MGSM student Anhtai Anhtuan has hit the jackpot: a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for his  product – The Tiny Tower – reached its goal of $35,000 in just three days and exceeded this target by more than $100,000 when it closed yesterday. We caught up with Anhtai to find out more, and spoke to his mentor and lecturer, Graham Millet, to find out how MGSM helps entrepreneurs like Anhtai thrive.

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After realising he wanted to redirect his career, Anhtai started his MBA at MGSM. When his partner found himself in a lot of pain due to a hernia in his neck from too much hunching over his laptop, Anhtai knew it was a problem they needed to solve and that he could put his skills to use.

“Everyone works from laptops in all sorts of locations these days, and what we discovered was that there was no solution that was both portable and height-adjustable in the market, and so The Tiny Tower was born,” Anhtai says.

MGSM lecturer Graham Millet stepped in to offer Anhtai some advice.

“When Anhtai came to me about this idea, I advised him to test market acceptance using a prototype and incorporate feedback into the final product design,” Graham says. “I then suggested he identify an appropriate manufacturer and ensure adequate funding.”

Anhtai knew he wanted to go down the Kickstarter path on the funding front: “It’s a great way to kill many birds with one stone: you can test desirability of the product very quickly, you can start marketing both your name and the product, and, of course, you can raise money very effectively.”

Anhtai credits MGSM, particularly the New Enterprise Management unit, for giving him the sense of how to run a business.

Graham says it’s hugely satisfying to see MGSM students walk away with the skills for success.

“We give budding entrepreneurs the practical skills, essential knowledge, and the confidence to deal with the uncertainties that they will face starting a new enterprise,” he says.

“I find it gratifying to see students succeed in a start-up and to watch their new enterprise grow. The ones who are the most successful have similar qualities, including persistence, resilience, self-belief and internal locus of control. They also have absolute focus on their goal.”