Why Do Startups Fail To Build Original Ideas? | Dr. Loitongbam Athouba Meetei

In this episode of School to Startup, we sit down with Prof. Athoubha, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at IIM Bodh Gaya, whose journey from startup failure to academia offers a grounded and insightful perspective on building ventures and shaping future entrepreneurs. From working at a startup in Malaysia to attempting his own venture and eventually transitioning into academia, Dr. Athoubha shares how real-world experience shapes his approach to teaching entrepreneurship. He dives deep into the gaps in the Indian startup ecosystem, the importance of research-driven innovation, and why universities play a critical role in nurturing entrepreneurial thinking. What this episode covers: Transitioning from startup experience to academia Why most startup ideas fail due to lack of deep research The gap between copying models vs building original innovation How global ecosystems (like Taiwan) approach research-led startups The role of universities in regional and economic development Why entrepreneurship cannot be forced on every student The importance of reducing risk through incubation and policy support How Tracxn helps students connect with real founders and scale insights Common mistakes young founders make during ideation Why “no competition” is often a red flag The importance of MVPs, validation, and customer discovery Why business plans are less important than problem-solution fit Practical advice for students starting their entrepreneurial journey To explore more about Prof. Athoubha and his work, stay tuned with his LinkedIn -   / athouba2014iitkgp   Leverage Tracxn’s global private market intelligence to power academic research, enhance classroom learning, and connect with real startup ecosystems. 🔗 Book a demo now - http://bit.ly/4nfx05f #SchoolToStartup #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #HigherEducation #IIM #Founders #StartupEcosystem #Tracxn #Interview