Starting a Business: A College Student’s Perspective

As the teacher drones about some exhilarating calculus problem and my fellow students fight the urge to sleep, my thoughts begin to wander, and a lucrative idea comes crashing in: why not start my own business? This thought quickly transformed into one of the most transformative experiences of my life, leading to me starting my own gaming business at age 16. What started off as a passion project quickly became a crash course in entrepreneurship, people management, and product development.

This article will walk you through the key stages of my journey from the “silly” idea to building an international team, growing a community to thousands of members, learning new management skills, and evolving my product. Whether you are a fellow student, an entrepreneur, or simply curious, this guide will offer insight into what it really takes to run your own business.

The Idea and How It Started

The spark was not only powered by the boredom within a classroom; it also began with a hobby. I had spent years playing a popular video game, slowly growing more invested in its design and mechanics, wondering why certain choices were made. Over time, my thinking shifted from enjoying the game to how it could be improved—not just with tweaks, but with an entirely new vision. This served as a catalyst for the realization that I did not just want to play games—I wanted to create one.

As I started to invest time in this idea, the community around the game began to fragment, with many players echoing my thoughts about design or gameplay changes. This was all the information I needed to start dedicating large amounts of time to my project which would answer their needs. I started planning as much as I could—building feature outlines, designing the gameplay loop, estimating costs, and forming the game from the ground up. It was messy, long, and full of rewrites, but my vision gradually became clear.

Once I felt I had planned enough, I made the shift from ideation to execution. I spent time analyzing my competitors and development tools, and I laid out a clear roadmap for what the first version of the game would look like. After days of research, I invested my own savings to kickstart the project as a whole. It was risky, but I believed in my product and my hard work.

Key Takeaways

• Do not be afraid of your ideas—it might just work out!
• Plan, and when you are done planning, plan some more. You need to understand the steps it will take to reach your goals and what steps to even take.
• Research your competition—you will be battling it out with your competitors, so get to know what they do well or could do better, so you can take advantage of it.
• Research consumer needs. As the saying goes, the consumer is always right, so dedicate time to learning what they want and execute on it!

Marketing on a Student Budget

After the planning, research, and months of development, the game was finally ready for its beta release. That meant it was time to attract players. The only problem? I had almost no capital. This is where creativity and targeted marketing were critical.

I began with what I had—my network. I reached out to friends and community members who shared my interest in the gaming niche, which created a crucial base that could be built upon for the rest of the server’s growth. In an effort to create a community, I set up a Discord server that would serve as the hub for the game’s updates, announcements, and discussions. This allowed me to interact with the community, find players, and even recruit staff.

To fuel growth, I introduced invite rewards. Players would earn exclusive in-game items for bringing in their friends. This was at no cost and worked wonders, our server ballooned to over 1,000 members in just a few weeks.

In addition to invite rewards, we incorporated targeted low-cost marketing strategies:

• Running banner ads on popular forums within the niche.
• Publishing a trailer I created and edited myself.
• Negotiated low-cost ad placements in niche communities.
• Hiring an artist to design professional logos and in-game assets.

All these efforts combined to build a solid base of engaged users ahead of the official launch.

Key Takeaways

• Be creative. Good marketing does not mean spending as much money as possible—it means coming up with unique ideas that target your niche.
• Leverage what you already have: friends, family, and potential skills. For instance, if you are a photographer on the side, incorporate that skill into your business.
• Spend time on the identity of your business. Choose logos, colors, and the style that you want your project to have.

Managing People

As interest in the game grew, so did the complexity of the operation. What started as a solo project soon became a team effort. The community was from around the world, which meant different time zones, cultures, and languages. I had to hire according to my customers’ needs, which meant hiring staff members from all parts of the globe.

I built a staff structure around three core groups: marketing, development, and community management. Here’s how we stayed organized:

• Created guidebooks and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to ensure consistency
• Used platforms like Monday.com and Trello to assign tasks and track progress
• Scheduled weekly check-ins to align on goals and adjust timelines

I also took on the responsibilities of a traditional HR role, hiring team members, conducting interviews, managing support tickets, and even handling chargebacks from the store.

This experience was unique and enriching, working with people across different time zones and cultures, I learned so much about the wonderful cultures of the world and how these differences can be utilized to improve the team, product, and customer experience.

Key Takeaways

• You do not need to do it alone. I tried to do it all myself, but soon it became impossible. That is when you need to hire—not only for your sanity but to improve your product!
• Being organized, having regular meetings, and establishing rules/guidelines are critical to the success of your team.
• Focus on the customer experience. Having excellent customer service will create loyalty and start building your reputation.

Evolving the Product

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that a product is never finished—it is constantly evolving based on trends, feedback, and your competition’s actions. We released regular updates based on customer feedback collected through polls, Discord chats, and support tickets. Every week, we held staff meetings to review player suggestions and discuss what could be improved. This process allowed our product—the game—to always move in a positive direction.

Beyond game updates, we added a dedicated website, a digital store, and streamlined our backend systems to improve both player experience and internal efficiency.

The ability to pivot based on community input was not just good business—it built trust. Players felt heard, which helped us retain users and strengthen loyalty.

Key Takeaways

• The product is never finished.
• Listen to feedback.
• Evolve your product.
• Everything can always be improved—not just the product itself.

Wrapping Up

The journey was long, but these are the lessons that I learned:

• Management Matters: The way you lead your team dictates the success of your business.
• Hard Work is Non-Negotiable: Late nights, constant problem-solving, and the pressure of balancing school with business made this a serious commitment.
• Sacrifices are Real: I invested not just capital, but time and energy that could have gone elsewhere. Understanding this is important if you want to start your own business.
• Data Drives Decisions: Marketing based on analytics was far more effective than guessing.
• Listen to Your Customers: Your community often knows what it wants—you just have to be willing to hear it.

Starting a business as a college student is a challenge, but it is also a masterclass in real-world skills. If you are thinking about launching your own venture, whether an LLC, Corporation, or non-profit , do not wait for the perfect time. Use what you have, start small, and grow from there. You will learn more than any classroom can teach—I know I did.

For more insight or help with starting or managing your business visit our MyCorporation website.