Have you ever thought that it was impossible to start your own business? Jason Vianna, a UCSB sophomore, is living proof that anyone can achieve success through hard work and dedication. Jason has created 3rd Node Inc, a web company, with the help of his two friends right here in Isla Visa! Read on to learn more about his company and their achievements!
Q: What is the name of your company? Do you have any partners?
A: My company’s name is 3rd Node Inc and I’m in it with two of my friends (Christian DeHoyos and Justin Kasad). The story behind the name is pretty interesting given that it has to do with how UCSB wasn’t given the deserved acclaim for being part of the Internet creation process.
Q: What does your company specialize in?
A: We specialize in web development and mobile applications, but we are most interested in becoming a company that builds disruptive technology. Disruptive technology is basically any service that eventually changes the way humans interact because it is so powerful.
Q: How did you get started in web design?
A: I was a student at the International School of Curitiba in Brazil during all of my K-12 years. In 9th grade, we were taught how to make basic websites during computer class and from then on it became a hobby. By the time I graduated High School, I was proficient in 4 computer languages leading me to apply to UCSB as a Computer Engineering major. I am now a 2nd year Global Studies major though.
Q: What are some of the new projects you are working on?
A: We are currently working on 1night.Me- a peer-to-peer service that allows students to rent books off of each another for one night at a very low price. We ended up winning the Bay Area Startup Weekend with this idea.
Q: What is the Bay Area Startup?
A: The Bay Area Startup Weekend is an entrepreneurship competition in San Francisco. Over 120 entrepreneurs from around the world gathered at pariSoma, a collaborative workplace, to prove their talents. We were both the smallest and youngest team and we won it for UCSB. We received numerous prizes and some of the most sought after business cards in Silicon Valley.
Q: What is the favorite part about your job?
A: Working with my friends because it makes the startup process bearable. It is easy to work with someone you dislike when things are going well, but you need someone you like and trust when everything is falling apart.
Q: I hear you are offering an internship opportunity. What does it entail?
A: The internship opportunity is to become a city marketing intern to help us expand into the top cities around the U.S. We want to see what is happening around locations all over the world. Your job: take photos and add posts at the coolest events and locations around the city every day (photos of yourself, friends, clubs, bars, concerts, festivals, celebs… if anything cool is happening near you, go there and take pictures of it). We will pay you a stipend to go all over the city and document the summer on a daily basis. You should be creative, able to talk to new people, dependable every day and love going out.
Q: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Follow your dreams, you never know, they may just come true one day.
Q: How can people contact you for future jobs?
A: E-mail me or come find us at 6807 Pasado Road- we have an open door policy for any local startup that needs advice, connections, or simply wants to hang out and play a game of FIFA. We want to foster an environment that allows for the best hackers, artists, and academics on campus to come over and creatively collaborate with us.
For internship applications: Stop by our house and let us know what you have worked on.
Personal Contact Info:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvianna/
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.