Congrats to you, 2019 MIT delta v Cohort! I know that the Trust Center staff, EIRs, mentors, and board members share in my excitement to work with you this summer. I’m planning to draft a quick blog post once a week to share reflections, suggestions, and thoughts. Here’s what’s on my mind following week number one:

I ask each of you to constantly have the concept of the three Ts in the back of your mind throughout the program (and beyond) as you develop your ideas and companies. This inaugural week’s quotes are all courtesy of Steve Jobs.

Time

“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”

The most valuable thing is time. Nobody can make or buy more of it. You will blink and suddenly be standing on stage at Demo Day in September. So be very mindful of your time – how you use it, who you choose to spend it with, and what warrants your most valuable commodity. Invest wisely my friends.

Team

“My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That’s how I see business: Great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.”

Respect your team and don’t be afraid to disagree. You are here because you share common interests and, above all, passions. If you agree on everything, all of the time something is wrong. Be vulnerable with each other but remember that this requires great trust and respect. Know each other’s strengths and weaknesses – help each other become your best versions.

Irrespective of what happens to the idea or business, look back at this summer as the reflection point where you built relationships with a network that you can turn to 10 years from now. When we are vulnerable and transparent with our team great things will happen.

Trust

“You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

I touch upon the value of trust with your team above, but it doesn’t end there; in fact that is just the beginning. Everything you do will require trust. Trust your intuition, trust your experience, trust your customers, but above all, trust yourself. Put trust in yourself – because if you don’t trust and believe in yourself, don’t expect others to.

Go get ’em my fellow entrepreneurs. See you in the trenches. And don’t forget to cross your T’s.