A great business idea doesn’t do you any good if you keep it to yourself. Like a car sitting in the showroom, it may look great, but you can’t just kick the tires and turn the engine before signing on the dotted line. You need to take it for a test drive to see how it handles out in the real world.

Seeing if anybody else thinks it’s a good idea – in other words, finding out if there are people out there who will want to either invest in your business or buy your product – is a critical step in launching any business. You have to be smart about it though. You need to find the right stage to showcase your ideas, as well as the right audience.

Each year, the prestigious Nantucket Conference offers a set of passes to entrepreneurs under the age of 30, sponsored by various VC firms, corporations, and generous individuals. The "Under 30" program enables early-stage entrepreneurs to present their businesses to Nantucket Conference participants, and get formal and informal advice throughout the two-and-a-half day event. The entrepreneurs are selected both by the underwriters of the Under 30 program and the conference organizers.