, colleagues, and friends, which in turn motivates our users to invite many new ones. We will also market using blog content about productivity and achieving work life balance.

Did you attempt and fail with a similar product in the past? What did you gain from the experience and how did it help you in the success of this product?

I have failed many times at many things in the past, though not with a similar product. Each failure is tough, but each has held incredibly valuable lessons. I think one of the main things you learn from failure is resilience, which is important as there will always be more difficulties ahead.

What was your motivation to overcome your startup difficulties?

I think the main motivator should always be the reason you launched your startup in the first place. In my case, it was seeing too many people stressed and overworked while not reaching their full potential due to poor work habits. I’m convinced Saent can help solve their problem, allowing them time to live more fulfilling lives.

Have you considered targeting your product to students?

We are launching a pilot program with 2,000 students at the University of Calgary (Canada) in September, 2016. The purpose is to develop a partly academic version of Saent. We have yet to consider a version for high schools and colleges, but that might change because of the response Saent got here today!

Keep an eye on our news page for fresh and regular updates from YCIS Beijing!