Siam’s Story
Our dream is for Applystart to be the kind of company that young people dream about working for – a place where aspirations take flight.
Siam, Student Entrepreneur
Toronto, Canada
Siam is a student entrepreneur at York University, studying Bcom in Marketing. He is also the Co-Founder and CEO of an Ed-Tech startup called Applystart. An entrepreneur in the making, ever since he was a kid he wondered, why some leaders make a huge impact while others don't. When asked about something weird he does, he says ‘I always brush my teeth before important meetings. It just clears my mind and helps me think better.’ In a chat with Siam we get to see more off what really goes on in the mind of a young entrepreneur.
What are some milestones you have reached in your entrepreneurial journey as a student so far? At Applystart, we've got over 100 universities & colleges on board and more than 1500 awesome students who believe in what we're doing. We help students apply to international universities and colleges. It's been a journey, and I'm still on the quest to figure out what makes a great leader. Every day, I'm working to become a better one. We just closed our Pre-Seed Investment round! Our goal with the funding round is to step up our game and enhance services for students in Bangladesh.
What sparked that fire in you to initiate your Edutech company ApplyStart? What does being an entrepreneur mean to you? Being an entrepreneur is like living a certain kind of life where even the little things matter a lot. It's not just about having a business, but it's about how you think and tackle problems, especially when things get tough. For me, being an entrepreneur is all about solving important problems on a big scale, and helping lots of people. That's why I started Applystart.com. As someone who is studying abroad, I know the struggles that come with applying to universities in a different country. The whole process seemed way more complicated than it needed to be. I wanted something like Applystart to make it simpler. When I couldn't find it, I decided to build it myself.
“Starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and putting together a plane as you're falling.”
What are some hurdles you are facing running your start-up? You know, there's this famous saying from Reid Hoffman, the Co-Founder of LinkedIn and a big shot in venture capital. He says starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and putting together a plane as you're falling. Well, that's pretty much how I feel every single day. We’re doing something every day that we have never done before. We don't necessarily know how we are going to get it done but we just know we’ll figure it out.
What is your end goal with your start up and where do you see yourself in 10 years and how do you see yourself changing the educational landscape globally and locally? In the next 10 years, we're aiming to assist over 500,000 students globally with their college applications. But it's not just about business for us. We have a bigger picture in mind. We want to inspire young students to believe in themselves, and to see their potential to make a real impact in the world.
How do you define success? You know, success means different things to different people. For me, it's all about figuring out if you've actually achieved what you set out for. Whatever your definition of success is, you've got to be really clear about it. Right now, I'll admit, success looks pretty materialistic to me. But I've also got this feeling that once I have enough stuff, it will no longer add much more value to my life. That's when it will start shifting for me. Success will become more about the impact I’ve made – how many lives have I improved through my work? It's like moving from collecting things to making a real difference.
“You should always have an answer to this one question “What are you reading?”
What are some writers you are reading right now? I think you (especially entrepreneurs) should always have an answer to this one question “What are you reading?” If you don’t have the answer to this question, you’re missing out on a lot. Right now, I’m reading The Culture Code - The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle. There's this quote from my father that I live by: "The more extraordinary you become, the more ordinary you appear.” It's a constant reminder not to let success go to my head.
Do you think the current education system fosters entrepreneurial thinking in Canada or back home as an international student? You know what bugs me? The whole education system worldwide. It's like it's designed to keep us thinking inside the box. And no, throwing in an entrepreneurship course won't magically fix that. Honestly, you don't need to teach people to be entrepreneurs. What we really need is to teach people how to think about problems. When you help them see problems in a different light and show them the ropes of being a better leader, guess what? They'll naturally get others excited about a mission and work together to find a solution. It's like, focusing on problem-solving and leadership, and the entrepreneurial spirit just follows.
“Just Do it. That’s it. That’s the advice.”
What advice would you give to students who have ideas but don’t know where to start? Just Do it. That’s it. That’s the advice.
Credits: Aminah Anjum, Sharath Venugopal Baskaran
