Toon Gyssels - Kitopi's Chief Operating Officer as a part of Mentorship Program spoke with Grade twelve and answered their questions.
Toon shared his insight and experience to find answers to many questions that trouble our students many of which trouble every entrepreneur before starting out.
"I can talk about failures for really long time because I have many of them. Having people to talk to is good. It's a burden to handle things alone and sometimes you don't understand and know things. Further talking to other people about failures in candid and reflective manner means learning lessons from their failures." Toon believes that discussing failures openly and honestly is crucial for personal and professional growth. He says, "If an idea is wrong, it is important to acknowledge that and learn from it. Failure is a natural part of the learning process and can lead to new discoveries and opportunities. By understanding why an idea was not successful, it allows one to make adjustments and come up with new solutions. It's also important to not take the failure personally and to not be discouraged by it. Instead, it's an opportunity to improve and grow. Failure can also be a good opportunity to learn from others, and to see if there are any areas for improvement in the way the idea was executed."
He further advised our kids to focus on their values as it gets reflected in their company should they start one and they should understand the value of others. "
He further clarified in response to a question, it's important to remember that when pursuing new ideas, to not become too attached to them. Instead, it's important to be open-minded and flexible to feedback and suggestions. One way to ensure that your ideas are sound is to test them with a customer's point of view. This means seeking feedback from potential customers and incorporating their suggestions and concerns into your plan. This can help you identify potential roadblocks or areas for improvement that you may have missed and can help you create a product or service that truly meets the needs of your target audience. Additionally, it can also help you to understand the customer’s pain points and try to solve them in your product or service."
On behalf of the entire team, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Toon Gyssels, Kitopi's Chief Operating Officer, for taking the time to speak with our Grade 12 students as part of our mentorship program. Toon's insights and experience were truly enlightening and provided our students with a wealth of information to think about as they head into their holiday break. The students were able to ask thoughtful questions and gain valuable insights into the industry and the professional world. Toon's participation in our program has been a valuable asset to our students, and we are grateful for the time and energy he has invested in them. We look forward to the possibility of working with Toon in the future and thank him for his continued support.
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