Startup AdVenture

The land of the free and the home of the brave – the age-old saying that has defined America for generations. For many years, I perceived this as a self-aggrandising American-made claim; however, after returning from Silicon Valley, I feel I have a deeper understanding of this defining American characteristic and the potential it can unlock for entrepreneurship.

In November 2022, I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to head to vibrant Singapore as one of 35 UQ students taking part in UQ Ventures Startup AdVentures. We were to spend a month placed with various startups around Singapore to get an insight into startup life, and gain valuable experience in this diverse, dynamic and lively hub.

During the summer break, I had the opportunity to learn alongside a Singaporean startup called Antbuildz as part of the UQ Ventures Startup AdVenture program. Before the program, I had little to no experience or knowledge about the startup industry. However, after a month at my startup, attending startup events, and learning from my peers, my eyes have been opened to a fascinating new aspect of the business world.

I went into the Startup AdVenture Program with two objectives in mind; one, understand the startup world, and two, build my network connections. I can positively say, I achieved both objectives and more.

Over the mid-year break, I decided it was time for me to develop my employability skills. As a second year student, I applied for a Startup AdVenture worried that I would be out of my depth and my limited knowledge would hinder my ability to contribute.

During my Singapore Startup Adventure, I learnt a great deal about my strengths and weaknesses. Over the three weeks learning alongside my startup, I had the opportunity to use the knowledge and abilities I developed during my studies. I applied these skills daily, which gave me a better grasp and appreciation for them. But there were also times that I was assigned tasks where I had not the faintest clue on the subject.

In the mid-year break, I took part in the Startup AdVenture program where I learned alongside a startup for four weeks with Klaud9 — a startup based in Singapore using AI to connect businesses and brands with photographers in Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

As a final year computer science and physics student and chronic overthinker — when I looked at my resume and realised I didn’t have any workplace experience I started to stress. I remembered being told about a program that UQ Ventures offers, so after some online research I sent in my application.