Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are answers to the most common questions about the Carikerja Launchpad program, application process, and technical requirements.
👥 General & Program Questions
Section titled “👥 General & Program Questions”Q: What is the difference between the Kulkul AI Fellowship and the Carikerja Launchpad?
Section titled “Q: What is the difference between the Kulkul AI Fellowship and the Carikerja Launchpad?”- Kulkul AI Fellowship: Follows the Traditional Path (Path A), preparing pre-junior/junior engineers to enter corporate roles (Junior to Medior/Senior Developer).
- Carikerja Launchpad: Follows the Independence Path (Path B), preparing junior engineers to bypass corporate employment to become self-employed consultants, freelancers, or service business founders.
Q: Do I need a letter of submission from my campus to join this launchpad?
Section titled “Q: Do I need a letter of submission from my campus to join this launchpad?”No. You do not need a university cover letter to apply. Simply follow the 10-Step AI Challenge and submit your Pull Request to get started.
Q: Which majors or backgrounds can join this launchpad?
Section titled “Q: Which majors or backgrounds can join this launchpad?”There are no major or university requirements. Anyone who is early in their software engineering journey and wants to learn how to be self-employed and run a software consultancy can join. We welcome university students, self-taught developers, and career switchers alike.
Q: Is this program free?
Section titled “Q: Is this program free?”Currently, the vetting process is unpaid and merit-based. However, because this track offers significantly more value than a standard junior internship by teaching direct client outreach and revenue generation, it will evolve into a paid premium program in the future.
Q: What is the time commitment?
Section titled “Q: What is the time commitment?”This is a high-intensity program. We expect launchers to commit at least 3 months of collaboration, with a minimum of 20 hours per week of active study, lead outreach, code implementation, and group discussions.
💻 Git & Pull Request Questions
Section titled “💻 Git & Pull Request Questions”Q: Do my Pull Requests (PRs) need to be merged to be valid?
Section titled “Q: Do my Pull Requests (PRs) need to be merged to be valid?”Yes. Your PRs must pass the review of our core crew and be merged to count towards your challenge completion, except for temporary steps where we specify otherwise.
Q: How do I create a branch and open a Pull Request?
Section titled “Q: How do I create a branch and open a Pull Request?”The standard branch workflow is:
- Make sure you are on your
mainormasterbranch. - Pull the latest upstream changes.
- Create a descriptive branch (e.g.
feature/my-profile-page):Terminal window git checkout -b feature/your-branch-name - Make your edits, commit your changes:
Terminal window git commit -m "feat: your message" - Push to your origin fork:
Terminal window git push origin feature/your-branch-name - Visit your fork on GitHub and click the green Compare & pull request button to submit it.