We interviewed International Master in Management participant Aryan Maniyar about his experience in the Entrepreneurship Specialisation. Aryan is the founder and CEO of FurniAR, a mobile app that empowers users to predict how furniture will look in their home using Augmented Reality technology. Last year, he graduated with an Msc in International Business from Aston Business School (U.K.), and is participating in the Double Degree Programme at EADA.
In the interview, Aryan Maniyar shares his experience in the Entrepreneurship Specialisation. Participants in this specialisation completed a project before presenting to a panel of investors and business angels. This is one of 3-4 specialisations offered each year in the third trimester of the International Master in Management. The specialisations provide an opportunity for participants to explore where their passion lies and jump-start their career.
I learned everything I needed to found and run a start-up.
Tell us a bit about your start-up.
I started working on my start-up during the pandemic –from creating the logo to launching the entire company all by myself– and it has been a crazy ride. FurniAR is a platform for interior designers, architects, builders and consumers that enables them to redesign spaces and find inspiration. The platform is also a one-stop solution for final consumers to get their spaces designed: we connect them with the right interior designers and architects. I am planning to join an accelerator programme soon and pitch to investors soon.
Why did you choose the Entrepreneurship Specialisation?
From the start, the specialisation I wanted was clear. I had always had a bug for entrepreneurship and wanted to know more and more about it. The structure of the specialisation was perfect: from ideation to launching and growing the business to selling it. I learned everything I needed to found and run a start-up.
What has been the greatest take away from the specialisation?
The greatest takeaway was learning how to approach my business and build on it. The course has made the best way to approach potential investors and present my business plan crystal clear. I have already launched a start-up in India called FurniAR. The specialisation really helped me analyse how could grow my start-up and later exit. Learning from the entrepreneurs who had already lived their entrepreneurial journey was a highlight.
How did the faculty and professionals in the specialisation contribute to your learning?
The professors had a lot of experience in entrepreneurship – I was able to learn from their practical knowledge. One faculty member in particular helped me personally to develop MVP for my own start-up; his insights about the lean start-up and how it can benefit start.-ups were really insightful.
I feel confident that I will be able to overcome challenges myself when the time comes.
What was the most important thing you learned from working with a real client for the project?
Our start-up project was focused on creating the right care facility for the elderly. The project taught me how to work with a diverse team from all over the world. It was helpful to work hands-on and create our own start-up idea, surveying actual customers, developing the business plan and pitching for a real panel of investors.
How did the specialisation prepare you to tackle the challenges of being an entrepreneur?
The challenges faced by the entrepreneurs in the case studies gave me insight into how to approach these problems when they happen to me. One faculty member shared how he created a SW and explained how he tackled the problems. Now, I feel confident that I will be able to overcome challenges myself when the time comes.
What was the biggest learning point from the panel of business angels and investors?
The panel was made up of experienced investors – the questions they asked made me understand how these types of panels work and what is the best way to respond. The feedbacks was also very specific – their suggestions about financing and analysis of how investors find loopholes in business models made a lot of sense.
To read other interviews in this series, click on the following links:
- MiM Specialisation Innovation Management: Judith and Cosma bring ideas to life
- MiM Specialisation Cross-Functional Management: Clara gets ready to face transformation
- MiM Cross-Functional Management Specialisation: Rankin explores how tech can maximise performance.
- MiM Specialisation Consulting: Lucia and Anne-Sophie learn about the industry first-hand