I’m considering applying to MIT Launch, and I was wondering whether it’s really worth? I’m hoping to come out of next summer with a startup I can work to maintain with a team. If not MIT Launch, which business incubator would be best for this purpose? Also, what are the advantages and disadvantages (if there are any) of attending MIT Launch??
Yes! As a Launch alum myself, I can say that there is no summer entrepreneurship program that even compares to MIT Launch. The connections, experiences, and resources available at Launch are world-class. Launch was even ranked #6 in USA by The Huffington Post for high school summer programs in general, not just entrepreneurship/business ones. The specific advantages of Launch is that the MIT Sloan Disciplined Entrepreneurship methods of starting a company are very well proven, as many MIT startups run by MIT undergraduates use this curriculum. Also at Launch, your peers are often from diverse backgrounds and have diverse experiences in entrepreneurship and the areas that they would like to pursue it in. I will not guarantee that teams stick together after Launch, but its still pretty remarkable that the ones that do make great progress on their companies. Furthermore, if your team doesn’t end up sticking together, many “free-agent Launch alums,” for lack of better nomenclature, end up getting hired by other Launch companies from their same session. As for disadvantages, the only major one is cost of the program, lack of a meal plan (meaning you have to eat out daily, as dorm kitchen usage is restricted), and since there is no meal plan, the cost of food in the Boston Metro Area. I’ve attended numerous selective summer programs besides Launch, and nothing compares to it. Bottom line: If you want the best chance of a successful startup, MIT Launch provides the most rich and quality environment to learn entrepreneurship skills that can be applied in many walks/aspects of life.