When finishing my Design graduation at the University of Aveiro, I was approached by two colleagues to collaborate with them on a side project. The first iPhone has been recently launched and the main idea consisted in developing an interaction product where the touch detection would be set on the back of the device. This would allow to have smaller buttons on the screen, as well as an immersive interaction experience, having only a small circle indicating the finger position on the screen, instead of bulky fingers hiding most of the graphics.

Our plan was to develop a wooden prototype and its graphical user interface (which also included some non–conventional circular icon–based main menu and unlocking gesture) before presenting it to an established company of GPS navigation devices. Some days later, we had scheduled a meeting with two executives at their headquarters. At the end of our presentation they admitted being impressed by our project and for us having considered their company to develop it, but confessed that they only produced the software for their products. Since the hardware was designed by other producers in the world market and this company was not being able to customized it, there wasn't any chance for us to develop our project in collaboration with them.

When returning home after this meeting, we also had an email with a patent from one of the leading mobile producers with a similar interaction concept registered in the EPO. We all dropped this idea, but both of my colleagues kept working on commercial projects together after our graduation, without having had any professional design experience before. Most of our colleagues started a master course in the same university, and I was keen to start designing for the real world, quickly applying for a design agency internship when starting my Design and Visual Production master on a totally different institute.

The two colleagues from our first entrepreneurial co–attempt got some clients for their design services agency, but after three years also brought their collaboration to an end. From what's on their social profiles, they didn't go too far and stagnated as designers, no matter how creative and innovative they were when finishing the university course. This brings me to the personal conclusion that it's crucial to have multiple environment experiences in order to get a broader view and develop the best professional capabilities.

Some people argue that you should drop your studies to build your startup or company. Instead and better yet, I strongly recommend pausing it as early as possible in order to join a startup or an agency. I've personally did it with my master course and haven't had any regret so far. A real and fast–paced environment will only make people fitter and better prepared to take their own clients and business decisions later on.