Start With the Problem: Lessons From the First Year

About this event

What happens when a problem you experienced as a student becomes the inspiration for a startup years later? While attending community college, Ying Lin saw firsthand how students could spend years developing valuable, hands-on skills, yet struggle to find opportunities that connected their education to a career. His journey eventually took him to UC Berkeley, where he earned a computer science degree, and then to Amazon, where he worked on Amazon Q, an AI assistant for software developers. Armed with new skills and experience, Ying decided to tackle a problem he had seen years earlier. The result was Diploy, a company focused on connecting people to quality careers in their communities. Today, Diploy offers a hiring platform that helps employers find, screen, and hire local talent, while giving students and job seekers tools to connect with career opportunities. But building a startup is rarely a straight line. In its first year, Diploy pivoted four times, learning from students, educators, and employers along the way. Through it all, the mission remained the same, even as the approach continued to evolve. Join us as Ying shares: • How his personal experiences inspired him to become a founder • What four pivots in one year taught him about building a startup • Why listening to customers matters more than falling in love with your first solution • Lessons from developing software in the age of AI • How to stay committed to a mission while being willing to change direction Whether you're building a company, exploring a new idea, or simply interested in how technology can solve real-world problems, you'll find valuable insights in Ying's journey. About Ying Lin Ying Lin is the Founder and CEO of Diploy, a career-development platform connecting Career Technical Education students, educators, and employers. A UC Berkeley computer science graduate, Ying previously worked at Amazon on Amazon Q, an AI assistant for software developers. He combines his software engineering background, personal ties to the trades, and interest in education to create stronger pathways from the classroom to a career. In its first year, Diploy has been used by more than 1,000 students, tradespeople, and employers across 15 states.