Whereas creating an app for senior residents a few years again, Aryan Nangia, a Class 12 pupil at Pathways Faculty, Gurugram, hit a roadblock.
“I seen that a lot of my buddies and friends had nice concepts for issues they needed 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 tasks,” Aryan tells The Higher India.
“I skilled all of this firsthand once I was working by myself tasks in Lessons 9 and 10, and it was a troublesome journey,” he provides.
For a lot of youngsters, it is a widespread dilemma. A vivid concept, paired with enthusiasm, usually collides with the tough actuality of turning that concept right into a tangible product. However fairly than giving up, Aryan determined to confront these obstacles head-on.
As a substitute of letting these challenges derail him, he used them because the motivation to create one thing new: ‘LaunchPad’ — a free digital platform aimed toward serving to youngsters be taught future-proof expertise and construct real-world tasks.
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 absolutely immersed on the planet of design and know-how, fueled by the themes that had been supplied via his faculty’s Worldwide Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.
By means of his experiences, Aryan found not solely his ardour for creation but additionally the numerous challenges that got here with it. Whereas engaged on tasks — like an app for senior residents and a process administration web site for IB college students — he confronted quite a few obstacles, notably across the lack of assets that spoke to his requirement as a younger creator. “I realised there was a spot within the assets accessible for folks like me,” Aryan displays.
“We would have liked content material that was simple to know, sensible, and particularly designed to deal with the distinctive challenges we face when constructing one thing from scratch,” he shares. This realisation turned the catalyst for LaunchPad, a platform created to fill that hole — empowering younger folks to navigate the complexities of ideation, improvement, 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 tasks quickly expanded into a worldwide initiative. Now, lower than two years later, LaunchPad has scaled past a college membership to a digital platform that serves college students throughout 15 colleges in 5 international locations. Immediately, the crew has expanded to a dynamic group of 15 to twenty younger people.
LaunchPad’s mission is easy: to assist college students between the ages of 12 and 17 be taught important expertise and achieve hands-on expertise in challenge improvement. Nevertheless it’s not nearly studying tips on how to code or design. LaunchPad focuses on a variety of future-proof expertise which can be important in right now’s fast-changing world. These embody design considering, synthetic intelligence foundations, enterprise fundamentals, storytelling and communication, and monetary literacy.
“These are the talents that might 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 means of interactive modules, movies, professional interviews, displays, and quizzes, LaunchPad helps college students be taught these expertise in a enjoyable, partaking, and efficient means. Every module features a guided project, 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 via 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 fascinating. “The content material is designed for youngsters, so it’s not too overwhelming, but it surely’s additionally not too primary,” 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 important 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 concerning the web site. “After 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 making an attempt to construct a group. He realised that in an effort to develop, he wanted to seek out methods to extend the click-through price on the web site and increase consumer engagement.
“We began by experimenting with our advertising and marketing. I created Instagram reels and made posts for our LinkedIn web page. That basically 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 deal with the front-end design whereas his buddies helped with the back-end coding. “I realized so much alongside the best way. However my buddies 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 needed all the things to look good. However ultimately, we needed to launch and simply work on bettering issues based mostly on suggestions,” he admits.
As LaunchPad continued to develop, he understood that gathering suggestions from customers was important to bettering the platform. “One of the 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 realized in class, and that’s what retains me motivated.”
Rewarding affect: College students’ success tales
LaunchPad’s method can also be extremely personalised. Along with the course content material, the platform presents mentorship, the place college students are paired with volunteers who information them based mostly on their pursuits. For instance, a pupil curious about robotics is likely to 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 all places,” says Armaan Mahajan, a 14-year-old pupil at Pathway Faculty whose reference to LaunchPad has been transformative.
Armaan gained invaluable expertise in design considering, enterprise methods, and problem-solving, which he applies throughout varied fields. He highlights how the programme’s deal with smooth expertise, like storytelling and communication, has helped him current himself extra successfully. “I’m engaged on creating expertise that can assist me establish the suitable profession,” he provides, with a selected curiosity in finance and laptop science.
Saira Dua, a 16-year-old pupil within the IB programme at Pathway Faculty, Gurugram, is a passionate psychological well being advocate, podcaster, and a powerful communicator. Reflecting on her journey with LaunchPad, she says, “The shift from being a pupil 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 pupil, it seems like coming full circle.”
Throughout her time as a pupil, she realized invaluable expertise like design considering, storytelling, and communication. “I’m a greater speaker and author right now due to the storytelling and communication module,” she shares, noting how LaunchPad’s partaking displays and actions helped her navigate complicated ideas like public talking and writing.
One idea that also resonates together with her is Ikigai — the concept of discovering function via the intersection of what you like, what you’re good at, and what the world wants. “It feels superb to attach with folks and assist them out,” she provides, emphasising the fulfilling nature of her mentorship.
Aaryaman (17), finding out at Canadian Worldwide Faculty, Bengaluru, is keen about laptop science and synthetic intelligence. At present 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 means of this expertise, Aaryaman realized new technical expertise, notably in backend improvement utilizing WordPress.
He says it was tough to design a web site that’s each user-friendly and visually interesting to a broader viewers, however he felt an ideal sense of accomplishment when he noticed the ultimate end result. “LaunchPad is a really promising challenge,” he concludes, recognising its potential for development and affect.
Over time, Aryan envisions LaunchPad changing into a self-sustaining group. “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 means, the group grows and continues to assist others,” he shares.
Immediately, LaunchPad serves college students in over 15 colleges and works with a number of NGOs to increase its affect. Aryan’s final purpose is to proceed making the platform accessible to as many college students as doable. “We wish to make sure that no monetary boundaries stand in the best way of scholars studying these important expertise,” says Aryan. “All the pieces we provide is totally free, and we hope to maintain it that means.”
Way forward for LaunchPad
Sooner or later, Aryan plans to develop the age vary of the platform to cater to varsity college students as effectively. “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 affect is clear within the rising variety of college students who’ve created real-world tasks — starting from NGOs to apps and web sites. As of right now, over 300 college students have used the platform to develop tasks, and Aryan believes the true check will come when newer college students proceed to create modern and impactful work.
Trying again on his journey, Aryan has realized invaluable classes that he’s desirous 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 isn’t 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 concern of failure cease you from launching,” he remarks.
He additionally encourages college students to pursue what they love. “Generally, we overthink our concepts. The very best tasks usually come from easy concepts that you just’re keen about. Concentrate on what excites you, and also you’ll be amazed at what you possibly can 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 folks construct real-world tasks, be taught invaluable expertise, and put together for the longer term. “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 one of the best ways to be taught is by doing. “On the finish of the day, we’re a platform constructed by college students, for college kids,” he says. “We wish to be sure that each pupil who joins LaunchPad has the chance to construct one thing they’re pleased with and achieve expertise that can assist them all through their lives.”
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All pictures courtesy Aryan Nangia
