Sean Lai
Sean is currently a junior studying computer science. He previously built out data systems for startups and was the first undergraduate fellow at Manus AI. Outside of building dev tools for himself you'll find him cooking or attending broadway shows with friends.
Background
2026
President
2025
Vice President
2024
Startup Week Lead
2023
Startup Week Committee
Why tech@nyu?
It's the community. Personally really subscribed to the idea that you become the people you spend the most time together, and I see drive in so many of my friends through the club. It's also fun, since as much as we love to code, grind for the jobs, and push ourselves to bring voices, we love hosting dinners, socials, and retreats.
What was your journey into SWE?
Played one too many games and loved the idea of intelligent enemies or better teammates (iykyk). Particularly got too good at Valorant and learned along the way there was this thing called AI making NPCs better than some people at games, and it kickstarted the whole journey of me coding actual products instead of playing games.
What has helped you succeed?
Give without expecting anything. I'd say so much of what we're told is to be taking for ourselves, but I've found that genuine generosity with initiative never goes to waste. It's been how I've been able to meet cool people at NYU and in the startup ecosystem.
How do you spend your free time?
It's been more cooking, seeing Operas/Broadways, and the occasional gym session. I've always been appreciative and hooked on the journey to excellence, and whether that is me cooking, seeing the top actors, or pushing my bars of excellence, I'd like to spend time in these environments to see greatness on display or in the making.
Advice to your younger self?
If you are uncertain about many seemingly good choices, commit to one, and give it your 110%.
What keeps you grounded?
Frequent calls & hanging out with friends and family. It's the best.
What do you look for?
Know when to have fun and when to lock in. I can yap with friends for hours on end but when we need to do work, we lock in and speed through work. Its a similar ethic I look for in eboard members. One nice to have that has become more important is the desire to learn. Just show me you care about something deeply. I have friends who have dedicated hours on end to get good at something, and they usually are also the most interesting people to hang out with.
