In 2017, I took one of the boldest steps of my MBA journey. As an exchange student from Tel Aviv University at the George Washington University (GWU), I decided to enter the GWU New Venture Competition (NVC), an annual startup development and pitching program where ambitious founders compete to turn ideas into real ventures. It was a daring move. Competing with home students on their own ground wasn’t easy. But I had an idea that was born months earlier during Delta, a startup acceleration course I took in Tel Aviv. The concept had potential, and I wanted to test its strength beyond the classroom. Delta When I arrived at GWU, I decided to polish the idea, build a new team, and launch it in the U.S. market through the NVC. That idea became Diabuddy, a preventive health platform designed to help relatives of diabetic patients monitor their risks and adopt early lifestyle interventions. We were a diverse team. I led from Nigeria, joined by Piyush from India and Kelechi from the United States. Together, we poured our energy into developing the model. We conducted interviews, refined the product, and even got accepted into the NSF I-Corps Program, which supported our work on innovation and commercialization. Before long, our idea caught public attention. The GW Today publication featured Diabuddy in an article titled Plans to Improve Water Security, Diabetes Tracking Are Among New Venture Competition Quarter-Finalists. GW Today Plans to Improve Water Security, Diabetes Tracking Are Among New Venture Competition Quarter-Finalists Plans to Improve Water Security, Diabetes Tracking Are Among New Venture Competition Quarter-Finalists Plans to Improve Water Security, Diabetes Tracking Are Among New Venture Competition Quarter-Finalists It described my pitch as one that would help people with diabetes manage their condition through a mobile app that enhanced a health regimen prescribed by a physician or guided self-care. The article noted how the app would allow loved ones to connect with patients and help monitor their care, sharing data with healthcare providers when needed. It also highlighted our broader vision for developing countries, using the app to monitor the spread and demographics of diabetes, with Nigeria named as a target country. When we later reached the semi-finals, our project was officially listed among the 2017 GWU New Venture Competition semifinalists. Seeing our names there felt like a small victory in itself, proof that we had built something real and credible. 2017 GWU New Venture Competition semifinalists 2017 GWU New Venture Competition semifinalists Our pitch was clear. Our slides were crisp. Our passion was undeniable. Then came the Q&A session, the moment every founder both anticipates and dreads.Two questions changed everything. “Why are your marketing and sales expenses so low and underestimated?”“Have you spoken to any insurance companies?” I remember freezing for a moment. Those weren’t questions about the product. They were questions about the business. In my excitement about innovation, I had overlooked the hard realities of market entry and partnerships. That day, we didn’t make it to the finals. But I walked away with something far more valuable than a trophy. What I Learned A good idea isn’t enough. You can have the smartest innovation in the room, but without a clear business model and go-to-market strategy, it remains a classroom project. Know your ecosystem. I hadn’t fully considered the role of insurers, healthcare providers, and policy incentives, all of which drive healthcare adoption in the U.S. market. Pitching isn’t just storytelling. It is foresight. Investors want to know not only what you are building but howit will grow, scale, and survive. Failure is tuition. The NVC wasn’t a loss; it was an early down payment on my future in innovation and commercialization. It shaped how I now teach, mentor, and invest in others’ ideas. A good idea isn’t enough. You can have the smartest innovation in the room, but without a clear business model and go-to-market strategy, it remains a classroom project. Know your ecosystem. I hadn’t fully considered the role of insurers, healthcare providers, and policy incentives, all of which drive healthcare adoption in the U.S. market. Pitching isn’t just storytelling. It is foresight. Investors want to know not only what you are building but howit will grow, scale, and survive. what how Failure is tuition. The NVC wasn’t a loss; it was an early down payment on my future in innovation and commercialization. It shaped how I now teach, mentor, and invest in others’ ideas. Our demo video for Diabuddy is still on YouTube. You can watch it here. Eight years later, it has gathered a few hundred views, quietly reminding me of where it all began and how far the journey has come. You can watch it here. You can watch it here. Looking back, that experience laid the foundation for my later work in innovation leadership, which includes helping researchers commercialize their inventions and training young innovators across Africa. Every time I stand before a team preparing for their first pitch, I tell them:“Never underestimate the business side of your passion. The market doesn’t reward emotion. It rewards preparation.” 🟡 From Obichi’s Desk When I think about Diabuddy today, I see more than a missed competition. I see the birth of a mindset. That experience became the foundation of what I now teach through the Young Innovation Leaders Fellowship, PitchLab, and Hutzpa Innovation programs — turning bold ideas into sustainable ventures. Innovation begins with courage, but it matures with clarity. If you are standing where I once stood, full of vision but unsure of business depth, take heart. Every pitch, win or lose, is a rehearsal for the impact you are destined to create.
