How High School Entrepreneurs Are Building the Future of Connection | HeloTap

My First Overnight Success Podcast Presented by TCVN: This generation, all they do is get on their phones. Can you believe this? We just phone it out. This is the future right here. Yo, we're we're sitting here, future generation of leaders here. You guys are in high school. Yes. Yes. Are you ready to give me your elevator pitch for your company? Hello tap? Or helo tap? Hello tap? Hello? Hello HelloTap. Give us the pitch. Give us the pitch. And then see if everybody can get close to the mic here so we can all pick you up. first. Well, my name is Caitlin Swen. I'm a graduating senior this year from Dimbar High School. And I guess the three of us started HelloTap because we're kind of bored with school. Yeah, that's true. And we're all in FBLA, future business leaders. It's a club at school, so that's how we all kind of commingled and met. Yeah. So basically when we went to FBLA events, right, we struggled to connect with other people, other students as well. So we decided to create a hello tab, a business card, but not traditional business cards. It's business cards with NFC technology inside of it. So I can instantly connect with peers around me through on LinkedIn or even Instagram as well. Cool. Yeah. And I feel like they're like with our generation too, there's so many problems, especially coming out of the pandemic, that like a lot of communication skills were gone and lost. And it's really like how do we connect each other and how do we connect students back together? Right. And I think this was one of our biggest solutions that we came up with is just creating a new tool to just like help people connect together, especially in a school setting or in these business clubs. That we have around our campus in school. Okay, so you have one on you right now. Is that what you got here? So you can pull that up. there. And engrave my name on there too. Awesome. That would be Yeah, we do it we do it all at school. We take advantage of all the school equipment and the card itself, can we say how much it is? It's so it's around twenty cents. Mm-hmm. And we s resell it for about ten dollars. So our profit margin is pretty Yeah, it's pretty bad. Pretty good. Yeah. And so you embed software layer into that or what's the what's the product? And so we wanted to create something like on a s personal CRM system for students. So there's probably gonna be a lot of people that you're gonna meet throughout like your high school career or like maybe postgraduate. But we want to make sure that you can keep track of these people and help using AI to like help keep track of your recommendations and people you meet. Right. Like there's LinkedIn, but it's not really optimized to help you meet new people. Or it's like just like, here's all the people you connected with. But we're trying to make real meaningful connections where it's like, we met you doing the podcast or we met you doing X, Y, and Z. And it's just helping students figure out like, maybe I could reach out to them later down the road. Especially now that they're a student, like there's not much they could do currently. Right. So just helping them create like a system and a file to Help keep them like managed and organized. Okay. And so you guys built this at school, basically. So future I said you guys are the future leaders. I didn't even know that you were a part of that. future business leaders, but you're tell t take me through what the education experience is now because parents, people who've already gone through school, they don't know like how drastically the learning experience has changed, the amount of information that's available. And the platforms through which you access it, traditional education just hasn't moved as fast as the information accessibility has. So what is your experience? I've been wondering ever since ChatGPT came out. I was like, what are the kids learning in school these days? Like well, I think like school was originally created for factory workers, right? In the industrial age. But I think now because like the world is like rapidly changing, it's not the curriculum is not keeping you up to date with what's happening in the real world. So that's why all these college graduates come out and they're like, Why can't I find a job? Like I took the traditional path, I went to school, I worked hard, I went got my college degree, and I come out and like unemployment rates are like sky high right now. And I think it's just because they're not teaching us and preparing us for the world that currently exists. It's just very outdated. Yeah. Yeah, I think add on to Caitlin too, like we're not learning much from school anymore. Decent formation we learn from like, let's say stats or other like math classes we're not gonna use in the future, right? So that's why we really emphasize on trying to build something that we can use in the future. And I really highly recommend like all the high school students who participate in the FPLA or we said earlier, future business leaders of America. 'Cause we learn so many skills that schools d will never teach, right? We learn soft soft skills like presentation, public speaking. Or even networking with other people. So I think school right now is not gonna help us a lot as much, but like organizations like FBLA is definitely gonna help us tremendously. Yeah. I hate to admit it, but I think I was on the early adoption curve of AI. Like I started using it when I was in seventh grade and I haven't done a real essay since. Hopefully if my teachers see this, they don't see this 'cause I haven't done anything legit. And it's like, it's like, I don't know what to do. Like, I don't know what to tell you. All the intelligence is in the prompting, you know? I know exactly. I feel like that's a bigger skill in it of itself. But yeah, so I think, but I think how the school system's managing AI is like they're trying to use AI to combat AI. But I think it should have been more like collaborative. Like how forking AI take you to where you are right now. But I think it's trying to say, like, are you using AI to use your assignment? But it they're trying to, I think the mentality is is definitely like a little bit flawed. Because there now there's AI trying to counteract AI and AI trying counteract AI. And it's like it's a pointless argument. And it's like the students are probably gonna win at the end of the day, just like cheating, and it's like it's always gonna find a way to figure it out. Right. So it's like how do we move past that? And I think it's you have to learn more of these soft skills because AI is probably gonna take eighty percent of these jobs in the future. And it's like everyone was telling you to become a software engineer, but now it's like it's not even like on the table for you to be a software engineer or go into CS. Like you'd be almost stupid to like try to attempt to go into it. And it's like what other jobs are they gonna take? And so the only thing that you can rely on is your own skills and the networking skills that you have and these soft skills that you can actually build up and just be able to talk and communicate and figure those things out. And so that's what we're trying to do with Hellitap to help empower students like that. Dude, I love that. I love that. I think Elon Musk is scaring all of us. He's kind of like saying how we're we're all gonna be unemployed in the future. So I think it's like why are we even going to school when it's not preparing us? For the world. Why be unemployed when you could employ AI to do Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Half the price, right? For half the price. Is it a quarter of the price of Twenty cents on the on the ten dollars, huh? sh No no, but we can cut it out if you want, but listen, you guys are a prime example of people who can actually speak. Young people, there's there's this kind like Older generations are like, these these new kids, they just they don't know how to communicate. You guys are walking proof that it's like that's not true. There's a tale of two cities with I feel like the TikTok generation, right? You got the people who just can't can't have a conversation, they just consume, they're just don't know how to express themselves. And then you have the future innovators and pioneers of this age. It's not gonna be you guys, people in your age group, younger, even you guys are the people that are gonna be creating the future that you're living in. And so you don't have a reference point to work off of without this technology for the most part. So you had a really advan advantageous position being able to communicate. So you guys are great. Super awesome. Did you guys give your pitch here? Yes. Yes. How was it? Did you were you guys the only high schoolers here? Like I think so. I think it was another high schooler. really? Yeah, that was a seventeen year old. Students and adults. Right. So how's that feel? I mean, you guys g you guys have school in the morning? I mean I'm not gonna lie. That was nerve wracking. Did you do your homework yet? Don't worry, Claude's doing it. Yeah, it's already working for me. I'm done. Homework's done for me. I finished it as soon as it was assigned. Yeah. I l I loved the experience. I think it was it was definitely nerve wracking, especially it's that's 30 seconds. Like it taught me a lot about like what you should say and what you shouldn't say within that 30 second period and like what not to do. And I think this was just a really good experience of just like Like I don't know how many other high schoolers can say that they've had the chance to pitch hundreds of people like within one sitting. So Yeah, and it looks like deal or no deal when you go in there. It's like crazy. I'm I'm stuck here in this room. I didn't get to see it, but maybe I'll maybe I'll get in there. one question I like to ask all my all my guests that I have on, and it takes people by surprise when I don't think it should, but what what does it mean to you to be human? Stumped. It is stumped. The eyes I am human. The eyes lost. I am human. I am human. I forgot about that. Best answer ever. I think as as a human, your job is to help other people. And that's what being an entrepreneur is as well. That's why I want to become an entrepreneur, is to help all the different people. I think money is almost irrelevant in the long run. Like everyone's gonna die in the future, but it's an impact, the legacy you leave behind. That's what's most important. And that's the legacy I want to leave behind as a human in the future. I love that. Yeah. I would say like being able to innovate, being able to Do things that other people can't and just being able to like with AI you could do all these things, but it's also programmed by humans. It's also like taught think by humans and like it's like what can you create and what can you build and what can you do with your life to create an impact and to leave that legacy, like what Max said. And I really resonate with that and agree. I like that. I think for me, like being human is about growth. And experiencing things. I kn I have a lot of friends that they're like, I wish I was born a Nepo baby where, you know, everything was kinda handed to them. They have like a they're born with a silver spoon. But I feel like what's the fun in ha everything being handed to you when you don't get experience like the bumps in the road along the way? And I feel like that's what being human is. You kinda you you fall and then you like grow and then you come back stronger and I mean that's what makes us different from robots. Like we're not perfect. It's like the mistakes that kind of like shape our past and then The growth shape our f shapes our future. So I think that's what being human means to me. I love it. You guys really shining here today. It's an honor to speak to you guys. You guys are gonna go create something amazing. You gotta step ahead of the game. Keep pushing AI and don't forget you're humans at the end of the day. I know we don't think about it every day, but it's something that's always true. That's that's like It's what makes us who we are is we're humans, we're not perfect. And you guys go out into the world, get more of your generation, focused on what it means to be alive, you know, and help help other people. You guys are already doing it, but help you guys are great at connecting. Keep doing that. I can't wait to see what you guys do. And I'm sure this is just one thing and you guys are all gonna do so many awesome things. You have your whole lives ahead of you. It's hard to even think about what does it mean to be human when you're still just like. I haven't even graduated high school. That's crazy. I was like, you guys look like you could be twenty in your twenties. So well maybe not this guy. I'm just saying, I'm just saying, I'm just where could people find you? what what message do you guys have for for the rest of the you know business world and and people out there? Where can they find me? They can find us at hello tap.com hello tap.com or on Instagram hello tap underscore. Or if you see us, you can tap our card and you can you can connect instantly. Let's do it. Let's try it right now. Let's try it. And didn't mean to flame you for being young, bro. I felt so No, no worries. I've been calling you baby for a while. He gets that all the time. Yeah, I get that with high. there we go. Yeah, there we go. That's my LinkedIn, right? Perfect. You went straight to it. Follow, connect. And you're not limited to just LinkedIn. You can do Instagram, your Link Tree. If you go to a party, right, just Instagram. More professional settings. You can set it up ahead of time and reprogram it. Yes. How do people do that? There's an app. There's an app is c I think it's called NFC Tools. We're trying to we're kind of in the process of coding our own app. So we're working with another friend. NFC Tools. NFC Tools. It's really easy to create. Awesome. Well, you guys, this was amazing. if you had one one thing that you would say to I guess, you know, your friends and family about what you're doing that they might not understand. People who might not understand what you're doing in your peer group or people above you. What would you say that you want people to understand more about what you're trying to do? That's the hardest question to hit. I think it's to take risks. I think especially where we like our school is it's like all these Asian kids trying to like become that doctor and become that lawyer. And it's like, there's actually so many different more career paths and there's not it's just not linear to the way you guys or a lot of people view it. And it's just like take risks and see where it goes and where it lands you and where it could actually prevent where it can lead you to be. Like if we didn't take risks, I don't think we would be here. And so I'm really grateful that we did take a lot of risks and that we all ended up being here together. So yeah, and being talking with you. So we love to see it. And I think that's something I wish a lot of people could take away from this. Yeah, I think adding on to Jacob is that I think we're we are obviously risk takers, but we're also here to fail, right? But we're learning from our failures right now because since we're so young, we can fail so many times and we can get back up. I think yeah, for us right now, our age, we're here to fail and learn. Yeah, and I'm grateful for Hello Tap. I think it's kind of brought all of us out of our shell and it's brought us to places like this where we can network and I think networking is really key. Like meeting adults to give us like kind of like their two cents on their path. So that's like really valuable insight. Yeah. Yeah. Take some of it, take some of it with a grain of salt because you guys are also forging your own path and blazing your own way. Learn from everyone you can and you know, just keep going. You guys are just getting started. So I mean, do you have a piece of advice for us? Where we leave today. You know what? my piece of advice would just be just be grateful for it. You know, like things will come and go. And you just keep yourself open to to what's gonna happen. And I think you guys are all open. But don't waste any time. Like time is super, super valuable and you guys have so much time ahead of you. No need to waste it. on emotions that don't serve you, on people who don't like treat you the way that you deserve to be treated. I think you guys are so free to to go out there and don't let what anyone tells you limit your own brains. And I think you guys have overcome some of that. But you'll run into diff you'll run into difficulties, you don't you just keep going through them. And it's just stay grateful. That's all I have to say. Thank you for having us. Thank you for having us. Awesome. You guys get out there, go network. Let's take a picture. I'll get you guys on Instagram. Let's go. Let's give it up to Shoda. If you enjoy what you heard today, make sure that you subscribe to our podcast, share this episode with a friend, and join our community. We are dedicated to supporting founders and bringing you more powerful stories from entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders who are building something meaningful. And a special shout out to Shoda for coming to our events, supporting our community, and interviewing the founders. Who are a part of it. So let's show Showdown some love by checking out his podcast, The Free World Show. We will include the links in the episode description. Thank you for listening. Don't forget to subscribe, and we will see you in the next episode. Bye, guys.