At the MSA program, I launched a web3 startup. It bridges real-world and web3 by offering fully automated copyright protection for digital assets. We have already tested the product for 78,000 avatars for a gaming metaverse.

Master of Startup Administration changed the way I looked at pitching and fundraising. I used to consider myself inferior to people who had financial resources. I thought that those with money decide for those who have ideas and energy. Now I have realized that this is far from being the case.

The program helped me to gain more confidence as a founder. I mastered pitching and selling my products. I learned to communicate with potential investors as equals and to filter investors or partners so I don’t get jitters before meeting them: I didn’t get stressed when I negotiated a $120,000 contract with a client.

It seems to me that this mindset removes a lot of barriers to trying something on a larger scale. I have already reaped some benefits: I applied the knowledge I gained at the program to refine my startup’s 26-slide presentation and turned it into a crisp 7-slide pitch which brought me a $10,000 check at the program’s Demoday.

I learned my next valuable insight at a workshop with Sergey Lukichev. It was a fact that coding skills were not mandatory for a CTO, compared to people management and strategy skills. I was well-versed in tech strategy but did not have coding skills, and I have always considered tech-oriented positions off-limits to me. It resonated with me and bolstered me to join two startups as a tech advisor.

After joining the MSA program, I founded GARD, a next-gen bank for gamers. I applied to the program with two goals in mind:

• get more expertise for my projects by solving real-life startup cases
• learn the ins and out of entering the US market: how to interview customers, how to assess and grind different channels, and how to raise funds

The program paid off, and I saw firsthand that guidance and consistent review from US-based venture capitalists and mentors skyrocketed my learning and progress. The program brought on an immediate mindset shift, and I understood what I needed to do to ship consistently.

As an outcome of the program, I launched a startup called GARD. It started as a bank for kids, but after running several customer interviews, I saw a clear pattern: every child has a gaming account. So I made a pivot to gaming finance. So far, I have made 50+ interviews with gaming companies, gamers, and streamers and got first card pre-orders. I am looking toward expanding my network and fundraising during the program’s offline bootcamp in New York.

I have extensive entrepreneurial experience, but before the program, I was totally unfamiliar with the world of venture capital. I thought that money loves silence and that any investors would be intruding into my business. The program allowed me to look at VC financing differently: as a resource that helps me expand the business. Now I have the tools and the right frame of mind to grow a venture scalable startup.

At the MSA program, I launched Aquajoy, a floating suit, that helps learn to swim easily by increasing buoyancy without adding bulk. I got invaluable support from my mentor. We identified marketing channels and figured out how to start production and moved it to Turkey instead of China, due to logistics, factory, and quality issues. 

Currently, we are working on IP rights. During the program, we covered all aspects of building a startup, including fundraising. With a clear plan in mind, I am ready to attract funds to scale.

One of the best parts of the Master of Startup Administration for me was the case studies. I was working on the case of the startup Weje and I was able to put my recommendations into practice. We worked well with the founder and I got an offer from Weje and now I'm helping them with marketing and product development.

The program opened me a whole new world of networking. Now I have no problems with cold outreach and making connections with people and my network expanded considerably.

Before the program, I used to be pretty disconnected from people building startups. So I enrolled in the MSA program to gain a competitive edge in venture capital and join a community of like-minded people.

The program was of high value in terms of practice. Three case studies helped me to make a deep dive into tech and startups: I learned where to look and what questions to ask to notice problems in startups straight away.

I have already put my knowledge into practice and mentored several startups in the course of the program. I helped my fellow student Konstantin make his startup more attractive to investors.

I also took the most out of networking on the program and made meaningful connections with venture capitalists. I asked a ton of questions and found out their criteria to evaluate startups. This was the most important outcome for me: to understand how VC funds make investment choices.

The MSA program vastly expanded my network and resources, giving me the confidence to launch a startup consulting company of my own. I will help startups get startups investor-ready and then pass the deals on to angel investors and funds. The program helped me decide if the startup mentorship the right thing for me and now I know that I am on the right track.

As a tech guy, I joined the program to supercharge my entrepreneurship skills and network. In the span of the program, I have already sorted out my existing knowledge and experience. I was able to broaden my non-technical perspective while my technical background was valued by my fellow students.

I liked working on a deep tech startup case, as it was so distant from my activities that I came up with out-of-the-box solutions helpful for my projects.

The MSA program encouraged me to get my startup off the ground: I started exploring the needs of creators and with proper user research and advice of the program mentor I narrowed the idea down to helping creators who sell on TikTok and Instagram. Now I am set on validating my idea and connecting with potential investors during our bootcamp in New York.

Finally, the program was valuable in terms of networking: I met a group of peers who are going through the phase I was in and can help me in the journey. I created meaningful connections and I think more opportunities will arise from my experience being a School of C student.