Mark Pavlidis shares three valuable tips for student entrepreneurs

Mark Pavlidis

Mac grad and tech innovator Mark Pavlidis is returning to campus this week. TwelvEighty will play host to the event on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. The event is completely free (including food) for registered attendees, as well as those showing up at the door. Online registration is encouraged. 


Mark Pavlidis — co-founder and CTO of Toronto-based tech startup Flixel and a McMaster engineering alumnus — will visit campus for Spectrum’s fall kickoff event on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Spectrum, a McMaster initiative aiming to support and develop student entrepreneurs, will use the event as the launch for a year of programming promoting and supporting students in entrepreneurship.

After graduating from the University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in software engineering, Pavlidis worked for a number of startups before helping found one of his own.

MORE: Say hello to Flixel: the software of the future that brings images to life

Since then, Flixel — a software company developing notable product Cinemagraph Pro — has gained traction and popularity, with their software even being used to create “living photos” for Americas Next Top Model.

For those looking to get into entrepreneurship as students, Pavlidis has some advice. Here are his three tips for student entrepreneurs:

  • Build a Foundation
    Now is the best time to learn and hone the foundational skills to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Start building a network for mentors, investment, and hiring. Practice public speaking to confidently present your ideas for pitching investors and leading a team. The one thing to take away from your time as a student is learning how to learn.
  • Execution Matters
    Think of all those readings, term papers, assignments, labs, and projects as your marathon training program. Use them to develop the discipline to make incremental stead progress every day. Much like school, in a startup there is too much to do and not enough time or people to do it. It’s critical to learn how to choose what to do first and to complete it. Having 100% of one out of ten things done is much more valuable than 10% of ten things.
  • Discover your Interests
    An often-mentioned tip for entrepreneurs is to “follow our passion” and “build a company around your interests”. How do you find out what you are interested in and passionate about? Use this time as a student to try things you might not normally consider. Attend events, join clubs, and push your boundaries. Your life as a student affords you time and opportunities that you won’t have when you get out in to “the real world”. It allows you to discover yourself and you might just trip over a great business idea while you are at it.

TwelvEighty will play host to the event on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. The event is completely free (including food) for all attendees.

Online registration is encouraged

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