Becoming an entrepreneur by engaging directly with investors
For Pau Rodríguez, CEO of medtech startup Methinks AI, completing his MBA at Bocconi University in 2016 was a turning point because it gave him the crucial experiences to make the transition from what he calls "a traditional path" of an engineering degree followed by a job at a major bank to achieve his goal of becoming an entrepreneur.
But it was not just the indisputable technical and financial skills he gained from his year at Bocconi that made the difference, he says.
"It goes beyond the academic knowledge, which was significant," he says by phone. "It gave me the opportunity to engage with investors myself. At the end of the day, you are the person who needs to engage. And that hands-on experience helped me to become an entrepreneur."
As Entrepreneurship Club President, Pau and his classmates organized Imagine Bocconi 2016 at the Castello di Pavone, a castle dating back to the 11th century nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps near Turin. Over the course of a weekend, the 18 cross-disciplinary participants from Bocconi brainstormed creative business solutions proposed by Assicurazioni Generali.
"It was a simple thing, but it was a good way to start," he said. "It was a way to learn about how to lead initiatives in a platform for people with many different backgrounds."
In terms of professional career and entrepreneurship, the important thing for Pau at Bocconi was to be hands on, he said, starting with the school initiatives like the Entrepreneur Club, and then engaging during his studies with people in the course as well as outside investors. He learned about teamwork and how to face challenges during his brief career as a professional rugby player with a Spanish team before it was cut short by injury.
It was precisely this opportunity to engage with investors that became a turning point. An important Italian investor introduced Pau to the founder of a Bologna-based biotech startup called Biogenera, where Pau went on to successfully lead a fundraising stage.
"It was a very important moment in my life," he recalls. "When you are in a smaller company, you really need to think about your approach to management and how to get things done. The fact I could fundraise, do a roadshow in the US and participate in an accelerator program in Boston all helped me see how a company could start growing."