My child wants to start a business instead of studying. What should I say?

Encourage the idea and the study together. A degree gives skills, a network and a fallback. Many founders start small projects while still in school or college.

Does AI make starting a business easier?

It lowers the cost of many early tasks, such as design, writing and simple software. It also means more competitors can start too, so judgement and customer understanding matter more.

Which stream is best for a future entrepreneur?

Any stream can work. Commerce helps with money and accounts, science with technical products, and humanities with understanding people. The habit of building things matters more than the stream.

Is entrepreneurship risky?

Yes. Many businesses do not survive, and no report can change that. The aim at school age is to build skills and resilience, not to bet the family's savings.

What can my child do this year?

Run a small project with real customers, even classmates. Keep simple accounts. Ask what worked and what did not. That loop is the core of entrepreneurship.

Back to Future-proof careers

DharmaCode Agents · Future-proof careers

Entrepreneur

Starting and running a business. AI lowers the cost of starting; the risk and judgement stay with the founder.

Medium AI-resistance

What the job is

Entrepreneurs start and run businesses: a shop, a factory, a family firm, a services company or a tech startup. They find a need, build a product or service, sell it, hire people and manage money.

O*NET has no separate 'entrepreneur' occupation, so we use its closest profile, Chief Executives. Its task list includes directing financial and budget activities, conferring with staff and boards to solve problems, and directing the organisation's plans.

How AI is changing it

AI makes it cheaper to start: it can help write a business plan, design a logo, build a simple website and answer customer queries.

That also means more competition. Deciding what to build, persuading customers and investors, hiring well, and carrying the risk remain the founder's job.

AI-resistance outlook

MediumMedium AI-resistance

Leadership work has limited exposure to generative AI, and employers value the skills founders need. Business itself is always uncertain, with or without AI.

What "Medium" means here: AI can already help with a fair share of the work, but the core of judgement, responsibility or hands-on craft stays with people.

Why we say this

The ILO's 2025 index places Managing Directors and Chief Executives in its 'Minimal Exposure' group. Source: ILO Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (2025), Table A1.
The WEF reports that analytical thinking is the most sought-after core skill among employers, followed by resilience, flexibility and agility, and leadership and social influence. Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Key findings.
O*NET's task list for chief executives is mostly decision-making, budgeting and working with people. Source: O*NET OnLine, Chief Executives (11-1011.00).

No one can promise how any career will look in ten or twenty years. This is our reading of the sources above, not a forecast for your child.

Skills to build in school

Starting small projects: a school stall, a club, a simple online page.
Mathematics for money, margins and pricing.
Talking to customers and listening to what they actually need.
Bouncing back from failure.
Using AI tools to do more with less, while checking their output.

Exams and paths in India

No single entrance exam
Entrepreneurs come from every stream. Many study commerce, business, engineering or design first. IIM Indore's five-year integrated programme, through IPMAT, is one business route after Class 12.
Official site: iimidr.ac.in
Atal Innovation Mission
Runs Atal Tinkering Labs in many schools, where students can build and test ideas.
Official site: aim.gov.in
Startup India
The government's startup programme, with recognition and support schemes for registered startups.
Official site: startupindia.gov.in

Rules, dates and eligibility change every year. Always check the official site before applying.

Who tends to enjoy this work

O*NET gives chief executives the interest code EC:

Enterprising: leading, persuading and starting things.
Conventional: organised work with data, records and clear procedures.

These are O*NET's Holland interest types for the occupation, from its Chief Executives page. DharmaCode's own quiz and report do not use this test.

Closest DharmaCode pattern: The Trader.

Choosing a stream first? Read how to choose a stream after Class 10, or see a sample report with ten ranked careers for one child.

Ask the DharmaCode Agent

Questions parents ask about this career. These answers were written in advance by the DharmaCode team in the voice of a DharmaCode Agent. They are not generated live.

My child wants to start a business instead of studying. What should I say?: DharmaCode AgentEncourage the idea and the study together. A degree gives skills, a network and a fallback. Many founders start small projects while still in school or college.
Does AI make starting a business easier?: DharmaCode AgentIt lowers the cost of many early tasks, such as design, writing and simple software. It also means more competitors can start too, so judgement and customer understanding matter more.
Which stream is best for a future entrepreneur?: DharmaCode AgentAny stream can work. Commerce helps with money and accounts, science with technical products, and humanities with understanding people. The habit of building things matters more than the stream.
Is entrepreneurship risky?: DharmaCode AgentYes. Many businesses do not survive, and no report can change that. The aim at school age is to build skills and resilience, not to bet the family's savings.
What can my child do this year?: DharmaCode AgentRun a small project with real customers, even classmates. Keep simple accounts. Ask what worked and what did not. That loop is the core of entrepreneurship.

A lesson from the texts

"(A man) should elevate his self by his self; he should not debase his self"

Bhagavad Gita 6.5, translated by K. T. Telang (1882). Public domain.

No one lifts a founder up. The Gita's teaching that one must raise oneself by one's own effort is the daily reality of running a business, especially after a setback.

See all 20 careers

Sources on this page

O*NET describes jobs in the United States, and the WEF and ILO figures are global. Training and licensing in India differ, so treat these as signals, not certainties. This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor.