2025 Non-Negotiables and Resolutions from Around the LaunchX Community of Young & Hungry Entrepreneurs

Happy 2025 from the LaunchX team! Goal-setting can be a slippery slope for entrepreneurs because we can never plan what might happen as we embark on our startup journeys. Unlike the corporate ladder, as entrepreneurs, we climb upwards, shift to the left, pivot, go down a waterslide, parallel park, and hope to end up somewhere that aligns with our core mission. Because of this, my 2025 entrepreneurial goals have now become more open-ended and mission-driven.

My name is Rachel, I am a 2020 LaunchX alum and cofounder of many entrepreneurship communities, including SheUp in China and Y.E.S. in the Netherlands. 2025 is my year of learning, and I’m excited to be back in the LaunchX ecosystem to learn and grow as a creative specialist. Listen to the podcast episode with my boss (and LaunchX CEO Forest Richter) if you’re curious to learn more about that. Anyways, all that being said, here are my top three entrepreneurial goals:

1. Do things I care about

I’ve come to realize how much of a privilege it is to work on things that I care about. Isn’t this why we choose to be entrepreneurs in the first place? To know that we are not at a 9-5 desk with a name tag and to-do list but get to pick the work we do and are in the driver's seat of progress. In all the conversations I’ve had with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial minds, there is always so much joy and passion for our work. It’s an incredible energy to love our jobs the way we do. 

With this in mind, I will take a page from world champion marathoner Eliud Kipchoge when he says to “take vitamin N”. Say NO to projects and opportunities I don’t 100% care about.

2. Host an event for young, like minded entrepreneurs 

I have had the privilege of speaking with SO many like-minded young entrepreneurs through my work and through the LaunchX podcast that launched last year. There is a true power to having like-minded individuals around you, and especially for entrepreneurs, I like to call that feeling “invincibility”. It is a core tenet that, essentially, every single LaunchX alumni will cite as a highlight of the program: the community. 

What if we could host a massive event not only dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation but in the perspective of our next generation of gen-z leaders? I’m imagining the standard speeches, panels, and workshops, but also want to think outside of the box to make this fresh. Maybe we have a network through gaming features or AR treasure hunts or collaborative ideation mind maps. If you have ideas, are interested in getting involved, or are in the Bay Area region, please write me a message!

3. Get good sleep 

I once asked my good friend and million-dollar-raising tech startup founder Ali Debow what some of her goals were over the short term. The first thing she said was to get good sleep. Truly, enough said! Like I learned from marathon training in 2025, there is no such thing as overtraining, just underresting. I want to function at a crazy pace in regard to entrepreneurial output. Still, we must humble ourselves to get equal amounts of rest (or else we will forcibly get humbled, one way or another). 

Here are some resolutions from the LaunchX community around the world!

Abbie Goddard, 16, United States - 2024 AwardX Winner and founder of Spikey

• Read more books about entrepreneurship (I’m reading Radical Candor right now!)
• Network more effectively when given the opportunity
• Build a stronger team and have effective communication

Sudenaz Irem Ak, 17, Turkey - 2024 Berkeley Alumni

• Focus on impact in my projects, especially social and environmental impacts as well as sustainable ones
• Take creative risks by combining different areas of innovation without fear of failure but with valid feedback
• And lastly celebrate wins and learn from mistakes!

Salah Osman, 24, Kenya - 2020 LaunchX Alumni and founder of Nala

• Focus on continuous learning, networking with like-minded individuals, and building solutions that address the challenges in our communities. The best ideas often come from the problems we solve together. And always remember: escape the reality with your imagination—because sometimes, your imagination is the key to creating a reality that can drive change.

What are your goals this year?