How two engineering students are pursuing side hustles while finishing their degrees
From left: Yash Chokshy and Yadavan Satguneswaran. Photo credit: Jaye Huynh
Yadavan Satguneswaran is a mechatronics engineering student by day and an aspiring ceramics artist by night. His specialty? Coasters.
Satguneswaran, who is graduating in the winter semester, started his coaster-making journey when he bought a CNC router machine – production equipment controlled by pre-programmed software and code – during the pandemic with the help of his dad.
Satguneswaran used the design skills he learned in high school to make one-of-a-kind coasters. Photo credit: Jaye Huynh
“I learned how to use Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator in high school when I took media art classes,” said Satguneswaran. “I’m passionate about making unique designs and decided that a CNC router machine was the perfect outlet for my creativity.”
After getting a diamond-tip engraving tool, Satguneswaran realized he could make custom engravings on the ceramic coasters. At the SLC’s winter market, he made $225 selling 15 coasters and hopes to sell more through his Etsy (external link) and Instagram (external link) accounts. He is also hoping to expand into aluminum keychains in the future.
Chokshy decided to launch a YouTube channel with his neighbour, after becoming friends during the pandemic. Photo credit: Jaye Huynh
Yash Chokshy, another engineering student graduating next year, turned his YouTube side hustle into a profitable endeavour.
About a month after the pandemic caused widespread lockdowns, Chokshy teamed up with his 12-year-old neighbour to create a YouTube channel called Dodda Men (external link) where they recorded themselves engaging in role-playing games, such as Minecraft and Bloons TD Battles.
“We were both cooped up inside and we thought, if we are already on our phones playing these games separately, why don’t we team up and make a YouTube channel?” said Chokshy. “It started as a pastime and a way to learn how to produce videos.”
A year later, Yash and his neighbour reached 1,000 subscribers and were getting positive feedback on their videos. Due to the steady stream of video views, with their most popular video reaching 81,000 views, the duo made $400 in six months.
Chokshy would typically spend four to five hours a week on his YouTube side hustle – which included playing the game on his phone, editing it and uploading it. He hasn't uploaded a video since the fall semester started and his focus shifted on completing his final year at TMU.
He isn’t sure if he will expand his YouTube channel in the future but he does know he’d like to pursue a career in engineering focused on research and development to one day create machines that change peoples’ everyday lives.
Wilock says students shouldn’t be scared to fail when building their startup as this is an integral part of the process. Photo credit: Ingrid Forster
Both Satguneswaran and Chokshy attended the BYO Side Hustle workshop at the DMZ Sandbox, hosted by Ryan Wilock, startup advisor at Zone Learning, and sessional lecturer at TMU. The event was part of a variety of informative and engaging programming hosted by Zone Learning for Global Entrepreneurship Week from November 14 to 18.
Wilock says he created the workshop so students could collaborate and make connections with other budding entrepreneurs.
“One of the biggest challenges that new entrepreneurs face is not collaborating enough with each other,” says Wilock. “Through this workshop I want students to talk about their side hustles and see how they can help each other.”
For students looking to try entrepreneurship, Wilock says the most important first step is to identify a need in the market for a particular product or service. He also suggests that students who know a lot about a particular subject and are formulating a solution should assume a beginner’s mindset by recognizing that most people will not know what they are developing.
For more information about Zone Learning and how you can get involved in entrepreneurial activities, visit their website. Zone Learning Navigators are also available to help you through the various services and opportunities – more information can be found on the website.
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