Entrepreneurship is more than the steps involved in setting up a business. It is a different take on life. Amos Cohen ’20, a Whitman School of Management, student, is an excellent example of an entrepreneur who is constantly looking for the next idea, the next problem to solve. He considers entrepreneurship a way to look at life, constantly challenging the status quo, and pushing for more innovative ways to solve problems and seek solutions, often fusing his finance and IT/software skills.
A native of Tel Aviv, Amos was inspired at a young age by his Israeli parents to follow an entrepreneurial path, starting a venture of his own after “experiencing the pain” of not being able to make video while dancing at the Tomorrowland Festival. Not willing to pay $400 for a GoPro, he decided to design a cap with a smartphone mount that would work just as well as a GoPro. This entrepreneurial approach perfectly demonstrates how he approaches problems: Be ingenious and come up with solutions.
As an entrepreneur, Amos finds his next venture idea by looking at his own problems. “Your own opinion matters and you assume more confidently that you can solve the problem more efficiently.” If one word defined Amos, it would be efficient. Every venture he launches relies on a highly detailed and efficient processes that follows a highly incremental approach to achieve his global vision.
Constantly learning from his mistakes, he came to America looking for another perspective on education, more dynamic and multidisciplinary. Not initially planning to launch a venture, Amos quickly changed his mind and decided to follow his passion for IT and programming. After partnering with another Blackstone LaunchPad Global Fellow, serial entrepreneur Quentin Rosso ‘18, he decided to pursue his passion for problem-solving by helping other student entrepreneurs tackling their own venture issues. Their venture, QAD, aims to provide fast and affordable prototyping for entrepreneurs looking for digital development solutions ranging from simple landing pages to more complex web-based technological products.
“For me, being entrepreneurial-minded is innate,” says Amos. “This ongoing process of perceiving each “error” or “pain” that might arise through life experiences and transforming it into a business opportunity – that’s not innate. It’s something you acquire through time, something that takes practice.”
For the last 10 years, Amos got that perspective and learned by watching his parents following the entrepreneurial path. “When I see entrepreneurship, I see magic,” he says. Amos remembers the time he was doing a photoshoot for his previous company, and feeling a sense of achievement. Creating something from nothing is what he feels passionate about. He is very analytical, detail oriented and has an incredible ability to get things done. Amos is a doer who never takes anything for granted. What is even more fascinating about him is his ability to focus on the essential tasks and breaking down a giant vision into straightforward and actionable steps. As an entrepreneur who enoys helping his peers, he often gives this advice: “Try to make your idea unworthy. Reject it as soon as possible. If you can’t reject it, then you have a product.” He is also an adept at testing and iterating businesses idea in front of customers as part of the all-important discovery process to create a new product or service.
If you want to start your venture and get things done, meet Amos in the LaunchPad. He will turn your world upside-down. Email him at: amcohen@syr.edu
Story by Quentin Rosso, Blackstone LaunchPad Global Fellow ‘18
Photo by Amanda Chou, Blackstone LaunchPad Global Fellow ‘18