The Myth of the Black Swan
April 26, 2020
There are no “black swan” events, only lack of imagination. … More The Myth of the Black Swan
Category: Jobs and Internships
2019 Reflections Part 1: Winter Quarter Adventures
December 30, 2019
During the last week of 2018, I set aside some time for a lengthier personal reflection. Over the course of the upcoming year, I knew that I’d be transitioning from the life of a college student to working full-time in the business world, and I wanted to make the most of this end and beginning. … More 2019 Reflections Part 1: Winter Quarter Adventures
Living with (Email) Uncertainty
September 30, 2019
I can be very bad with email, but perhaps not in the way that you might think. Some people carry a massive “email debt” — tens of thousands of emails piled up in their accounts that they know they’ll never read. I, on the other hand, check my email very frequently. If I see over … More Living with (Email) Uncertainty
Rekindle your Imagination
April 18, 2019
I want you to try something. It’s not that novel, and it isn’t very revolutionary, but so few people seem to do it nowadays, especially adults: Take five minutes out of your day, sit down, and do nothing. In our modern world, we face endless distractions from notifications on our phones, echoes in the back of … More Rekindle your Imagination
Product Teardown – Pokemon Go
April 3, 2019
I’m starting a new series, putting skills I learned from my Master’s degree to work. Drawing on design methodology and PM fundamentals, I’m exploring various companies’ products in “Product Teardown” case studies. First up is Pokemon Go, which has made quite the mark on mobile gaming since Niantic launched the game in 2016. Millions of … More Product Teardown – Pokemon Go
“Highlight Reels” and the Failures they Hide
November 21, 2018
During a recent Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders’ Seminar at Stanford University, DFJ Partner Emily Melton gave a great overview of her perspective on success in the world around us. In particular, Emily warned us about the “highlight reels” we see from others’ lives. To emphasize the point, Emily gave us a literal highlight reel of photos … More “Highlight Reels” and the Failures they Hide
Interviewing the Interviewer
October 27, 2018
It’s that time of year again, when employers and students engage in the frantic, arcane ritual that we call “recruiting”. Resumes are exchanged, applications are reviewed, and, if all goes well, a series of interviews will help employers (and potential employees) sort out where people will be working after graduation. Thanks to echoes of the … More Interviewing the Interviewer
A Day in the Life – Management Consulting Intern
August 25, 2018
This summer, I’ve ventured into consulting as a Decision Analytics Associate Intern at ZS. Over the course of the internship, I’ve enjoyed the vibrant downtown San Mateo location. Along with a building in South San Francisco, these twin locations form the “San Francisco” office, one of many that ZS has across the world. A lot … More A Day in the Life – Management Consulting Intern
The Stanford Student’s Guide to Renting in the Bay Area
July 3, 2018
Stanford guarantees four years of on-campus housing, a really great perk given how expensive the surrounding area is: homes in Palo Alto sell for a median price of $3.3 million, and rent can be just as exorbitant. For people who return to campus for additional years (in my case, a 5th year to finish my … More The Stanford Student’s Guide to Renting in the Bay Area
Things I Learned from my Instrumental Internship
September 22, 2017
Fresh off a successful tour with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, I jumped right into my next adventure: working at Instrumental as a Business Development Intern. Instrumental creates a combined hardware and software system that solves a critical blind spot in manufacturing: lack of access to insights on the assembly line. Because of archaic data systems … More Things I Learned from my Instrumental Internship
Andrew Jabara 