Whereas growing an app for senior residents a few years again, Aryan Nangia, a Class 12 scholar at Pathways Faculty, Gurugram, hit a roadblock.
“I seen that lots of my pals and friends had nice concepts for issues they wished to construct, however they struggled with turning these concepts into actuality. They discovered it difficult to maneuver from the ideation stage to truly coding and implementing their ideas. Even after they constructed one thing, the hurdles didn’t finish there — they confronted points with advertising and marketing, managing funds, and scaling their initiatives,” Aryan tells The Higher India.
“I skilled all of this firsthand after I was working alone initiatives in Lessons 9 and 10, and it was a tricky journey,” he provides.
For a lot of youngsters, it is a widespread dilemma. A brilliant thought, paired with enthusiasm, usually collides with the cruel actuality of turning that concept right into a tangible product. However moderately than giving up, Aryan determined to confront these obstacles head-on.
As an alternative of letting these challenges derail him, he used them because the motivation to create one thing new: ‘LaunchPad’ — a free digital platform geared toward serving to youngsters be taught future-proof expertise and construct real-world initiatives.
The spark behind LaunchPad: A platform for younger entrepreneurs
Aryan’s journey to LaunchPad started lengthy earlier than he got down to construct his first web site.
He traces his love for creation again to childhood, recalling how he used to make intricate origami figures when he was 9. As he grew older, he started to experiment with constructing web sites and apps. By Lessons 9 and 10, Aryan was totally immersed on the earth of design and expertise, fueled by the themes that had been provided by his faculty’s Worldwide Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.
By way of his experiences, Aryan found not solely his ardour for creation but in addition the numerous challenges that got here with it. Whereas engaged on initiatives — like an app for senior residents and a process administration web site for IB college students — he confronted quite a few obstacles, significantly across the lack of assets that spoke to his requirement as a younger creator. “I realised there was a niche within the assets accessible for individuals like me,” Aryan displays.
“We wanted content material that was simple to know, sensible, and particularly designed to handle the distinctive challenges we face when constructing one thing from scratch,” he shares. This realisation grew to become the catalyst for LaunchPad, a platform created to fill that hole — empowering younger individuals to navigate the complexities of ideation, growth, and execution with confidence.
In July 2023, 15-year-old Aryan took the leap and began LaunchPad as a membership at his faculty. What started as a small group of scholars studying tips on how to construct real-world initiatives quickly expanded into a world initiative. Now, lower than two years later, LaunchPad has scaled past a faculty membership to a digital platform that serves college students throughout 15 faculties in 5 nations. Immediately, the staff has expanded to a dynamic group of 15 to twenty younger people.
LaunchPad’s mission is straightforward: to assist college students between the ages of 12 and 17 be taught important expertise and acquire hands-on expertise in challenge growth. Nevertheless it’s not nearly studying tips on how to code or design. LaunchPad focuses on a variety of future-proof expertise which are important in at this time’s fast-changing world. These embody design considering, synthetic intelligence foundations, enterprise fundamentals, storytelling and communication, and monetary literacy.
“These are the talents that shall be related it doesn’t matter what profession path college students select,” Aryan explains. “They’re the constructing blocks for something they wish to create sooner or later.”
By way of interactive modules, movies, knowledgeable interviews, shows, and quizzes, LaunchPad helps college students be taught these expertise in a enjoyable, partaking, and efficient manner. Every module features a guided task, designed to assist college students construct their first challenge step-by-step.
“For instance, within the design considering module, college students are inspired to discover their passions by workout routines just like the Ikigai train, which helps them discover the overlap between what they love, what they’re good at, and what issues they’ll resolve,” explains Aryan.
He emphasises that LaunchPad is designed to be accessible and interesting. “The content material is designed for youngsters, so it’s not too overwhelming, however it’s additionally not too fundamental,” he says. “We would like college students to really feel like they’re studying actual, sensible expertise that they’ll apply at their office.”
Overcoming early challenges: Launching the platform
Constructing a platform like LaunchPad wasn’t with out its challenges. One of the vital vital hurdles Aryan confronted was determining tips on how to get approval for the concept and, extra importantly, tips on how to spark curiosity amongst college students in regards to the web site. “Once I first pitched the concept, I went from class to class, talking with college students and noting down their names,” he remembers.
He confronted most of the similar obstacles that any younger entrepreneur faces when attempting to construct a neighborhood. He realised that with the intention to develop, he wanted to seek out methods to extend the click-through fee on the web site and enhance consumer engagement.
“We began by experimenting with our advertising and marketing. I created Instagram reels and made posts for our LinkedIn web page. That actually helped us get the phrase out,” he shares.
One other problem was the event of the platform itself. Aryan had restricted expertise with coding however made use of no-code platforms that allowed him to give attention to the front-end design whereas his pals helped with the back-end coding. “I discovered rather a lot alongside the way in which. However my pals actually helped me fine-tune the web site,” he provides.
Regardless of his perfectionist tendencies, Aryan knew the significance of launching at the start was excellent. “We delayed the launch by a month as a result of I wished every little thing to look excellent. However finally, we needed to launch and simply work on enhancing issues primarily based on suggestions,” he admits.
As LaunchPad continued to develop, he understood that gathering suggestions from customers was important to enhancing the platform. “One of the vital rewarding components of this journey has been listening to from college students who say that LaunchPad is one thing they’ve by no means skilled earlier than,” says Aryan. “They’re studying expertise that they wouldn’t have discovered at school, and that’s what retains me motivated.”
Rewarding influence: College students’ success tales
LaunchPad’s strategy can be extremely personalised. Along with the course content material, the platform affords mentorship, the place college students are paired with volunteers who information them primarily based on their pursuits. For instance, a scholar interested by robotics may be linked with a volunteer who specialises in that space. “It’s actually about offering first-hand recommendation and assist throughout their project-building journey,” Aryan explains.
“Storytelling and communication train you to introduce your self correctly, and it’s relevant in every single place,” says Armaan Mahajan, a 14-year-old scholar at Pathway Faculty whose reference to LaunchPad has been transformative.
Armaan gained worthwhile expertise in design considering, enterprise methods, and problem-solving, which he applies throughout numerous fields. He highlights how the programme’s give attention to tender expertise, like storytelling and communication, has helped him current himself extra successfully. “I’m engaged on growing expertise that may assist me establish the suitable profession,” he provides, with a selected curiosity in finance and pc science.
Saira Dua, a 16-year-old scholar within the IB programme at Pathway Faculty, Gurugram, is a passionate psychological well being advocate, podcaster, and a robust communicator. Reflecting on her journey with LaunchPad, she says, “The shift from being a scholar to a mentor has been a rewarding expertise. It’s fairly superior to now assign the identical worksheets I as soon as did as a scholar, it looks like coming full circle.”
Throughout her time as a scholar, she discovered worthwhile expertise like design considering, storytelling, and communication. “I’m a greater speaker and author at this time due to the storytelling and communication module,” she shares, noting how LaunchPad’s partaking shows and actions helped her navigate advanced ideas like public talking and writing.
One idea that also resonates along with her is Ikigai — the concept of discovering goal by the intersection of what you’re keen on, what you’re good at, and what the world wants. “It feels superb to attach with individuals and assist them out,” she provides, emphasising the fulfilling nature of her mentorship.
Aaryaman (17), learning at Canadian Worldwide Faculty, Bengaluru, is captivated with pc science and synthetic intelligence. At the moment within the IB programme, he codes in his free time and participates in hackathons. Aaryaman took on the function of Head of Expertise for LaunchPad. By way of this expertise, Aaryaman discovered new technical expertise, significantly in backend growth utilizing WordPress.
He says it was troublesome to design an internet site that’s each user-friendly and visually interesting to a broader viewers, however he felt an incredible sense of accomplishment when he noticed the ultimate outcome. “LaunchPad is a really promising challenge,” he concludes, recognising its potential for progress and influence.
Over time, Aryan envisions LaunchPad turning into a self-sustaining neighborhood. “The thought is that after college students full the course, they’ll select to turn into mentors themselves and information new college students. On this manner, the neighborhood grows and continues to assist others,” he shares.
Immediately, LaunchPad serves college students in over 15 faculties and works with a number of NGOs to increase its influence. Aryan’s final objective is to proceed making the platform accessible to as many college students as attainable. “We wish to be certain that no monetary boundaries stand in the way in which of scholars studying these important expertise,” says Aryan. “The whole lot we provide is totally free, and we hope to maintain it that manner.”
Way forward for LaunchPad
Sooner or later, Aryan plans to develop the age vary of the platform to cater to varsity college students as nicely. “Many school college students are additionally in search of that first expertise with constructing one thing of their very own, and we wish to present them with the instruments and assets they want,” he explains.
LaunchPad’s influence is clear within the rising variety of college students who’ve created real-world initiatives — starting from NGOs to apps and web sites. As of at this time, over 300 college students have used the platform to develop initiatives, and Aryan believes the true take a look at will come when newer college students proceed to create modern and impactful work.
Wanting again on his journey, Aryan has discovered worthwhile classes that he’s wanting to share with different younger aspiring entrepreneurs. “My greatest piece of recommendation is don’t be afraid to fail. The primary iteration of something you create is rarely going to be excellent. However as soon as you set it on the market and begin getting suggestions, you’ll enhance every time. Don’t let the worry of failure cease you from launching,” he remarks.
He additionally encourages college students to pursue what they love. “Typically, we overthink our concepts. The most effective initiatives usually come from easy concepts that you simply’re captivated with. Give attention to what excites you, and also you’ll be amazed at what you may create,” he provides.
LaunchPad has come a great distance since its humble beginnings, however Aryan’s imaginative and prescient stays the identical — to assist younger individuals construct real-world initiatives, be taught worthwhile expertise, and put together for the long run. “We wish to equip college students with the instruments they should succeed,” he reiterates.
As the web site continues to develop, Aryan stays dedicated to the concept that one of the simplest ways to be taught is by doing. “On the finish of the day, we’re a platform constructed by college students, for college students,” he says. “We wish to guarantee that each scholar who joins LaunchPad has the chance to construct one thing they’re happy with and acquire expertise that may assist them all through their lives.”
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All images courtesy Aryan Nangia
