My Experiment with Gen Z: Professional Agency vs. 6 College Students. Who won?
Five months ago, I had an idea to build a fresh AI company. But instead of hiring a seasoned team, I decided to take a risk. I wanted to build this with Gen Z.
I visited various colleges and zeroed in on SGT University in Gurgaon. The Dean, Ms. Kapoor, matched my enthusiasm, and together we selected 6 bright students from the B.Tech CSE (AIML) class.
The Deal:
I proposed a unique arrangement: I would pay them a good stipend, but they wouldn’t attend classes. They would focus 100% on my project in a space provided by the college.
The Hedge:
To be honest, I was skeptical. I was convinced that students wouldn’t be able to build a sophisticated, market-ready AI app. So, as a backup, I hired a professional agency to build the exact same application parallelly.
The Culture Shock:
Initially, it was tough. These students didn’t understand documentation, corporate communication, or team dynamics. There was no HR or manager—just me trying to guide them. I almost thought, “I can’t work with this generation.”
But then, I pivoted. I realized their productive hours are different. Their attitude is different. I gave them independence. I stopped managing their time and started managing their output.
The Result?
Today, the Android version of my app, Echogenie.in, is live. It was built entirely by the students. The iOS version was built by the professional agency.
Here is the truth: The student-made app is better.
It is fully functional, better designed, and we generated revenue in the very first month of launch.
My Key Takeaways:
1. Patience is ROI. Mentoring takes time, but the payoff is huge.
2. Gen Z has talent we lack. You just have to let them work in their own style.
3. They are ready. These students are now fully trained corporate professionals.
I am so proud of this team that I am now planning to offer them equity in this newly created company.
Check out their work here: [Link to App]
#GenZ #AI #Mentorship #StartupLife #SGTUniversity #Entrepreneurship #Echogenie #Innovation
