Why I Built Soar
July 17, 2026 · Venkates "Swami" Swaminathan
On what changed in college counseling, why building your own AI tools is a trap, and what forty years between a computer vision lab and a counselor's chair taught me.
Blog
Notes on college and career planning, AI, and counseling.
The College List Is a Deliverable. The Person Is the Work
June 16, 2026 · Venkates "Swami" Swaminathan
The most uncomfortable thing about AI in college and career counseling might also be what makes us better at it.
The Switch on the Wall: The Hard Part Is Invisible
May 23, 2026 · Venkates "Swami" Swaminathan
On designing Soar to be simple to use and hard to build — and what a student's "wow" taught me about getting it right.
Why I'm Building an AI College and Career Planning Platform
April 16, 2026 · Venkates "Swami" Swaminathan
Three decades in software. Twelve years in college counseling. Eight weeks to build something that combines them