Join LavaLab's F25 Cohort, Applications Open Soon

LavaLab

Meet your cofounders. USC’s premier, student-run, product incubator.

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[ About ]

Every semester, LavaLab takes a cohort of 28 students composed of product managers, developers, and designers to build tomorrow’s startups, today.

At LavaLab, we don’t build “projects”—we build ambitious startups for a brighter future, create innovative technology that solves real problems, and invest in forward-thinking people who dare to bet on themselves.

Product Manager

Who

You see challenges as opportunities and have a knack for turning insights into products that make a real impact. At LavaLab, you’re both a leader and a pragmatic problem-solver—someone who crafts solutions that truly resonate with users.

What

You’ll take charge of your product roadmap, collaborating closely with designers and developers to transform market insights into clear, actionable plans. By setting priorities and continuously iterating, you'll ensure your product delivers genuine value and meets the evolving needs of your customers.

Designer

Who

You have a passion for crafting visual experiences. You are empathetic and able to put yourself in the user’s shoes. Your need to learn causes you to push your design skills and your attention to detail and ability to execute helps you bring your ideas to the next level.

What

Designing the MVP for your team’s product includes the branding, user experience, and marketing materials. Conceptualize the best way to solve your user’s problem creatively. Coming together with your PM and developers to brainstorm the problem you want to solve and how to address it.

Developer

Who

You are a builder at heart, and love developing solutions to problems. No challenge is insurmountable for you, and you’re willing and able to teach yourself unknown concepts. You’re ready to put in the work with late nights and constant iteration.

What

You’ll be working with a fellow developer on your team to build a fully-fledged product by the end of a semester. Together with your PM and designer, you’ll brainstorm the problem you want to solve and how to best address it. Throughout the semester, prepare to dev out multiple iterations of MVPs to perfect your solution.

We walk all our cohorts through a curriculum built on the foundation of YC and Thiel’s Zero to One ideology—augmented by decades of earned experience passed down by USC’s most successful builders and founders.

[ Events ]

Make patterns with
the tiles!

LavaLab is a community of 500+ ambitious entrepreneurs, relentless builders, and fearless change-makers driven by a shared passion for innovation and impact.

Fueled by lifelong connection, you’ll find a culture that pushes you to grow, challenge the status quo, and become the boldest version of yourself.

If any of this resonates with you, we welcome you to the LavaLab community.

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450k+ monthly users
Hatchet logo
Jonathan Liu, Lesley Moon
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450k+ monthly users
schej logo
Jared Levine
AI support inbox for housing and hospitality.
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Mitchell Morrison
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