How many times have you wondered if you have what it takes?

You’ve got plenty of ideas about technology in education. You want to put your ideas to good use in an edtech company.

There are many tips for entrepreneurs and interns wanting to solve education problems with technology will keep you busy. You have to know your market, create a product that solves a problem rather than makes it worse, and develop a pricing structure that works. All of that will take plenty of time and energy.

And you’re down for that.

All you have to decide is if you want to get some hands-on experience in someone else’s company or if you’re ready to launch your own business. Regardless of your choice, there’s some real work ahead of you, but you don’t mind because you recognize that the rewards outweigh the risks.

If you’re thinking about leaving the stable job you’ve already go to try your hand in edtech, you’ll have to choose between interning and initiating.

These guidelines may help you make the choice that’s right for you.

Internships in edtech

Acquiring hands-on experience can give you a leg up in a fast-paced business based on dynamic change and flexibility. Not surprisingly, savvy edtech interns get benefits like these:

·      Seeking, applying for, and working in an internship forces you to sharpen your communication skills. You’ll find yourself talking with people from diverse backgrounds and with different ideas. Bringing it all together is the secret sauce that can make a company stand out.

·      Internships allow you to experience every facet of business operations, especially in a small company. Try to work in each department. If that’s not possible, connect with others outside your department by eating in the company lunchroom and attending company events. When you start your own company, you’ll have an understanding of what you need and how a business operates. Then growth becomes a matter of scale.

·      Interns have mentors to guide them. The mentor wants his or her protégé to be successful, so you’ll have someone you can go to for advice or just to be a sounding board. Many times, the mentor relationship continues long after the internship.

·      You‘ll create invaluable networks. Teamwork and collaboration are vital to the success of any edtech company. If you’ve built your network of professionals, peers, and friends, you’re that much further ahead of the game.

If you’re worried that an internship means working for free, consider working in a paid internship. You can make $6,000/month at companies like Yahoo, Amazon, and Yelp – or even as much as $8,000/month at Facebook. You might not be in edtech per se, but you’ll learn how the industry giants create, and you’ll build a solid network.

Edtech entrepreneurs

Not everyone can wait to complete an internship. Tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Dell couldn’t even wait to finish college. They went on to become tremendously influential in their fields.

That doesn’t mean you should skip your classes or walk out on a contract. What it does mean is that you may have the vision, the drive, and the passion to get your edtech company started right away.

you’ve got and then some, you might be ready for entrepreneurship.

Edtech entrepreneurs share these qualities:

·      They are teachers. Educators make excellent entrepreneurs because they have advanced communication skills. They can inspire, motivate, and teach, often all in the same presentation.

·      Teachers are also natural leaders.

·      Entrepreneurs see their visions so clearly that it drives all other action. The laser-like focus drives all effort.

Either path, the internship or the entrepreneur, can help you launch your new edtech business.