We are highlighting Brunon Walczak as our Alumni Spotlight of the month! See below to hear more about his experience with TVL.
What are some of the most important takeaways you gained from your time with TVL, and how have you applied them to your personal and professional life?
The most important takeaways I got from TVL concern good communication, managing expectations, and taking opportunities to learn. Early on in my discussions with the client, I had to set up goals and subtasks in a way that wouldn’t interfere with my day-to-day work, and that would enable me to learn as much as possible about business/finance/startups. With a time commitment of 10 hours/week, that didn’t leave a lot of room for sprawling, multi-part projects, and we instead decided on streamlined, success assignments that built off of one another. Some of these jobs exercised pre-existing skills, while others involved learning about new industries and techniques. All of these translated well into my professional work, as I felt more confident about undertaking novel challenges and roles while communicating pain points and progress in a more effective way.
What programs were you involved in with TVL, and what was your favorite part about them?
I was involved with the TVL Practicum (the seminar-style course hosted within the business school) and the TVL Fellows Program. The former was eye-opening as it introduced me, even tangentially, to a lot of fascinating startups in the Austin area and their challenges/tasks while expanding and growing. My team was also great to work with and taught me a lot about applying interdisciplinary skills to diverse challenges like startup development. The latter was much more “on-the-ground.” This ended up being my favorite part as I got to see hardware in person, talk to the team developing real-world hardware, and see exactly what my work was being applied to.
What inspired you to get interested in the entrepreneurship and startup world?
Living in Austin means “startup culture” is omnipresent. It serves as a nexus for independent business development and incentivizes ideation and innovation. I was first exposed to these topics while a student at UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering. Many of my peers (and even some professors/workplace directors) emphasized the importance of and resources within the University’s startup ecosystem. Though I myself did not have the entrepreneurial spirit to invest time and money into such an endeavor, I was inspired by those who followed their passions into starting companies and turning ideas into reality. This inevitably led me to work for an aerospace startup in the Austin area!
What is your favorite place to grab tacos in Austin?
The objectively correct answer is the beloved Taco Joint™, directly across the street from the engineering quadrant on San Jac. However, honorable accolades must be given to the polished network of Veracruz All-Natural and local newcomers Vaquero Taquero (the former for its presentation and horchata, the latter for its unbeatable price point and authenticity). Lastly, there is a dark horse to this gladiatorial tournament: Cuantos Tacos. They really do a traditional Mexico City-style street taco justice.