On Friday, I spoke on the Founder Panel at the University of Aberdeen for the la
By Sean Cowie · September 12, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
On Friday, I spoke on the Founder Panel at the University of Aberdeen for the launch of the START North East Programme.
Seven schools from across the North East brought pupils together to tackle real problem-solving and design sprints.
When I started my first business at age 19, and across years of working with brand owners, the pattern was always the same: the hardest part is never the theory, it is dealing with the day-to-day reality of building something from scratch.
Most enterprise education at that age tends to stay purely on paper. You write a hypothetical plan and pretend you understand how a company operates.
Sitting on the panel on Friday, what stood out was how practical the questions were.
The pupils weren't asking for generic advice. They wanted an honest insight into the realities of building a business, what happens when things do not go to plan, and what the work actually looks like day to day.
Giving young people that honest perspective early makes a huge difference.
Brilliant to see this initiative launching right here in Aberdeen.