A University of Manchester computer science student has returned from Y Combinator Startup School 2026 in San Francisco with lessons for fellow students on how early-stage founders think, build and decide. Arpan Pandey, a third-year student working on hardware for efficient AI, attended the event this summer with support from the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC).
Key facts
- Arpan Pandey is a third-year Computer Science student at The University of Manchester.
- He travelled to San Francisco for Y Combinator Startup School 2026.
- The trip was supported by the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre.
- Pandey had already taken part in MCEL30011 Advanced Technology Enterprise and MEC Get Pitching.
- He said the trip helped him better understand how founders move when there is no clear roadmap.
What this means for Manchester students interested in entrepreneurship
Pandey’s trip points to a practical route into entrepreneurship at Manchester: students can start with teaching and extracurricular support, then move into funded or supported opportunities such as travel to major startup events. The university says MEC is its focal point for enterprise and entrepreneurship teaching, learning and startup support for students, researchers and alumni.
For students, the immediate takeaway is that you do not need to arrive with a fully formed company before engaging. Pandey said his advice to others was to “aim high and apply” and that students do not need to have everything figured out before putting themselves forward.
- Support available: workshops, mentorship and venture programmes through MEC.
- Who it is for: students, researchers and alumni.
- Example pathway: module participation, pitching activity and then wider entrepreneurship events.
Why did Arpan Pandey go to Startup School?
Pandey said he wanted to understand what happens after the building starts: how early technical ideas become real companies, and what founders focus on in the first uncertain stages. He said the goal was to bring those lessons back and share them with other students.
His interest was tied to his own technical background. He described himself as a “very technical and technically curious person,” and used the trip to explore how founders act when there is no clear roadmap yet.
What stood out in San Francisco?
Pandey said the scale of the city was visible right away, from AI billboards on every corner to driverless taxis. He said San Francisco felt like a city that “breathes startups,” and that one of the main benefits of the trip was meeting founders and students building things he had not seen before.
The event itself also offered direct exposure to prominent figures in technology and AI. Among the speakers Pandey highlighted were Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Boris Cherny of Anthropic, Dmitri Dolgov of Waymo and Max Hodak of Science Corp.
What lessons did he bring back?
From Jensen Huang, Pandey noted an argument that it is now cheap and fast to start a company, and that everyone should understand how to build with AI, even if they later use off-the-shelf tools. Huang’s advice on ambition, as Pandey described it, was to approach big problems with “how hard can it be?”
From Boris Cherny, he took away the idea that founders should experiment aggressively and take on harder tasks than they expect. Cherny’s message, as Pandey summarised it, was that there is no single “golden path.”
From Dmitri Dolgov, he noted the gap between demos and production. Pandey said Dolgov pointed to Waymo’s long path from early autonomous-driving miles to road deployment and described scaling as a game of “9s,” where reliability becomes increasingly hard to improve.
From Max Hodak, Pandey highlighted the importance of judgement, urgency and resourcefulness, including the view that you cannot delegate your own judgement and that taking action can generate information when you are stuck.
What did he value most?
Pandey said the conversations outside the formal sessions were just as valuable as the talks themselves. He said he learned a lot at the after-events by meeting founders and seeing how far ahead some frontier startups already are.
His message to other students was straightforward: apply for opportunities like this even if they do not feel fully prepared. In his view, the point is to take the next step rather than wait until every detail is solved.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre?
The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre is the University of Manchester’s focal point for enterprise and entrepreneurship teaching, learning and startup support. It helps students, researchers and alumni turn ideas into real-world impact through workshops, mentorship and venture programmes.
How can Manchester students get involved?
The university says MEC supports entrepreneurship across different stages, whether students are exploring an idea, building skills or looking for venture support. Pandey’s example shows that students can start through teaching, pitching activities and then apply for further opportunities.
