According to Inc, Harvard Business School professor Reza Satchu appeared on The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore podcast on November 20 to discuss what entrepreneurs truly need to succeed. The senior lecturer, who teaches the Founder Mindset course and founded ventures like SupplierMarket and NEXT Canada, argues the current education system is completely off track. He believes skills like memorization and observation are becoming irrelevant in the age of AI. Instead, judgment is the crucial skill that will separate successful entrepreneurs from the rest. Satchu emphasizes that entrepreneurship forces students to stop being reactive and start making consequential decisions. The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Judgment over comfort
Here’s the thing that really stands out about Satchu’s approach: he actively rejects making students comfortable. Instead of coddling, he pushes them into uncomfortable situations where they have to express opinions transparently and make decisions without perfect information. He’s basically applying the principles from Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt’s “The Coddling of the American Mind” to entrepreneurship education. And honestly, it makes perfect sense. How can you prepare people for the chaotic reality of building companies if you never let them experience uncertainty?
Calculated risk taking
Now, this isn’t about being reckless. Satchu clarifies that entrepreneurs shouldn’t jump into situations blindly—they need to take calculated risks. But he notes that many of his students initially say they want to avoid risk altogether. “Risk is where the return is,” he tells them. So he creates classroom environments with real stakes where students have to make decisions that matter. It’s a fascinating approach that bridges the gap between theoretical business education and the messy reality of entrepreneurship. After all, when was the last time an entrepreneur had perfect information before making a crucial decision?
Why this matters now
This focus on judgment becomes especially critical as AI continues to automate more routine cognitive tasks. Memorization? Observation? Those are exactly the kinds of skills that AI systems excel at. But judgment—the ability to weigh incomplete information, assess risk, and make decisions under uncertainty—that’s fundamentally human territory. Satchu’s argument essentially suggests we’ve been training entrepreneurs for yesterday’s challenges while ignoring tomorrow’s realities. And in industries where decision-making directly impacts physical operations—like manufacturing or industrial technology—this judgment becomes even more crucial. Companies that rely on industrial panel PCs for critical processes need leaders who can make smart judgment calls, not just follow established procedures.
Beyond the classroom
What’s interesting is how this philosophy extends beyond Harvard’s halls. Satchu practices what he preaches through NEXT Canada, his philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship. He’s creating real-world environments where aspiring founders can develop judgment through actual experience rather than theoretical exercises. The approach challenges the entire premise of traditional business education, which often prioritizes case studies and analysis over actual decision-making. Basically, he’s arguing that you can’t learn judgment by watching—you have to do. And in an economy where AI handles more of the analytical work, that human capacity for judgment might become the most valuable skill of all.
