Building from scratch in Hanoi
When I applied for the Startup AdVenture, I expected to do a simple intern project at a relatively established startup. Instead, I found myself doing full stack development at ESGTech, a project that was barely two months old. That gap between expectation and reality ended up being the most valuable part of the whole experience.
ESGTech is building an app-based platform to help small and medium enterprises quantify their ESG performance, receive tailored recommendations, and connect with businesses that can help improve their sustainability outcomes. It is an ambitious goal for any company, let alone one still finding its feet. Working there meant nothing was set in stone. One morning we would be told to pack up and work from a completely different location, no warning, no agenda, just move. That kind of unpredictability is hard to simulate in a university setting, but it is the reality of early-stage startup life.
Our base of operations started at a startup hub room at the at a local Hanoi university. The setup was modest but functional, and sharing the space with my fellow interns made the long days feel less like work and more like a shared mission.
There is something about being thrown into an unfamiliar environment with a group of people that accelerates how quickly you get to know each other.
Beyond the day-to-day at ESGTech, the program opened doors to Hanoi's broader professional ecosystem. I attended seminars and training sessions through the International Energy Agency, where I picked up perspectives on sustainable development that I would not have encountered in a lecture theatre. I met researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who are working on energy transition across Southeast Asia, and those conversations shifted how I think about where engineering and sustainability intersect.
One evening that stands out was the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AusCham) in Vietnam networking night in Hanoi. Walking into a room full of Australians building careers and businesses in Vietnam felt like finding a piece of home on the other side of the world. The people I spoke with had taken unconventional paths, leaving comfortable roles in Australia to chase opportunities in a market that is growing fast and rewarding those willing to adapt.
Our group of 20 students came from all corners of UQ - business, law, design, health sciences - and that mix made for far richer conversations than I would have had working alongside other engineering students alone. We debated everything from the best phở in the Old Quarter to how Vietnam's rapid economic growth is reshaping its cities.
If I had to pick one moment that captured the spirit of the trip, it would be a dinner late in the program. After a full day of touring, our whole group, UQ students and our Vietnamese buddies from FPT University, sat down together at one long table for a family-style meal. It was loud, chaotic, and full of laughter. Nobody was thinking about work or deadlines. It was just a group of people from different backgrounds sharing food and stories, and it reminded me why experiences like this matter more than any line on a resume.
This program pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I did not anticipate.
I came to Hanoi expecting to learn about design. I left with full stack development experience, a network that spans many countries, and a much clearer sense of how I want my career in engineering to intersect with the wider world.
A big thank you to UQ Ventures, particularly Fi and the Startup AdVenture team, as well as Ms. Lan at ESGTech for her guidance and trust throughout the placement. I would strongly encourage any student, to take the chance and apply!