The Faculty of Economics and Business, Univeritas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), is committed to nurturing a resilient, competitive, and entrepreneurial young generation. One of the initiatives undertaken is the development of soft skills and entrepreneurship through a business pre-incubation programme that was initiated in 2023.
In an effort to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, FEB UGM, through its Career and Student Development Unit (CSDU), held the Kick-Off Programme for the 2025 Business Pre-Incubation Programme, along with an inspirational session, on 10 October 2025, at the FEB UGM Alumni Corner. This event aimed to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and equip students with the knowledge to generate innovative and beneficial business ideas for the community.
In the 2025 FEB UGM Pre-Incubation Programme, nine groups from entrepreneurship classes and two groups from non-entrepreneurship courses participated. Furthermore, FEB UGM will provide business grants, guidance, and mentoring for the three best teams. This business funding assistance is provided as a stimulus for business development.
The Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at FEB UGM, Bayu Sutikno, S.E., M.S.M., Ph.D., encouraged students participating in the pre-incubation programme selection process. He asked students to enjoy every step of the process. Every experience, whether in academic activities or competitions, is a valuable part of learning that will become necessary capital when entering the workforce or pursuing entrepreneurship.
The inspirational session featured Ivan Halim, Co-founder and CEO of Slingshot Brand Consulting, CMO of Sekreatic AI, and former CMO of Sevenpreneur. He presented inspirational material with the theme ‘The Entrepreneur Way: Great Entrepreneurs and Greater Business Ideas.’
In his presentation, Ivan highlighted the challenging realities of the business world. He revealed that only 0.1% of businesses in Indonesia can survive for five years or more. This condition shows that building a business is not an easy task.
“Business is not for everyone. But thankfully, FEB UGM students have a platform like this to learn first-hand how to build a business that can survive,” he said.
According to Ivan, being a true entrepreneur is not just about creating business ideas; it’s also about taking calculated risks. Instead, entrepreneurship is about the ability to execute ideas effectively.
Ivan also discussed the importance of a strong mindset for business founders. He noted that good businesses always emerge from needs and concerns, not merely personal desires.
“Every business comes to solve problems,” he said.
For Ivan, this is the essence of a value proposition: providing value that customers truly need. He also mentioned the concept of a unique selling proposition (USP) as a differentiator that enables businesses to compete and survive in the market. In building a business, according to him, a balance is needed between three key elements: value, skills, and passion.
Furthermore, Ivan emphasised that courage is the primary foundation of entrepreneurship. Quoting the Latin proverb ‘Fortis fortuna adiuvat’ or ‘Fortune favours the bold’, he said that luck is not something that just happens, but something that can be engineered through hard work and the courage to try.
He added that entrepreneurs are not born, but are shaped through a process of learning and experience.
“Entrepreneurs are made, not born. But entrepreneurship is not for everyone,” he said with conviction.
In the closing session, Ivan advised that the best business is one that is run, not one that is constantly questioned. This message served as a powerful reminder to all participants that the journey of entrepreneurship actually begins with the first step, no matter how small it may be.
Reportage by: Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Sustainable Development Goals
