In honor of the 15th Anniversary of MIT IDEAS, we've asked our past teams to share their best advice for young social entrepreneurs. Illustrations by Nathan Cooke. http://www.chefcooke.com/

1. r

2. Talk about your project with as many people as
possible, as often as possible.
It helps refine your thinking and better communicate
your goals and approach.

3. Connections, connections, connections!
Strong collaborations, determined team members, and
supportive faculty members are a great boon in building an
effective team, which will aid in the success of your idea.

4. Don't be afraid to fail early and often.
This is how you learn, develop, and grow.

5. Do things the right way the first time!
Make sure to have the legal framework to protect you
and your company or idea.

6. Think long-term.
Build a company that will be as meaningful to you in
five years as it is to you today.

7. Let other people make mistakes, even if you
think you could have done it better.
In a team setting, it's important to give other
team members the opportunity to try out their ideas,
even if they don't turn out as expected.

8. Bring up team problems quickly.
Regularly sharing feedback with each other and discussing
your biggest concerns may create momentary tension, but it
keeps things running smoothly in the long run.

9. Micro-management is inefficient.
Working on a project with so many moving parts
makes you realize you can't control everything. You
need to build a team and delegate.

10. Spend a lot of time personally getting to know
the people you’re trying to benefit.
Without their approval and support, it would be very difficult
to make a long-term positive impact in their lives.

11. You can't be everywhere at the same time.
Decide where you are most effective, and after that be
satisfied that you are making the best use of your
time and energy.

12. Be kind to yourself so you can be generous
with others.
You need to be in a good mental state to be able to
make an impact and assist others.

13. Be patient and flexible, but persistent.
When you’re trying to make big changes or are
working in an unfamiliar context, things will move and
change slowly. This will give you an opportunity to be
more reflective, effective, and capable in the long run.

14. Make sure to get buy-in and input from all key
stakeholders.
Listen to criticisms and be open to learning from others.

15. Manage expectations.
Be honest about challenges or delays.

16. Show your incomplete work to potential
investors.
Show your incomplete and early work to potential
investors so they can see your progress.

17. Contributors
Aquaport (2009)
ARAM/mHealth India (2014)
Asadeep (2013)
Assured Labor (2009)
Augmented Infant Resuscitator (2013)
The BeTH Project (2012)
Demining Tool Kit (2003)
Du’Anyam (2014)
Essmart (2013)
First Step Coral (2006)
Ghana: Science in Action (2014)
GridForm (2014)
Kepler Tech Lab (2015)
LoveGrain (2013)
Mantra Medical (2005)
Nama (2013)
New Dots (2007)
Prepify (2015)
Protoprint (2014)
SafiOrganics (2014)
Sensen (2015)
TulipMed (2003)
VacPac (2005)

18. Illustration
Design and Creative Direction
Copy editing
Research
Program Coordinator
Nathan Cooke
Laura Chichisan
Natalie Britton
Laura Chichisan
Carolyn Escobar Kent
Keely Swan