Texas Convergent Incubator Testimonials
Hear from some of our founders, PMs, engineers, and designers on why they applied, what they got from their experience in the Incubator, and what recommendations they have for those of you who are unsure about joining.
Founders
“As a founder, I applied to Convergent because of their impressive level of professionalism for undergraduate students. Most incubators take a cut of equity, future profits, or charge an up-front fee, but Convergent does not — instead, they supply you with experienced and talented students to help turn your vision into a reality. The students involved are committed, brilliant, and dedicated to learning and doing anything needed to push the company forward. My company made tremendous progress and went from an idea to an MVP in a few weeks.”
— Will Cray, CS Grad Student, Founder of ReView
“Hi! I’ve applied to the Convergent Incubator program two times so far as a Founder, with two different startups. The first time, my team and I wanted to move quickly and get as much engineering talent as possible to help us make our ideas a reality. We were quickly able to get paired up and begin working with the Engineers, which was both extremely helpful and extremely eye opening for us, as they brought in outside perspectives we hadn’t even considered. We even ended up making one of the engineers we worked with during the program a full-on team member. During that same semester I was also serving as a PM for the program, which allowed me to see all the magic behind the scenes. If you’re on the fence about applying as a Founder, I can confidently say the Leaders and PMs of the program are working their hardest to help your startup out in anyway they can.”
— Sriram Hariharan, CS ’21, Founder / PM of Apply.fyi and Instok
PMs
“I decided to become a Business PM in Incubator because the role was at the intersection of tech and business, not to mention the allure of working with startups in a high-pace environment. I had previously been on a build-team and felt that the PM position was a unique way to build on that experience. As for the role of Incubator Director, my rationale for taking the position was that it would allow me to mentor and oversee the next generation of business/tech/design leaders. I really enjoyed my time as a PM and being Director gave me the opportunity to make sure that future students had a similar, if not better, experience.”
— Som Jadhav, MIS ’22, Former PM for Opinion Minion, Real Perspective, and Explorastay and Current Incubator Director for Convergent
“I chose to be a Technical PM for the Incubator, because after being an engineer for 3 different build teams, I wanted to experience a managerial role that allows me to communicate with all types of people with various backgrounds both on the technical and business sides of a team. I’m also fascinated by the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UT and wanted to be a supporting part of such a creative and driven community without having a startup myself.
After being a Technical PM for two startups, I’ve learned valuable skills such as how to manage and maintain technical deliverables, recognize strengths and weaknesses to better achieve team synergy, and most of all I’ve met many passionate and talented entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers who inspire and challenge me to be a better PM and colleague.
Being part of the Texas Convergent Incubator is one of the most fulfilling and worthwhile experiences you can get out of a student org at UT. This program strives to equip entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers with the support and resources needed to propel their business forward or develop their technical skills for industry-level use. If you’re looking for an experience that is both challenging and exhilarating and you want to meet like-minded people interested in the world of fast-growing tech and entrepreneurship, Incubator is the place to be.”
— Samantha Tuapen, CS ’22, Former PM for Pocket Punch and V2Admissions and Current Partnerships Director for Convergent
“My name is Harsh Choudhary, and I have been part of Convergent for a few years now — first as a freshman interested in entrepreneurship and now as an officer helping others pursue their own ideas and startups. The Convergent Incubator program is really unique in that it allows aspiring student startups to connect with like minded students who can help them grow and succeed. I joined as a freshman looking to connect with one of these startups and gain some first hand experience working at a startup.
My time at the startup I was paired with — Picko — was really fulfilling and I got to expand my network, meet some really cool people, and learn a ton about entrepreneurship through programs such as Longhorn Startup Lab and SEAL Accelerator. I highly recommend joining as an engineer/designer through Convergent Incubator if you’re looking to invest in and utilize the vibrant startup scene at UT. It’s something I might not have been exposed to if I wasn’t part of Convergent, and I’m really happy about the experience that came from it.
In recent semesters, I’ve also worked as an officer, more specifically a Technical PM, whose job is to act as a liaison and consultant to the startups and the engineers that are paired to work with them. Our job is to really help the two groups fit together and accomplish what they set out to do. This is a really fun role in that you can really impart some knowledge while at the same time continuing to get that strong connection to the entrepreneurship space. I’ve definitely learned about different aspects through my continued exposure to different startups as well as enjoyed passing down some advice to new startups.
I would highly encourage anyone thinking about joining Incubator to take the step — whether as a PM, founder, or engineer/designer. We have a really strong network of current students and alumni, as well as relationships with many organizations across the UT and greater Austin entrepreneurship space. I think there’s a lot to learn from the process and it’s a great experience.”
— Harsh Choudhary, CS ’21, Engineer for Picko and Technical PM for ReView
Engineers
“As with most other freshmen, my biggest exposure to computer science was a programming course in high school. Although introductory and intermediate programming classes build a solid foundation, it can be hard to actualize learned concepts. For this reason, I wanted to be involved with a student org, like Convergent, which prioritizes collaboration among students from different backgrounds to develop new technical products.
My biggest takeaway from Convergent was learning to effectively work on larger projects, which includes developing the skills necessary to work on a larger codebase and collaborate with others. Convergent also helped me meet other like-minded individuals with positive attitudes. I now feel considerably more confident in my abilities to start working on new projects or work with others in different ones.
I would absolutely recommend trying out Convergent. Last semester, I was an engineer, and my overall experience was rewarding, so much so that I intend to work with Convergent again this semester as a Tech PM. The combination of flexible work times, experience working with a real product, and incredibly knowledgeable members is why Convergent is a great fit.”
— Ruthvik Ananthula, CS ’24, Former Engineer for Tuktuk and Current Technical PM for the Incubator
“I was always interested in learning about start-ups and working with a small, talented team, so Texas Convergent was immediately appealing to me. Through Texas Convergent’s Incubator program, I was able to work in a real start-up with a brilliant graduate and undergraduate students from UT who mentored me and taught me all about machine learning and mobile app development. To anyone who was thinking about joining the Incubator program, I would say that it has been one of the most beneficial and fun experiences I’ve had and highly recommend you give it a try!”
— Shravan Ravi, CS ’24, Former Engineer for ReView and Current Technical PM for the Incubator
“Joining the Convergent Incubator program in the 2nd semester of my sophomore year was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in college. At the time, I was struggling to find an internship and get experience as a developer. Applying as an engineer in the Incubator program was the perfect opportunity because you essentially get to participate in a semester long mini-internship for a startup you get matched with. In my case, I got to work with ThousandThread, a wonderful upcoming startup on campus that lets students rent and buy clothes from each other. During my semester with the program, it was rewarding being able to improve and apply my development skills in a real-world setting, practice agile methodology, and collaborate with others on the team — all skills that prepared me for my internship later that summer. Since then, I’ve continued to work with ThousandThread outside of Convergent, become more aware of the startup landscape on campus, and become more involved in Convergent as a Tech Lead for their Build Team program where I’ve met countless individuals that are just as passionate as I am about the intersection of technology, business, and design. For anyone that’s on the fence about joining, the Incubator program is a great way to meet amazingly talented people, get involved in the startup community, and grow as an engineer.”
—Yash Kakodkar, CS ’22, Former Engineer for ThousandThread and Current Tech Build Team Lead for Convergent
Designers
“I first learned of Texas Convergent through one of the design courses I was taking. Upon learning more about the org, I knew this would be a good place and opportunity to learn new things as a designer and also practice my existing skillset. Through the Incubator program, I was able to work with several different start-ups and experience how engineer, design, and product manager leads work closely together. I was also able to be extremely hands-on with the work and see how my final designs were being implemented in the final product, which was the most exciting part for me! If you’re on the fence about applying to join this program, just know that everyone is super welcoming, from the officer board to teammates, and we’re all here to help each other grow and learn through the process. This will be a great chance to experience a similar working experience you’d find after college, meet like-minded people, and also help founders grow and build out some cool products!”
— Joy Lu, Advertising ’21, Designer for Tuktuk, Instok, and Explorastay
“As a part of Incubator, designers get hands-on experience while working with startups. They are key in helping carry out a founder’s vision and collaborate with software engineers and Product Managers to deliver exceptional user experiences. Designers value both the aesthetic and functionality of a product and are tasked with conducting user research, creating wireframes, and using human-centered design principles. In past semesters, designers have worked with fin-tech, social impact, and ed-tech startups and had the opportunity to design tech-powered solutions to everyday problems. As a Former Design Lead, design consulting and working with companies has reminded me that providing a positive, meaningful experience for the user is the goal. Losing sight of the user is the most costly thing for any company. To anyone on the fence about applying, you don’t want to miss out on working with a talented and dedicated group of Technical leads, PMs, and designers who want to help you take your company to the next level!”
— Rifaa Tajani, MIS and Design ’23, Former Design Lead and Current Design Director for Convergent
