Can entrepreneurship be taught? Inside the startup minds of future founders

“Focus on the problem. Focus on the customer. Not your idea.”

That single sentence might summarize one of the biggest lessons future founders are learning today. In today’s startup world, entrepreneurship isn’t just theory. It’s something young founders live every day. Startups are launched between classes, co-founders meet through shared projects, and ideas are constantly tested, challenged, and rebuilt. In this candid conversation, Anita Garbin - student in the Master’s in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program and co-founder of SAIVER -  interviews fellow classmates and startup founders to answer one deceptively simple question:

Can entrepreneurship actually be taught? 

The answers in this video are surprisingly honest.

Startups born inside the classroom

The students interviewed aren’t just studying entrepreneurship. They’re actively building companies. One founder is developing a security solution for AI-generated code. Another is building a logistics platform that helps people sell their clothes effortlessly. And one team is creating a Gen Z matcha brand after noticing the growing obsession with functional beverages in Berlin. What connects all of them isn’t just ambition. It’s how dramatically their ideas changed during the program. Several founders admitted they entered with completely different startup concepts. Some had to abandon projects they had worked on for years. Others pivoted after discovering their original idea simply wasn’t solving a real customer problem.

That process, they say, was painful. But necessary.

The biggest myth about entrepreneurship

Many people imagine entrepreneurship as having a brilliant idea and executing it flawlessly. The students strongly disagree. Again and again, founders described entrepreneurship as:

• Iterating constantly
• Adapting quickly
• Talking to customers obsessively
• Letting go of ideas that don’t work
• Staying flexible under pressure

One founder explained that before joining the program, he focused too much on what he thought people wanted instead of actually speaking with customers. Another admitted the hardest moment of the entire experience was walking away from a startup idea — and even separating from a co-founder after years of working together.

The emotional side of entrepreneurship isn’t usually taught in textbooks. But according to these founders, it’s one of the most important lessons of all.

Why mentors matter more than motivation

A surprising theme throughout the interviews was the importance of brutal honesty. Several students talked about mentors who challenged them aggressively, questioned their assumptions, and pushed them harder than anyone else had before.

At first, some founders hated it. Later, they realized those difficult conversations were exactly what forced them to improve. One founder explained:

“Don’t fall in love with your solution.”

Another warned future entrepreneurs not to listen to “fake startup wisdom” online and instead learn from people who have actually built companies themselves.

The takeaway? Entrepreneurship may not be teachable through lectures alone -  but guidance, structure, and real-world feedback can dramatically accelerate growth.

The hidden advantage of learning entrepreneurship

For students coming from technical or creative backgrounds, the experience offered something they had never had before:

• Structure.
• Frameworks.
• A safe environment to fail.

The founders repeatedly emphasized how valuable it was to experiment without catastrophic consequences. They could test ideas, make mistakes, pivot, and rebuild while surrounded by mentors, classmates, and future collaborators.

And perhaps most importantly, they weren’t doing it alone. Many described the cohort itself as one of the most valuable parts of the experience — a network of people supporting each other through uncertainty, setbacks, and rapid growth.

A message for future female founders

Toward the end of the conversation, Anita and another female founder reflect on being the only two female founders in their cohort.

Their message is direct:

Don’t be afraid to try.

They describe entrepreneurship as a process filled with uncertainty, mistakes, and constant learning — but also one of the most rewarding experiences they’ve ever had.

And even if a startup fails?

You start again smarter.

So… can entrepreneurship be taught?

After hearing all these stories, the answer becomes more complicated than a simple yes or no.

• You can teach frameworks.
• You can teach customer discovery.
• You can teach structure, strategy, and execution.

But some parts of entrepreneurship - resilience, adaptability, emotional endurance - can only be learned by doing.

And that’s exactly where the conversation gets interesting. Because one founder shared a moment during the program that completely changed the direction of his life and startup journey…

…and it’s probably not what you’d expect.

You might also be interested in: What students at ESMT Berlin say about the program