And there goes New Year's! Wow. This fall is a blur. It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were packing up to move, hiking the West Coast Trail, presenting to the partnership to get funding for the new company. Then mid-terms, CEO recruiting, finals, and now, here we are.
We just returned from a few days snowboarding in Tahoe -- actually we were stuck there on account of the incredible amounts of snow that fell this week (six feet at Squaw)! Who knew you could wake up and find out that there's no way out. It's one of the few times in recent memory that it's taken me three hours to drive nine miles. The first time I've put chains on a 4-wheel drive SUV. And the most powder I've boarded in. EVER. I felt like I was in one of those snowboarding videos where you look out and there is not a single track in front of you -- I surfed down the mountain through glorious, fresh powder. What a feeling. Not that we minded being stranded -- but it's nice to be home.
I know those of you who asked me this fall how I was enjoying "my time on the back nine" were only kidding. But the end of the quarter was intense and a ton of work. I've learned a lot. Looking back, Accounting was one of the most valuable subjects. It is immediately applicable, very current, and we covered the financial statements of lots of interesting companies. Not one to waste time, however, I've already sold my textbooks off on Amazon. Gotta love that.
Looking ahead to Winter Quarter, we have: Operations, Marketing Management, Finance, and Strategy. Stay tuned!
The startup environment is clearly heating up again. At a panel I participated in at Stanford, the classroom was filled with students who wanted to learn about startups. A Stanford CS professor told me that startups are clearly becoming in vogue again. My attorney said that even with the holidays, he had some eight deals he was working on. Valley firms are recruiting for summer associates through the Stanford network, with some firms looking for graduating students to start full-time. There's money to be had and deals to be done.
On the flip side, the industry is consolidating. BusinessWeek is calling 2005 The Year of The Deal. Can you build an enterprise software company from scratch, IPO it, and turn it into a sustainable, stand-alone business? I am still a big believer. Social networking continues to be a "hot" topic in the valley (but how do you make money?), as do consumer plays. Personally, I'd like shopping to get a whole lot easier.
With January upon us, the summer job search gets into high gear at the GSB. The career center briefing last month indicated that more than half of the students will have summer jobs lined up by March. There are so many good and interesting options; I'd hate to choose too early.
To those of you awaiting your MBA admissions notification emails: good luck!
We just returned from a few days snowboarding in Tahoe -- actually we were stuck there on account of the incredible amounts of snow that fell this week (six feet at Squaw)! Who knew you could wake up and find out that there's no way out. It's one of the few times in recent memory that it's taken me three hours to drive nine miles. The first time I've put chains on a 4-wheel drive SUV. And the most powder I've boarded in. EVER. I felt like I was in one of those snowboarding videos where you look out and there is not a single track in front of you -- I surfed down the mountain through glorious, fresh powder. What a feeling. Not that we minded being stranded -- but it's nice to be home.
I know those of you who asked me this fall how I was enjoying "my time on the back nine" were only kidding. But the end of the quarter was intense and a ton of work. I've learned a lot. Looking back, Accounting was one of the most valuable subjects. It is immediately applicable, very current, and we covered the financial statements of lots of interesting companies. Not one to waste time, however, I've already sold my textbooks off on Amazon. Gotta love that.
Looking ahead to Winter Quarter, we have: Operations, Marketing Management, Finance, and Strategy. Stay tuned!
The startup environment is clearly heating up again. At a panel I participated in at Stanford, the classroom was filled with students who wanted to learn about startups. A Stanford CS professor told me that startups are clearly becoming in vogue again. My attorney said that even with the holidays, he had some eight deals he was working on. Valley firms are recruiting for summer associates through the Stanford network, with some firms looking for graduating students to start full-time. There's money to be had and deals to be done.
On the flip side, the industry is consolidating. BusinessWeek is calling 2005 The Year of The Deal. Can you build an enterprise software company from scratch, IPO it, and turn it into a sustainable, stand-alone business? I am still a big believer. Social networking continues to be a "hot" topic in the valley (but how do you make money?), as do consumer plays. Personally, I'd like shopping to get a whole lot easier.
With January upon us, the summer job search gets into high gear at the GSB. The career center briefing last month indicated that more than half of the students will have summer jobs lined up by March. There are so many good and interesting options; I'd hate to choose too early.
To those of you awaiting your MBA admissions notification emails: good luck!
1 Comments:
Dave-
I've just been admitted to the GSB and can't tell you how excited I am. I stumbled upon your blog while surfing on the internet tonight and I must admit that it's really insightful. I can't wait to hear more news about how your experience continues to unfold (and how you manage to run a company at the same time!)
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