What Students Build in Just 8 Weeks: Real Teen Entrepreneurship Projects from the Fall 2025 Cohort
- Launchpad Juniors
- Dec 5, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
At Launchpad Juniors, students don’t just brainstorm ideas; they learn to build real products for real customers. In just 8 weeks, middle and high schoolers move through a true entrepreneurial journey:
Identify a problem
Define their ideal customer
Validate assumptions
Build a minimum viable product (MVP)
Test with real people
Iterate based on feedback
Pitch their business with confidence
One of the most powerful moments each week was watching students redefine their ideas as they learned more about their customers, realizing that entrepreneurship isn’t about having the perfect idea, but about shaping an idea to fit the people it serves.
Here’s a look at what the Fall 2025 cohort built and how customer insights shaped every decision.
Fall 2025 Teen Entrepreneurship Projects
Rishik: Customizable NFC Business Cards for Professionals
Rishik’s product might look simple at first glance, but his business thinking evolved dramatically over the weeks.
What He Built
A sleek, customizable NFC business card that instantly shares contact info, links, or videos with a tap.
Who It’s For
Sales professionals and executives who need fast, modern ways to network.
Where He Found His Customers
Through research, Rishik identified strong customer channels:
local business fairs
trade conferences
networking events
What He Learned
His early prototypes were designed for a general audience, but customer conversations revealed:
professionals care about design quality
durability and polish matter
efficiency is key — the tap-to-share interaction must feel flawless
Anshika: Adjustable Swim Caps for Competitive Swimmers
Anshika started with several ideas, but everything clicked once she defined her ideal customer: athletes, specifically swimmers.
What She Built
An adjustable swim cap designed to provide comfort, fit, and functionality for swimmers who struggle with standard caps.
Who It’s For
Competitive swimmers who need flexibility, durability, and a cap that stays put.
Key Customer Channels
She identified high-potential distribution points:
fitness centers
community pools
swim teams and clubs
What She Learned
Her first idea was a larger accessory, but swimmers asked for something:
lighter
adjustable
comfortable to wear for long practice sessions
Zahid: Functional Attachments for Elderly Walking Sticks
Zahid chose a meaningful problem: making life easier for seniors who rely on walking sticks.
What He Built
A set of simple, functional attachments that help elderly users keep key items accessible — without adding weight or complexity.
Who It’s For
Elderly individuals who want safety, convenience, and independence.
Key Customer Channels
Zahid learned to reach his audience where they already gather:
senior centers
retirement communities
What He Learned
Customer interviews revealed that his first idea was too elaborate. Seniors preferred:
lightweight attachments
bright colors for visibility
ergonomic designs
Veer: Customized CNC Wood Décor
With CNC carving experience already under his belt, Veer set out to build a business around custom wood décor.
What He Built
Personalized carved signs and décor pieces made from natural wood.
Who It’s For
People who want handmade, natural, customized home décor, often as gifts.
Key Customer Channels
Veer’s research led him to online platforms where custom art thrives:
Etsy
online craft marketplaces
What He Learned
His early designs were highly intricate, but real buyers preferred:
simpler, cleaner designs
faster turnaround
affordable pricing
Avi: 3D-Printed Night Lamps That Project Personalized Images
Avi combined engineering creativity with customer personalization to build a truly eye-catching product.
What He Built
A 3D-printed night lamp that projects custom-selected images in the dark - visually impressive and highly personal.
Who It’s For
Shoppers looking for unique, personalized 3D-printed gifts, similar to Veer’s audience.
Key Customer Channels
Like Veer, Avi found his natural channels to be:
Etsy
niche online gift marketplaces
What He Learned
Avi tested multiple prototypes after discovering:
some filaments didn’t project well
brightness needed fine-tuning
customers loved personalized patterns
Kriti: A Portable, Lightweight Blanket for Travelers
Kriti started with a simple insight: people who travel frequently often feel cold and most blankets are too bulky to carry.
What She Built
A compact, lightweight, easily foldable blanket for road trips, long drives, and outdoor adventures.
Who It’s For
People who love to travel or attend events but want comfort without extra bulk.
Key Customer Channels
Kriti identified environments where her target customer already spends time:
local outdoor events
camping meetups
travel fairs
What She Learned
Her original version was heavier and larger, but customer feedback revealed that portability was the top priority.
The Most Important Lesson: The MVP Approach
Across the cohort, students ran into the same pivotal realization:
Their first idea is almost never their final idea. As students pursued their teen entrepreneurship projects, they had to revisit their concepts because:
the initial vision was too complex
materials were too expensive
customers weren’t excited
the solution didn’t match the real need
And every time this happened, something extraordinary took place:
Students learned that early customer engagement + MVP thinking is the fastest path to a successful product.
They saw firsthand that entrepreneurship isn’t about predicting the perfect idea —it’s about building, testing, listening, and improving.
Final Thoughts
The Fall 2025 cohort didn’t just build products.They learned how to:
understand customers deeply
define the right market
choose effective channels
adapt quickly
and bring a real product to life
These are the same skills used by real founders and they learned them before high school graduation.
The next cohort will begin this journey soon, and we can’t wait to see what they create.
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