大学生创业的必修课

    • 充分利用校内外的顾问资源。一些高校的教职员工有重要的实践经验。找到那些有经验并愿意分享的人，获得免费指导。大多数高校也会引入校外顾问，指导年轻的创业者。提前学习这些只是，是一个巨大的机遇。

    • 尽早制定商业计划。挑出一个想法，任何想法都行。撰写、推销商业计划能让人意识到自己的不足。大多数院校都会举办商业计划竞赛，甚至会向优胜者发放种子资金。等到毕业了就再也没有机会补课了，甚至连顾问也找不到了。

    • 商业人脉是关键。现在，每个学生都有自己的同龄人交际圈。但是，在寻找投资者、聘请重要管理人员，以及回避现实世界陷阱方面，这个圈子起不了多大作用。融入新的商务人士圈子，接触经验丰富的企业家，聆听他们的教诲，通过这种方式能够学到的东西会让你自己都觉得吃惊。

    • 大胆放手去做。亲自创办公司，勉力经营，这个过程能让人学到很多东西，比以上各条加起来都多。可能的话，与拥有创业经验并愿意提供一些指导的人组建团队。别把“所有的家底”都押在自己创办的第一家企业上。关键是在创业的过程中学习。

    一旦离开校园，进入现实世界，开始经营初创企业后，学历就不再重要，实践经验才是无价之宝。别忘了，对大多数有抱负的企业家来说，从哈佛辍学创业最难的地方在于，首先得有进哈佛的资格。

    译者：qian

    • Take advantage of inside and outside advisers at school. Some college faculty members have great practical experience. Find the ones with experience, and the ones who are willing to share, and tap into it for free. Most universities also bring in outside advisors to mentor budding entrepreneurs. It's a huge opportunity to learn early.

    • Build a business plan early on. Pick an idea, any idea. There is nothing like writing and pitching a business plan that makes you realize what you don't know. Most schools have business plan competitions, and even give out seed money to winners. Once you graduate, you can't take that course you need, and even the advisors are gone.

    • Business networking is key. These days, every student has his social network of peers. But these won't help you much finding investors, key executive hires, and pitfalls to avoid in the real world. Plug yourself into a new network of business people. You'll be amazed at what you can learn by listening to experienced entrepreneurs.

    • Just do it. You will learn more by struggling through the process of setting up a company and making it work, than all the other items above put together. If possible, team up with someone who has been there before and is willing to provide some mentoring. Don't try to "bet the farm" on your first company. It's the learning that counts.

    Once you are out into the real world of running a startup, your academic credentials mean very little to anyone, and practical experience in invaluable. And don't forget that the hardest part of dropping out of Harvard to start a business, for most aspiring entrepreneurs, is that first you have to have the credentials to get in.