Building Revenue-Making Businesses with Rinni and Sarin Swift

Swift sisters Rinni and Sarin discuss their journey into coding and business

Twin sisters Rinni and Sarin Swift aren’t the only two Swifts to study at Make School. Their older brother, Nick, attended three years before they did and is now a software engineer at Facebook. Rinni explains, “I’ve seen how much of a positive impact Make School has had on him and how he came out very well prepared for jobs.” Off of their brother’s recommendation, both sisters decided to apply to the Summer Academy and were accepted. Sarin notes, “At the end of the program I shipped my first app to the App Store. I learned a lot during the six weeks and decided to continue to the Product College,” as did Rinni.

But Rinni and Sarin’s interest in coding and the internet began years prior when they were growing up in Thailand. Rinni explains, “When we were 13 years old, my sister and I started our own online shop on Instagram. We started out selling pastel bracelets and later on introduced new products such as beads and kids toys. We would keep the business up to date with posts and that made the business very active. We had sales all over the country of Thailand and sales from out of the country as well. We received orders from hundreds of people and made a large revenue over the course of two years.”

Subsequently, the sisters also forayed into other forms of business, honing their acumen. Rinni explains, “We had opened up a small business selling healthy granola bars to students in high school. While initial sales were small, my sister and I were persistent, increasing the reach of our sales to the school shop and local shops near our house. We had so much fun doing this by interacting with customers and iterating over the product.”

A new chapter: software engineering

In the summer of 2018, the sisters left Thailand and brought their entrepreneurial spirit to Make School in San Francisco. Sarin notes, “I really enjoy the environment on campus because everyone is very supportive and hard-working, which motivates me to do the best that I can. Most of the courses I take are quite challenging, but I really learn a lot by pushing myself.”

Rinni feels the same way: “The environment is quite unique because everyone is set in a mindset where they’re not looking for competition. Everyone is set to help each other get through obstacles together, and that forms the most supportive environment.”

In addition to all of the coding work that they’re doing, both Rinni and Sarin are also excited about how much the Product College focuses on presentation skills and networking. According to Sarin, “I am excited to grow as a person to become more confident and outgoing — and to use those skills to create valuable products in the near future.”

More than anything, both business-minded women are excited about shipping products. Sarin explained that one part of the Make School experience that stands out to her “is the Intensive Week we have at the end of every term. I enjoy this week because I get to build projects I am passionate about and ship to the App Store.” Rinni adds, “I am looking forward to walking out of Make School with a lot of projects of my own and with friends.”

When that day arrives not long from now, Sarin and Rinni both have their sights set on big careers. “Once I gain the knowledge and experience, I want to pursue my career as a software engineer at a big company,” Sarin says. “Apart from that, I also want to pursue a passion I have always had, which is business. I am looking forward to what I will learn during my time in school, and hopefully, I’ll manage to create something from there.”

To learn more about Sarin’s current and upcoming projects, follow her here. To learn more about Rinni’s projects, follow her here.

Make School is a two-year computer science college based in San Francisco that offers a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Computer Science*. The focus of Make School is providing product-based learning that prepares students for real-world careers in software development. Students graduate with an average salary of $95k.

To learn more about Make School’s philosophy, courses, and outcomes, visit our website.

This piece was originally published on the Make School Blog.