MBA From Deep in the Heart of Tech

Far from home and family, a software engineering grad decides a Texas master's is the next step to honing his entrepreneurial spirit

by David Thanairongroj

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David Thanairongroj
Texas - Austin
MBA Class of 2008

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Allow me to introduce myself. My name is David Thanairongroj. Since 99% of the population has a hard time pronouncing most Thai last names, most people call me David "T" or Mr. "T".

I was born in California and lived there for six years before my parents decided to move back to Bangkok. After finishing sixth grade at the International School of Bangkok, I was given the choice to return to the U.S. to study. I can still remember telling my mom "Sure, I'll go!" when asked if I would be O.K. with living away from her and everyone else. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but I thought back then that I would later return to live with them. Eighteen years later, I still haven't found my way back.

I was eventually enrolled in a boarding school in St. Louis, graduated high school, and started my undergrad life at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I started out majoring in electrical engineering, but later switched to computer engineering after discovering how much more I enjoyed my software and computer architecture classes.

Before I graduated, I had also joined the "coop program" at school, which gave me the opportunity to take off three semesters to intern for my most recent employer, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

The Early Years

Before I graduated in 1998, I was offered a software engineering position in their software research and development group. Now, I'm sure that sounds a lot like the experiences of most graduating engineers, but in the next several years my life would take several twists and turns.

I was full of energy, like any other new college grad. I worked hard and took advantage of every learning opportunity the company had to offer. Two years after I joined AMD, I started my graduate degree in computer engineering with an emphasis on software engineering. I believed back then that one day I would be able to create a business around a software idea.

For my non-technical electives, I took marketing and new-venture Creation, courses that allowed me to create a business plan to launch my current software company CodeQuest. There were five of us doing this part-time. We created a restaurant point-of-sale software solution that is currently installed in seven local restaurants.

Beginning a New Life

Around the same time, I also started a small real-estate business that specialized in acquiring pre-foreclosure homes. These two businesses were started in 2003 while I was still going to school and working for AMD. After a year of almost non-stop working, I finally realized I had to stop chasing every opportunity and concentrate on what I was most passionate about.

Fast forward to late 2005. After almost five years, I finally finished my master's in computer engineering. After acquiring several properties, I decided to halt my real-estate business to focus on the software business. This was when I finally decided to begin my MBA quest, which I hoped would better help me realize my long-term goals.

So, how did I decide that an MBA would be right for me? Well, to be honest, as of this summer I was still unsure that this was the right path to take. But, as an entrepreneur, I am taking a calculated risk that if I'm unable to take what I will learn and make my software business a success, I can at least fall back on this degree and find a job that will better fit my entrepreneurial spirit.

Endless Resources

Why did I choose the McCombs School of Business? I'm glad you asked. Anyone researching schools with an interest in entrepreneurship would find that this business school hosts the world-renowned "Moot Corp" business plan competition; plus, the school is affiliated with many venture capital firms. I plan on entering as many competitions as time permits, and I will surely share those stories in the near future.