Last week, I posted about a few simple steps you can take to turn your ideas into an ed-tech startup. But what if you don’t have an idea yet? Should you just wait around until inspiration strikes?

Of course not! There are plenty of things that you can start doing today that will help you down the road, if/when you decide to launch your ed-tech startup. Here are a few that come to mind:

1. Ask Questions

As an entrepreneur, you’ll be a creator, not just a passive consumer. So start thinking like one. Pay attention to what you like/dislike about the current products that you use. What works well? What would you improve? Also pay attention to how people present/promote/sell their product. How would you improve their pitch? Asking lots of questions, of yourself and others, is a great way to get those creative juices flowing.

2. Develop Your Skills

It’s never too early to start honing the skills you’ll need as an entrepreneur. For example, as a startup founder, you’re going to have to present a lot. And I mean, a lot. From pitching investors, to presenting at business plan competitions, to demo-ing your product, it will help a lot if you’re comfortable speaking in front of people. If you’re a teacher, you already have lots of experience doing this, but for everyone else, start practicing those public-speaking skills now. The same goes with developing your technical skills: learning to build a website or how to build financial models in Excel. All of these skills will come in handy when you make the leap to being an entrepreneur.

3. Get Some Experience

Just because you don’t have a startup idea of your own yet, doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of the startup community. Attend a hackathon to see what it’s all about. Volunteer for a pilot program or market research study to learn more about how they work. One of the best ways to generate startup ideas of your own is to surround yourself with other creative, entrepreneurial people.

So what are you waiting for? You never know where the start-up journey that you begin today will take you.

Until next time,

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See also:

• Five Steps to Turning Your Ideas into an Ed-Tech Startup
• An Ed-Tech Entrepreneur’s Mantra: No Margin, No Mission
• Five Tips for Ed-Tech Startups Entering Business Plan Competitions
• How to Survive (And Thrive) as an Introverted Ed-Tech Startup Entrepreneur
• Finding the Right Incubator for your Ed-Tech Startup

  Have questions or feedback? Comment below or let me know on Twitter @professorword!

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Photo Credit: Flickr user Duncan Hill, Alan Levine, and Nikki Pfahler