From October 2023 to December 2023, my team and I worked on a startup idea and pitched it at a product expo. Our project, TechScout, is a student-focused platform designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, aiding students in finding suitable internships.

I have a few personal thoughts about this experience, and for those curious, more details about JVA are available via a link in the comment.

You might be asking yourself, is it truly worthwhile to commit to a startup program for three months while balancing studies and life? It’s a significant workload. It involves extensive networking and frequent strategic pivots that soon become a part of your daily routine. It’s fun yet demanding. You enjoy a great deal of freedom in your work, but this also comes with an equal amount of responsibility to ensure you won’t go off track.

But we went off track, quite a few times. And each time we did, we learned more about the real problem, the real pain faced by our users, as well as deeper insights into the market. Setbacks and rejections are simply part of this journey.

My teammates nicknamed me ‘the hustler’ yet personally, after completing the program, my perspective on startups changed. During the time at JVA, I had to forgo my favorite“spontaneous trips”, and set aside many personal projects to focus on TechScout. Yes, it was definitely exciting, but I sometimes find myself enjoying a ‘more-quiet’ and ‘less-responsible’ life.

So, who would I recommend JVA to? To anyone seeking changes — whether it’s to impact the lives of others or to transform their own. In either case, you’ll likely experience both. But make sure, you’re prepared. Prepared to be unprepared.

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More about JVA at: https://www.japansventureacademy.com/

Student Startup in Tokyo: What its like to be a JVA Cohort!
https://youtu.be/caD4vG3AJ0U?si=D_QscfeIDcWRtwoi