The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship has unveiled an innovative generative AI tool designed to streamline the entrepreneurial process: the MIT Entrepreneurship JetPack. This cutting-edge digital advisor assists users in navigating the 24-step “Disciplined Entrepreneurship” framework.
Bill Aulet, managing director of the center, likens this tool to a vehicle with significant power. “It may not be a Ferrari yet, but we definitely have a car,” he explains. The JetPack acts as a virtual team, instantly conducting research and providing insights based on user prompts.
Currently being utilized by entrepreneurship students and in pilot programs beyond MIT, the JetPack is accessible through the Trust Center’s Orbit digital entrepreneurship platform, which was launched in 2019. Orbit was developed to create a more dynamic alternative to the static Trust Center website.
“We recognized the need to engage with students where they are, and many were using their phones,” Aulet notes. “So we decided to create an app that offers a more interactive experience.”
The platform not only serves as a resource for course offerings and startup competition applications but also connects users to a vibrant entrepreneurial community of co-founders and mentors. The Trust Center team has been analyzing user interactions to better understand how students access information and seek guidance for their ideas.
The JetPack project officially began six months ago, drawing inspiration from the acceleration that a jet pack provides. It aims to assist entrepreneurs by guiding them through MIT’s established frameworks for Disciplined Entrepreneurship and Startup Tactics.
Beta user Shari Van Cleave, MBA ’15, demonstrated the tool’s capabilities in a YouTube video. She tested the JetPack with a concept for mobile electric vehicle charging and received comprehensive suggestions, covering market segments, business models, and more—all within moments.
“The speed at which the AI generated recommendations was impressive,” Van Cleave shared. “Having a solid initial draft allows founders, whether novice or experienced, to move forward more quickly in execution and fundraising.”
The JetPack also benefits entrepreneurs who are further along in the process by providing insights on improving performance or identifying better-targeted markets.
“Our mission is to enhance the field of entrepreneurship,” Aulet asserts, “and tools like this empower more people to become entrepreneurs and excel in their ventures.”
Sources:
