Got an idea? What’s next? Second panel discussion shared insights

On Wednesday, April 22, FIT hosted the second in a series of panel discussions aimed at students looking for ways to bring their own projects to life—even turning them into business plans. While the first panel discussion was primarily intended for those trying to formulate their idea, the second—titled “You have an idea, so what now? From concept to first prototype”—focused on the transition from an idea to the first functional solution. There are plenty of related questions: What does creating the first prototype or MVP entail? Where does the true value of a project lie, and how can you tell that this particular idea is worth investing time and money in?

Once again, five successful “startup founders”—tech company founders with ties to our faculty—accepted the invitation to join us in searching for answers. Students had the opportunity to interview Jan Polišenský (founder of Lakmoos), Michal Španěl (co-founder of TESCAN 3DIM), Jiří Tobola (co-founder of Flowmon Networks), Petr Janošík (co-founder of Smartlook), and Michal Hradiš (co-founder of Cognitechna).

The event drew a full auditorium for the second time, and above all—there was lively discussion and plenty of insights from real-world practice and life experience. For example? That the technical part of a project is just a small slice of the pie, and the business side determines success. That’s why founders often wear many hats in the early stages, so to speak, and learn about non-technical areas such as sales, marketing, and so on. Or that—and this was a frequently repeated conclusion—you need to take your idea out into the world: Find out what problems others are facing, whether a new product or service could help them, and simply test your own ideas against reality. There were plenty of insights and questions that afternoon. Thank you to everyone who participated!

You can read more about the second panel discussion in our report.