How Natural Leader Aaron Liu Guided Argyros Through the Unknown

Aaron Liu is a 15-year-old rising high school junior with a global perspective. 

Born in Nanjing, China, he moved to Vancouver, Canada, at a young age. His childhood was split between both countries, spending grades one through six back in China before returning to Vancouver, an international upbringing that helped shape his adaptability and open mindset. 

When exploring summer opportunities, Liu sought an environment focused strictly on practical business creation rather than a STEM-heavy curriculum. LaunchX stood out to him as a top-tier entrepreneurship program dedicated entirely to teaching students how to build a company from the ground up. He opted specifically for the month-long, in-person Flagship program.

Liu was drawn into LaunchX for its true, authentic business experience. “After some research, I found it's one of the best entrepreneurship focused ones,” he said. “I like how LaunchX is specifically on business and entrepreneurship because that is exactly what I want to go into.”

He arrived on campus with a clear personal target, to build a sustainable venture that could outlast the duration of the program. Stepping away from home for a full month marked his longest time away from his family. Though he arrived without knowing anyone, he embraced the challenge to build lasting connections with driven peers from around the world and test his abilities.  

“In one month, a lot of things can happen. Throughout a month, ideas can pivot like team members, there can be conflicts and I want to experience more of what it's like to create a real business in a longer span of time,” he said.

Taking Initiative Under Pressure

Working with four other equally ambitious teammates brought an immediate test of team dynamics. Andrew Choi, Yuxuan Ma, Mugilan Praveen, and Wakaya Yamane arrived at LaunchX with a distinct passion, spanning tennis, baking, motorcycles, and software coding, making it difficult to agree on a single venture during the first week. 

“It was definitely the hardest in the first week because everybody came into this program having a specific idea that they want to execute, but we're all such different people,” he explained.

Recognizing that chasing a "perfect" idea was impossible and causing the team to lag behind, he helped guide the group through three distinct iterations before officially committing to a fashion accessories concept by week two. A revelation he revealed: “You need to make sacrifices for your team to actually operate well,” Liu said.

As early pitch deadlines approached, the group found itself falling behind on key deliverables, lacking clear task ownership and direction. Recognizing that the business was at risk of unraveling, Liu took the initiative late one night to step up. He began organizing detailed action-item lists for each member, structuring meetings, and establishing clear accountability to get their pitch preparation back on track. 

His leadership style wasn't about authority, but momentum. “I think every team needs a leader,” Liu said. “ I don't think it's like the leader on top, saying, 'you guys need to do this, come up here.' It's the leader saying, 'let's come together, let me set the direction. Let's all head this way.”

Liu realized that leading a team of peers requires setting direction collaboratively rather than acting authoritatively. His proactive efforts to keep the team unified not only saved the venture's momentum but also earned him the program’s "Best Leader" superlative award.

Startup Venture: Argyros

With a solidified concept in place, Liu and his team co-founded Argyros, a fashion accessories brand specializing in belt chains, keychains, and belts. To establish a functioning business model quickly, the team launched using a Shopify drop-shipping framework. “We decided to do drop-shipping so that it's much easier for us to operate on a business level, but also we can implement some high AI tools to generate models to get pictures,” he explained.

Operating as Chief Creative Officer, Liu directed the venture's brand strategy and aesthetic, ensuring the product selections catered to a distinct visual market. 

To elevate their online presence, the team leveraged AI tools to create stylized product models and high-quality imagery. On the marketing front, Liu focused on driving social media engagement by launching an Instagram contest that offered a $200 prize to followers who posted the best outfit featuring an Argyros accessory.

Building the business was not without its hurdles. “The hardest part visually was balancing detail with simplicity,” he explained. “On the website, there was so much clutter at first, and I had to strip it down so the products actually stood out."

Liu worked to overcome several technical and design obstacles, including refining the website's user interface to eliminate visual clutter and creating a slide deck that balanced detailed text with clean, engaging visuals. Liu revealed, “We encountered tech glitches with Shopify and domain routing, but fixing those roadblocks forced us to understand every single gear in our operating system.”

His hands-on problem-solving ensured that the team built a complete foundation capable of generating sales and scaling beyond the summer.

Demo Day Performance

As Demo Day approached, Liu ensured the team finalized their pitch deck two days early so they could shift focus entirely from slide editing to delivery. Taking their brand aesthetic seriously, he coordinated all-black formal attire paired with silver jewelry for the team on stage, creating a cohesive visual presence that mirrored the Argyros product line. 

Liu explained his vision for the team and the preparation for Demo Day. “With the pitch deck, we had to make sure the visuals matched our brand aesthetic,” he said. “ It couldn't look like a standard high school presentation, it needed to look like an established streetwear label."

When it came time to pitch, Liu delivered the entire second half of the presentation without relying on a memorized script. “I didn't use a script for my entire half of the pitch. I knew the business inside and out that I didn't need to memorize sentences."

He explained his belief on why a script can do more harm than good when you’re presenting. "When you memorize a script, you sound like a robot,” he shared. “ If you actually care about what you built, you just talk to the audience like you're telling them a story. Pitching without a script gives you the freedom to react to the room's energy and make genuine eye contact with the judges."

Speaking directly from his deep familiarity with the business model, unit economics, and slide visuals, he presented with a calm confidence that kept the audience engaged.

During the Q&A session with investors, he stepped up to handle questions surrounding drop-shipping logistics and financials. His honest, grounded responses left the panel with a strong impression of the team's operational clarity. 

Program Takeaways & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Liu has no plans to let Argyros remain a summer project. Over the next three months, his goal is to transition the company away from its initial drop-shipping model and toward custom designs and direct manufacturing relationships. 

“We're not stopping just because LaunchX ended. My goal for the next three months is to shift away from drop-shipping and move toward custom manufacturing. We laid the foundation, but now comes the real work of expanding the product line and scaling our customer base,” he explained. 

By prioritizing product quality and establishing a unique design identity, he aims to build a lasting brand where reasonable pricing meets genuine style. 

For prospective students considering a high-intensity entrepreneurship program, Liu’s advice is rooted in authenticity. He emphasizes the importance of staying true to yourself, maintaining bold ambition, and remaining humble enough to recognize how much you still have to learn.

Liu says to, "Embrace the stress and the late nights because those are the exact moments where you grow the most as a leader."