Going up against 229 teams from 30+ countries was an eye-opening experience
When we first heard about the Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge, we saw it as the perfect opportunity to develop our idea. 229 teams from 30+ countries? Honestly, we weren't expecting to make it to the finals — we were focused on using this challenge to push ourselves and realize our vision, regardless of the outcome.
But sometimes life surprises you. Through focused work, countless iterations, and genuine commitment to solving a real problem, we somehow made it to the Top 8. Here are five lessons that Stanford finals taught us — lessons that transformed how we approach any challenge.
1. Problem Definition is Everything (And We Almost Blew It)
This was our biggest reality check: you must clearly define the problem you're solving, validate that it actually exists, and only then start looking for solutions. Sounds obvious, right? Trust me, it's not.
The Stanford challenge theme was 'Reimagining Education and Learning for Long Lives' — deliberately broad to encourage diverse thinking. But that breadth became our trap. We spent weeks lost in research, trying to solve everything at once.
We investigated how older adults interact with technology, examined generational relationships, and explored ways to connect them for mutual learning — older adults gaining tech skills, younger people learning life wisdom.
The key insight: Stanford doesn't want solutions hunting for problems. They want clearly identified problems with validated solutions.
2. Validate Through Real Interviews, Not Assumptions (Oops)
Our mentors kept repeating this like a mantra: define your problem precisely and validate it through interviews with your target group. We nodded along, thinking we understood. We didn't.
When we finally conducted interviews with families, older adults, and young people, these conversations completely shattered our assumptions. We discovered insights that no amount of desk research could have revealed.
Lesson learned: Don't build based on what you think people need. Build based on what they actually tell you they need. Revolutionary concept, I know.
3. Getting Accepted is Just the Beginning (Keep Building)
Here's what happened after we got accepted: instead of celebrating and coasting, we doubled down. We kept developing our idea, testing with more users, and refining the game mechanics based on their feedback.
Our goal crystallized: create a physical MVP that we could bring to finals and demonstrate in real life. We wanted judges to see, touch, and experience our solution — not just hear about it.
The lesson: getting accepted isn't the finish line — it's your starting gun. Use the time between acceptance and finals to iterate, test, and build something tangible that proves your concept works.
4. Stop Overthinking — Deadlines Are Your Friend
This was our biggest time-waster: endlessly overthinking the solution. You want to create the perfect product, so you create different versions, wonder if this approach is right, think 'what if we do this instead?' or 'what if we add that feature?' The cycle continues until someone gives you a deadline.
Stanford's deadline literally saved us from infinite iteration hell. It forced us to pick one version and move forward. Looking back, that constraint was the best thing that happened to us.
Most teams probably struggle with this perfectionism trap. You can spend months perfecting ideas in your head, but eventually, you need to stop iterating and start testing with real people.
5. Focus on the Big Picture, Not the Details
When presenting your idea — whether in applications or final presentations — focus on the core concept of how you solve the problem. In a 5-7 minute pitch, nobody cares if your platform has a login page or if your game has 6 pieces versus 8.
At Stanford, every team had exactly 7 minutes to present. The successful presentations focused on the core concept and problem-solution fit, not whether the app icon was blue or green.
Paint the big picture first. Save the pixel-perfect details for later.
What I Learned at Stanford
When we met the other teams at Stanford, we quickly realized everyone had incredible ideas and had put enormous effort into shining at finals. The competition was genuinely tough — every team brought polished presentations and meaningful solutions.
Solutions ranged from digital platforms to physical products. Interestingly, two other teams besides ours had physical products — games, actually. We weren't alone in thinking outside the digital box.
Every team was well-prepared and had something valuable to contribute. It was inspiring to see so many innovative approaches to improving education and learning for longer lives.
If You Don't Make It to Finals (That's Okay Too)
Let's be honest — not everyone will make it to finals, and that's completely normal. Out of 229+ applications, only 8 teams made it to Stanford. The odds were never in anyone's favor.
But here's what matters: the value isn't just in reaching finals. It's in everything you learn along the way — problem definition, user interviews, iterations, deadline pressure. These skills will serve you in every future project.
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know have stories of rejections and missed opportunities that led them to even better paths. Any rejection might be redirecting you toward something that's a better fit.
Keep building, keep testing, keep learning. The lessons you're gaining now are preparing you for the right opportunity.
What Happened After Stanford
Here's something I haven't mentioned yet: we didn't win one of the top 3 places at Stanford. And honestly? That didn't stop us from continuing to work on our idea with the same passion as if we had won first place.
We're grateful for the entire journey and everything we learned. What happened after Stanford was actually quite encouraging. While we can't share all the details just yet, let's just say the Stanford experience opened doors we hadn't even imagined.
Our goal from the very beginning was to create something that would help people and bring generations together. That mission guided us then, and it continues to guide us today.
The Bottom Line
If you're considering applying to any design challenge or competitive program, here's what I wish someone had told us upfront:
- Start with the problem, not the solution
- Validate everything through real user interviews
- Keep building after acceptance — it's just the beginning
- Use deadlines to stop overthinking and start building
- Focus on the big picture, not implementation details
The most important lesson? Define your problem clearly, validate it exists, and then — and only then — build your solution. Everything else follows from there.
Good luck with your applications. The experience was transformative, and the lessons learned extend far beyond any single competition.
— Ivana Perić