How Students Start a Startup Without Experience: A Guide for Unimi Students

Many students wonder: how can students start a startup without experience — especially if they are still enrolled at university and have never built a company before. For students at the University of Milan (Unimi), though, this challenge can quickly turn into one of the greatest opportunities. University life provides the perfect testing ground to experiment, collaborate, and refine your business idea in a low‑risk environment. In this post, we argue that even without prior entrepreneurial experience, students can turn their ideas into real startups — by leveraging university resources, building a supportive team, validating quickly, and learning through doing.

Leverage University Programs & Support

One of the first steps for a student with no startup background is to tap into what their university already offers. At Unimi, students can join the Student Innovation Labs (SIL), which offer mentoring, training, and seed funding. This provides a structured space to explore entrepreneurship, refine ideas, and develop crucial soft skills.

Also, Unimi’s Entrepreneurship Lab within its degree programs teaches methodologies such as agile business development, prototyping, and business modeling. By participating in these programs, students gain access to mentors and peer groups without needing prior startup experience. These resources can help a student go from idea to concrete plan.

Build an MVP and Validate Your Idea

Having a good idea is the first step — turning it into a real business means building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). For students, an MVP doesn’t have to be complex: it can be a simple prototype, a landing page with a sign-up form, or even mockups to gauge interest.

Through this process, students test their assumptions, talk to potential users, and adjust based on feedback. This is where real learning happens: when you build something small, get real reactions, and refine your business concept. As Paul Graham said, early implementation helps you revise and improve your idea rather than staying stuck in theory.

Because you are a student, you can afford to try and fail in a relatively safe environment. This time to experiment is one of the biggest advantages of starting a business while still in university.

Build Your Team & Network

Starting a company alone, especially without experience, can be very hard. This is why forming a good team is essential. Look for people in your university — Unimi or nearby — who share your interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. Your teammates may bring complementary skills: tech, design, sales, or project management.

Also, don’t limit yourself to just students. Ask professors, alumni, or local entrepreneurs for advice, or try to recruit co-founders with different strengths. The right team can accelerate your startup journey and help you navigate early challenges more effectively.

Finally, network. Go to startup events in Milan, join entrepreneurship clubs, or participate in university innovation programs. These networks will help you find talent, mentorship, and potentially even early users or customers.

Use Lean Methods & Learn by Doing

You don’t need to wait for perfect product-market fit to start building. By adopting lean startup principles, you can run small experiments: build, measure, learn, and iterate.

Set up simple tests: send surveys, create landing pages, or run pilot interviews. Use the data you collect to make informed decisions instead of guessing. This iterative process helps you validate your business idea, reduce risk, and grow through continuous learning.

Even without prior experience, simply acting, learning, and pivoting gives you the kind of hands-on education that textbooks can’t deliver.

Use External Resources & Competitions

To accelerate your learning and gain legitimacy, take advantage of external opportunities. Join pitch competitions, hackathons, or university startup challenges, especially in Milan — these events offer real feedback and sometimes even funding.

For Unimi students, competing in initiatives like the University Startup Challenge can be particularly beneficial. These programs allow you to present your idea, meet mentors, and connect with students from other universities.

Beyond competitions, use online resources: free online courses, entrepreneurship bootcamps, or peer communities. These tools help you build business knowledge even if you have zero prior experience.

Conclusion

Turning an idea into a real startup without prior experience may seem intimidating — but for University of Milan (Unimi) students, it’s completely possible. By using university support, forming a strong team, validating your idea with an MVP, learning lean, and leveraging external resources, you can grow from “just a student” to a real founder.

If you’re a Unimi student with a startup idea but no experience, reach out to E‑Club Statale for mentorship, community, and support. Join our next workshop, pitch your concept, and start building today — your journey has already begun.