F1 in Schools

A school project that combined engineering, teamwork, data analysis, and competitive pressure -- essentially startup skills disguised as a STEM competition.

The Competition

F1 in Schools is a global STEM competition where student teams design, build, and race miniature Formula 1 cars. It is one of the largest STEM challenges in the world, operating in dozens of countries. The competition covers the full engineering lifecycle: aerodynamic design, manufacturing, testing, branding, and presentation. Teams are judged not just on car speed but on their engineering process, teamwork, and ability to present their work under pressure.

Shaurya was involved in the project at Jebel Ali School in Dubai, and the team took it seriously. Everything was tracked -- CSV data files, car designs, performance metrics, iterative testing results. The level of organisation was high: version-controlled data, systematic performance analysis, and structured documentation of design decisions. This was not a casual school project; it was a serious engineering effort with real competitive stakes.

What It Actually Taught

On the surface, F1 in Schools is about building a fast miniature car. In practice, the skills it develops map directly to the real world. Project management -- coordinating a team, setting deadlines, tracking progress, managing resources. Data analysis -- interpreting test results, identifying patterns, making evidence-based design decisions. Presentation skills -- explaining technical work to judges, defending design choices, communicating under pressure. Teamwork -- dividing responsibilities, resolving disagreements, trusting others with their part of the work.

For Shaurya, these are not abstract skills -- they are the same ones he uses every day in his ventures. Managing the LockIn B2B strategy with Yash and Ansh. Analysing user data for Simplifly. Presenting at co/Build demos. Coordinating AI+Frnds events. F1 in Schools was a training ground for the builder life, even if it did not feel like it at the time.

The co/Build Connection

The crossover between school projects and the builder community showed up in an unexpected way. Armaan Khan, a core co/Build member, was selling F1 diecast collectible cars at co/Build events. The worlds that seem separate -- school STEM competitions and Dubai's startup community -- overlap more than you would expect. Interests spill across contexts. The same person who cares about aerodynamic efficiency in a school project cares about product-market fit in a startup. The curiosity is the common thread.

The Engineering Mindset

F1 in Schools reinforced an approach that runs through all of Shaurya's work: measure, iterate, improve. The competition demands that you test your car, record the results, identify what can be improved, make the change, and test again. That cycle -- build, measure, learn -- is the same methodology behind LockIn's feature development, Simplifly's B2B pivot, and Raly's data infrastructure. The school competition and the real ventures share the same DNA.

The competition also taught the value of constraints. You cannot build any car you want -- there are specifications, weight limits, material requirements. Working within those constraints forces creativity. The same is true for building apps as a teenager with no funding: constraints force resourcefulness, and resourcefulness produces better outcomes than unlimited resources ever could.

See also: School & Education | School Life | Armaan Khan | co/Build | Building Philosophy