On 27 February, Instituto Superior Técnico hosted another edition of the E.Stories@Técnico initiative. The event took place at Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade and featured Paulo Dimas, a Computer Science and Engineering alumnus and current Vice President of Product Innovation at Unbabel, and Pedro Amaral, a Materials Engineering alumnus, co-founder of Frontwave and the Vice President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Técnico. The session was moderated by Joana Tavares, Domain Architect at Fidelidade.
During the conversation, the guests shared the challenges and lessons that have marked their journey into the world of entrepreneurship, revealing that it hasn’t always been easy. Paulo Dimas emphasised that ‘to be an entrepreneur is to be constantly uncomfortable’, reinforcing the idea that growth and learning come from overcoming these difficulties. He recalled that his entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 14, when he was already able to sell his products for 10 euros. Later, during an internship at Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), from ages 16 to 18, he was able to deepen his knowledge of programming and technology. At the age of 19, he was involved in the creation of Junitec – Junior Enterprises at Instituto Superior Técnico, one of Técnico’s first entrepreneurial centres, which stood out for developing products rather than focusing solely on research.
One of the most striking moments of his speech was when he shared a piece of advice from fellow alumnus Francisco Veloso, currently Dean of INSEAD. ‘I don’t like managers, I don’t like people who just tell you to do things, I like people who do things. But one day you’ll have to become a manager,’ he recalled, emphasising that this advice has accompanied him throughout his life.
At the end of his speech, Paulo Dimas warned of a common mistake that many entrepreneurs make: “It’s easy to become overly attached to your idea and lose sight of what people actually want.”. He highlighted the importance of focusing on market needs, concluding: ‘If people don’t want what we sell, we’ll simply be a technology seeking customers, rather than the other way around.’
Pedro Amaral brought a different perspective, confessing that at the beginning of his training his greatest wish was to leave Técnico and never return. After a stint in industry, he returned to school to do his doctorate between Portugal, at Instituto Superior Técnico, and Italy, at Politecnico di Torino. During this time, he decided to found a company together with a friend who was studying in Oxford. To start this project, they sought support from Junitec, an important aid in their entrepreneurial journey.
As advice for young entrepreneurs, Pedro Amaral emphasised the importance of building a support network. ‘Surround yourself with mentors, look for successful people who inspire confidence,’ he advised. He also encouraged students to ‘not be afraid to try’, since every challenge represents an opportunity for growth and learning.
At the end of the session, the students had the opportunity to ask questions that helped to clarify their doubts about the world of entrepreneurship.
At the end of the event, Pedro Amaral, in his capacity as the Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, emphasised the importance of initiatives such as E.Stories@Técnico in inspiring the new generation of innovators. In response to a question from a student who joined Técnico this academic year, asking how she could discover her passions and turn them into a business, Pedro Amaral firmly stated that ‘Técnico provides every opportunity to train entrepreneurs’. He encouraged students to participate in the Innovators@Técnico programme and other initiatives promoted by the Technology Transfer Division, pointing out that it is during these events that attendees can meet valuable people and gain essential information for developing new projects.
