Education: University of Chicago

Previous Employer: Harris Associates

Day in the Life in: Product Manager

Company: Cisco Systems, Inc.

Location: Remote (Los Angeles, CA)

SUMMER OVERVIEW:
This summer, I am working at Cisco as an MBA Product Management Intern in the UCS Compute department. Broadly, the department is responsible for Cisco’s entry into the server and computing space. Within this business unit, I work with the go-to-market (GTM) team which oversees product sales, strategies, and forecasting. As part of Cisco’s broader strategy, the UCS department looks to provide a complete end-to-end solution for businesses seeking networking solutions.

My project this summer was to understand how the hardware that Cisco sold through its various partners was being used, whether those workloads would be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally to give a recommendation on which areas the sales team should focus on in the near term. As a company with a global salesforce and supply chain, this kind of accurate and timely forecasting is critical to the success of the product. After spending some time getting a grasp on the immense data available to the team, I was able to (1) build a predictive model that mapped 80% of revenue bookings to a workload, (2) define key macroeconomic trends facing global businesses in the context of the pandemic, and (3) present a final recommendation for where the company should focus their sales teams.

At Cisco, interns are given a lot of autonomy. You are given a goal for your summer project, and then expected to define your own scope and approach. You are then expected to make a final presentation to senior leadership by the end of the internship. Interns operate independently, with guidance from their managers and stakeholders, and are expected to drive their own projects forward. While I spoke with and learned from many of my team members during my project, my work differed greatly from their day-to-day duties.

COMPANY CULTURE
Cisco heavily emphasizes autonomy and employee empowerment. This emphasis is the main diver of many of Cisco’s activities, from a biweekly check-in with the Executive Leadership Team, to intern events with special celebrity guests. Nearly every person I spoke to about the company had nothing but great things to say about their coworkers and the company itself. As a result, despite its massive scale, Cisco maintains an extremely tight-knit, small-company feel. Employees are empowered to suggest changes and ask questions of everyone in the company, and are encouraged to shift to various teams if they are not feeling challenged by their current role. Individual teams within Cisco tend to be separate from each other, but also mingle often. This means that teams are given the autonomy to act on their own, but aren’t shy to reach out to other departments or business units who may have done similar things before.

The current and former MBA interns were all extremely open and very helpful. Many have gone through similar struggles of being a new employee at Cisco and are more than happy to offer their advice as well as pointing out who to connect to. Managers are also very open to having coffee chats to talk about their teams and backgrounds if you send them an email, though it can be challenging to get on their calendars.

SKILLS AND RESOURCES UTILIZED:

• Data Analysis: As an intern at Cisco, you are quickly given the access and tools to the massive amounts of data that Cisco maintains. However, it is up to you to understand how to interpret and parse the data from the noise, of which there is a lot. So, a good portion of the internship is devoted to understanding how data is organized around the company, and what sources of information are available to you and your team. Furthermore, it is not enough just to manipulate the data into a meaningful configuration, but also to interpret it and draw some sort of conclusions from it.

• Communication and Stakeholder Management: One of the key skills that you need to use in a virtual internship is communicating clearly and understanding stakeholder’s priorities. It is an art form to tactfully understand what matters to one person’s workload, and how you can effectively use that knowledge to set up meetings and maximize your limited time with them. Meetings at Cisco are often Powerpoint-driven, even if the Powerpoint is very simple or straightforward. I have found that presentations are extremely effective at organizing thoughts and getting the message across, especially in the virtual environment. By using a presentation, you are also able to effectively ask targeted questions and get feedback from your stakeholders.

• Autonomous Learning: With Cisco’s large portfolio of extremely technical products, it can be challenging to understand what is going on without even considering the difficulties of remote work. As a result, just to even keep up with the rapidly changing industry and business, you will find yourself doing a ton of reading and research all the time. It is extremely important to take it upon yourself to learn about what you do not know and ask questions when you cannot find any resources to support you. It is common to spend the first few weeks simply reading, watching webinars, and just understanding the product you are working on. Even the experienced Cisconians that I spoke to admitted that they spend a few months getting up to speed on every new product that they work on.

RESOURCES/ DATABASES UTILIZED:

The best resources at your disposal are your team members, and the internal websites. There are plenty of resources available for employees to learn and pick up insights, including internal Sharepoint pages that define the huge amount of Cisco jargon and acronyms that are thrown around. In addition, people around the company are generally very friendly and open to teaching you about their work. Cisco also encourages lifelong learning, and provides many resources to learn skills, including Degreed, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning. In addition, Cisco interns are offered quick pathways to various certifications, which (depending on your career aspirations) can be extremely helpful.

In terms of quantitative databases, Cisco uses an Oracle database. There is no SQL knowledge required, but because of the sheer size of the business, you will need to keep in mind that you will be working with a ton of data. For example, one quarter of sales data within just a single business unit can easily be over 1 million rows! As such, you will need to leverage the full power of your preferred data processor, whether that be Tableau, Excel, R, or even Python. In addition, knowledge of Salesforce and Smartsheets may help depending on your team.

INSIGHT/TIP:

• Start out early with an internship plan and communicate your goals clearly. The earlier you can put together a plan, even if its tentative and unclear, the more quickly you can refine and further define your scope. With limited time and a relatively difficult business to understand, getting this early start will be invaluable as you progress in your internship.

• Reach out to your directors early into the internship. Cisco is a hierarchical organization, and it can be difficult to get on director’s schedules. However, keep asking and put time on the schedule even if it’s for the distant future. Ultimately, your directors (with feedback from your managers) will have the most influence on your future success.

• Do not be afraid to get technical. Surprisingly, few people at Cisco care only about the high-level strategy; instead, everyone (even directors and VPs) prefer to dive deeply into numbers and methodology to understand your thinking. Be ready to defend your process and to go through every step of your methodology if needed.

• Bring a presentation to every project-related meeting. Even if you don’t end up using it, you’ll be better prepared to go through your thoughts and you’ll be organized in your thinking during the meeting. On the other hand, when the stakeholders to whom you’re speaking have questions, you’ll be able to quickly point to your presentation to answer their questions in a format that they’re already familiar with.

DAY IN THE LIFE SUMMARY:

6:00-7:30am:      I will usually wake up early in the morning to go for a run. I find that getting a run in early really energizes me for the rest of the day and it helps keep me in shape while we are all stuck inside. It is all too easy to sit all day inside and forget to get sunlight while working from home, so working out outside (while maintaining social distance) has been an easy way to stay sane and fit.

7:30-8:30am:      Shower, make coffee, make breakfast, and sit down at my computer. Some of the benefits of working from home are that there is no commute, and that you can have whatever food you want. Personally, I will range from avocado toast, eggs, or yogurt and granola. While eating, I will catch up on e-mails, respond to any pressing messages, and check my calendar for the day.

8:30-9:00am:      I have a meeting with a colleague in India. Cisco is a truly global company, and you will find yourself having to work with time zones around the world to get work done. Luckily, everyone is incredibly accommodating and more than happy to work with you to get a meeting scheduled.

9:00-10:00am:    Every two weeks, Cisco has a check-in meeting with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). I think that this is truly a unique event amongst tech companies, and it is a great opportunity to engage in open question-and-answer sessions with the ELTs. It is also a great time to listen to the executives and gain insights on the overall strategy of the company.  

10:00-11:00am:  Right after the ELT check-in, our team has a weekly check-in meeting. This is the perfect opportunity for me to present my project progress so far, ask for feedback, and get immediate comments on my work thus far. My team is great at giving immediate advice and feedback, and today I get a few people to get in contact with to make some more progress on my project.

11:00-12:30pm:  I get some time to incorporate the comments I got on my progress thus far, as well as send off a few e-mails to the key contacts that I was given. I am looking to forecast out key trends in the industry, and I need inputs from these contacts who might be able to give me more detailed inputs from the customers that they deal with.

12:30-1:30pm:    Lunch time! Normally, I will cook some food that we have sitting around in the fridge, but today I am not particularly interested in cooking chicken for the hundredth time again. Instead, I go to pick up some Doordash from Westwood. This is also a good time to sit and unwind for a second, chat with my roommates, and gather my thoughts for the afternoon.

1:30 – 2:30pm:   I have a meeting with a key stakeholder in my project. I present my progress so far and ask for his feedback and get some more feedback on how to proceed. Even though it is a tough meeting, my manager lets me lead it as I see fit and I manage to learn a lot from the meeting. I go away with thoughts racing through my head, and I take a few minutes after the meeting to think through everything.

2:30 – 4:30pm:   I spend the rest of the day working on my project and making progress on my research. One of the most difficult aspects of working remotely is that it can be difficult to know what I don’t know, and I dedicate a significant amount of my time to reading and understanding Cisco as well as the industry as a whole.

4:30 – 5:30pm:   Towards the end of work, I host a happy hour for the other MBA interns in the Compute department. Hosting this regular standing happy hour has been a great opportunity to meet and get to know some of the other interns that I work with, as well as a good time to figure out how everyone else is doing on their projects and see where we can help. This happy hour has been a great starting point for many conversations between the interns about how their projects might overlap and how we could help each other. Talk about sharing success.

5:30 – 9:00pm:   After work, each day is different. Some days, I will spend a few more hours working out some of the problems that came up with my project during the day. Other days, I will use this opportunity to go on a walk around the neighborhood or pick up some ingredients for the next week. Then, I’ll usually watch a movie or play a game, then go to sleep and get ready for the next day.

Anderson students after registering for AfroTech on Day 1. From left to right Alem Bulcha, Luis Preciado, Kaylan Young, Gabrielle Clark, Sara Matthew, Vanessa Carvajal, Rhian Rogan, and DaJuan Bennett

Reflecting on AfroTech 2019

Written by DaJuan Bennett (FTMBA ’20)

Attending AfroTech this year was a great experience. It was my first time going to a conference like this and I was able to gain a lot from it. Not only did I get the chance to connect with my classmates, but I also got the opportunity to meet with companies in the real estate and real estate tech industry such as Zillow, Cadre, and Hilton. From a professional perspective, I was able to meet with recruiters from these companies and understand the opportunities available to me post-MBA. I did not consider any of the companies before attending AfroTech because they do not do MBA recruiting at Anderson, but now I am considering it. It was also great to meet with a startup in the real estate industry, Cadre. Cadre brings together investors from and allows them to conduct transactions through their site. Meeting with their founder allowed me to expand my entrepreneurial goals and pursue my own platform to invest in affordable housing in urban areas.

Another reflection after attending AfroTech was the importance of being around black people in tech. There is a common myth that there aren’t many black people in tech to fulfill the available jobs at large companies and increase diversity, but over the weekend, with 6,000 attendees, that myth was debunked. It was great to catch up with people that I went to undergrad at Howard University with, people that I went through the MBA process with, and even people that I’ve met during various interview processes. It was important for me to see people that look like me thrive in an environment where they were able to be themselves. After the conference, I was able to connect with recruiters from Hilton and Zillow and will be applying to a few positions within their organizations. Also, I was able to connect with some people who were skilled programmers to one day merge the worlds of real estate and technology.

Earlier in January, Taylor Madsen, first-year MBA candidate and one of AnderTech’s Directors of Tech Education, gave a fantastic Tech Bytes presentation about Agile Methodology to a packed room of over 70 people. Her background as an Agile coach at Accenture gave her the expertise to teach fellow MBAs from all backgrounds, from non-technical to technical. Taylor’s presentation started out with Agile basics and a comparison to Waterfall, but then moved into her activity: a daily standup meeting. She asked the audience members to split into groups of 4 with one scrum master and three developers. While the exercise of applying the Agile principles to life was simplistic (answering “what did you do yesterday” and “what are you planning on doing today”), I found the exercise to be impactful and show me why Agile has been adopted by so many. Taylor’s presentation style really captivated the audience, and we can’t wait for the next Tech Bytes.

Tech Bytes are hour-long lunch sessions developed by UCLA Anderson MBA students to teach classmates about technical topics in a non-technical fashion. Previous topics have included: APIs, Intro to the Tech Stack, and more. We are excited to continue this program bringing the opportunity for students to learn from each other.

Education: UCLA, UC Berkeley

Previous Employer: Connora Technologies

Day in the Life in: Operations Program Manager, MBA Intern

Company: Apple

Location: Cupertino, CA

SUMMER OVERVIEW:

This summer I am a Program Manager at Apple on the Strategic Sourcing team. Specifically, I am part of Business Solutions which creates internal tools to streamline planning processes for Procurement. My team creates tools so that program managers spend less time compiling data, and more time addressing business needs.  

My project this summer is assessing a business need that impacts the Procurement organization. The current process wastes an enormous amount of time for users, due to the large data set that is continuously changing. After understanding the current state, I formed a proposal and requested resources to develop the tool. My project evolved from consulting to implementation, as I had to manage a team of developers to construct the solution. At the same time, I interviewed users to (1) gain feedback and insights to incorporate in the solution and (2) convert potential users to adopt the solution.

Apple’s internship program is structured and developed, as it has been around for ~40 years and hosts 1,000+ interns each year (including undergraduate and other graduate programs). Many interns are given a specific project which you will present at the end of the internship to the Vice Presidents of your organization. In addition to your manager, you are assigned an iBuddy for any additional support you may need. Outside of the project, there are events such as speaker series, trainings, and mixers where you can learn more about the company.

COMPANY CULTURE:

Apple does not have a set of leadership principles or values. The company does have a unique culture that demands a high commitment to excellence from employees, which is ultimately driven to customers and products. Sometimes this means implementing a quick and scrappy way to meet a customer’s needs, while other times can be a creative brainstorm session with dozens of people in the room to address a supplier problem. For interns, this requires having an entrepreneurial spirit and being open to feedback to get things done.

Another attribute of Apple’s culture is that there is always something to learn. The organization is large and complex, and there is always room for improvement. Everyone is engaged in the learning process and open to have a coffee chat to talk about their experience and background. I found this appetite is a critical motivator for people to stay at the company for so long. 

SKILLS AND RESOURCES UTILIZED:

• Presenting to Senior Management: Apple loves meetings and interacting with people to develop deep relationships. In that spirit, Keynote (never use Powerpoint!) is the formal documentation when needed. To ensure I am going in the right direction, I set up weekly meetings with my manager and director as early as the first week. It’s important to gain traction and visibility on the project, so I also spoke with leaders around the organization for feedback. These practice sessions proved valuable when presenting to Senior Directors and Vice Presidents at checkpoints and for the final presentation.

•  Communication and Stakeholder Management: The projects require feedback from different stakeholders within the Operations organization, as well as overall company. Interns must learn to understand the target audience to prepare for conversations and make targeted requests. In doing so, the worst critics can be your biggest champions for your project and you, as a full-time candidate.

•  Problem Solving & Solution Mapping: In many roles in Operations, there will be fires that must be quickly put out. You will need to quickly understand and define the problem for constructing the scope of the impact. If it’s a consistent reoccurring issue, then create a process/solution so that it does not happen again. If it’s a unique concern, you must figure out the root cause so that you can implement corrective and preventive actions.

RESOURCES/ DATABASES UTILIZED:

On the qualitative side, the people are the most valuable assets to the organization. It’s important to ask questions early on and learn to navigate the different teams. The company has an internal portal and applications that helps new hires get started at Apple, which contains information from Apple jargon/acronyms to finding the offices around Santa Clara Valley. 

Since my role is focused on applications and working with developers, it was important to have a basic understanding of databases, coding, and user interfaces. Apple University provides resources and classes if you do not already have this background. The tool for my project had to integrate with existing, custom-built internal tools, so I attended the trainings and talked to super-users to get an understanding.

INSIGHT/TIP:

• Be bold and take risks. Don’t be afraid to speak up in meetings, even with executive management. Challenging each other’s ideas can lead to the best outcomes.

• Ask for feedback often and early. This helps with setting expectations and makes sure you are on the right track with your project. If you are able to address concerns early, it will help in building credibility.

• Network and socialize. As mentioned already, Apple focuses on relationships. Get to know your colleagues professionally and personally. Winning champions (both in quality and quantity) for you and your project often lead to a successful summer.

DAY IN THE LIFE SUMMARY:  

8:30-9:00am: I live in corporate housing in Campbell and walk a few blocks to the bus stop. The company has its own shuttle system that spans from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, so it’s easy to get to any of the offices and live almost anywhere in the Bay Area. The shuttle is free for employees and has wi-fi on board, in case I need to answer urgent e-mails or anything. The bus stops a few more times to pick up other employees before my stop at Homestead One, across from Apple Park. If I have a late meeting or event, I usually take a Lyft or drive to work.

9:00-10:00am: I grab a coffee from the break room and make my way to my desk. I respond to e-mails, do any last-minute prep for my meetings throughout the day, and catch up with my coworkers. My iBuddy checks in with me to see how I am doing. She is there as a mentor if I have questions or need any help with my summer project, as my team is very committed to seeing me succeed during the summer.

10:00-12:00pm: I conduct informational interviews/coffee chats with colleagues from around the company. The first purpose is to learn more about Apple’s operations organization and the different teams of Strategic Sourcing, Manufacturing Design, Worldwide Sales & Operations, AppleCare, and Product Operations. Each team, as well as product line, operates differently. The second reason for these chats is to socialize my summer project. I am building an internal tool to streamline processes for Procurement, so I am gathering feedback on the solution. Apple prioritizes relationship-building so these chats are important for building my network and winning champions for my project.

12:00-1:00pm:  At least once per week, there is a speaker series with executives from the company. Some of my favorites include a panel discussion with Vice Presidents talking about Apple’s efforts in sustainability and a Q&A session with Tim Cook. On other days, I walk over to Apple park to have lunch with friends and colleagues.

1:00-3:00pm: I have weekly 1-on-1’s with my iBuddy, manager, and director to discuss progress on my project. I highlight high’s and low’s for the week and make any requests for support. They provide immense guidance and direction for my project. In particular this week, my director suggests teams to talk to and my manager gives feedback on my Keynote for my final presentation. Because I am implementing a new tool, I also manage a team of developers to build the application. I meet with them to provide iterations and changes based on my interactions with users from earlier in the day.

3:00-5:00pm: For the rest of the day, I work on Keynotes for upcoming meetings (especially for my final presentation) and project management documents. I set up meetings for the rest of the week and prepare for the next work day.

5:30-8:00pm: At least once per week, there is a mixer for all MBA interns that is organized by the recruiting team. We learn about each other’s projects and share experiences working on the different teams within Marketing and Operations. Other evenings, I work with my team of other Anderson interns on the iContest, where we pitch a new Apple product/application. Most nights I take a jog around Apple Park, have dinner at home, or grab drinks with friends in the area.

Anderson students at “The Kick Back” hosted by Google on Day 1. From left to right Luis Preciado, Lesley Gwam, DaJuan Bennett, Vanessa Carvajal and Rhian Rogan.

Reflecting on AfroTech 2019

Written by Vanessa Carvajal, President of AnderTech 

Attending AfroTech 2019 with nine of my peers was truly an inspiring and memorable experience. I’ve spent the majority of my career working in the tech industry in the Bay Area, which allowed me to witness first-hand the lack of diversity that exists in tech. It is exactly because of this lack of diversity that networking within these small communities is extremely important for underrepresented minorities in tech. The connections I’ve made and career advice I’ve received through my involvement in employee resource groups and through attending diversity-focused conferences have been immensely valuable for my career.  For this reason, I was ecstatic after learning that the Easton Technology Center and the center for Equity Diversity and Inclusion at Anderson agreed to sponsor ten students to attend AfroTech in Oakland this year, with tickets and travel fully paid. I’m so proud of the work that made this possible and very thankful to be at a school that values diverse people and thoughts.

Throughout the conference, I was able to connect and reconnect with other diverse members of the tech community, helping to build and strengthen my professional network. As an MBA candidate preparing to become a leader in the tech industry, I also learned many valuable lessons from the sessions I attended at AfroTech that I will carry forward with me throughout my career.

I’d like to share a few of my key takeaways:

1.     During the Healthcare Technology and Equity Fireside Chat, the late Bernard J. Tyson, former Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, spoke about the importance of having mentors and sponsors throughout your career. This is even more important for minorities and for women. A mentor is someone who can advise you on your career because they have general expertise that is can be beneficial to you. They do not need to work at your same company and therefore they can serve as a sounding board without any fear of repercussions. A sponsor is someone who is in your organization and can advocate for you when you are not in the room. Through their influence, connections and guidance, sponsors can help you earn raises, secure promotions and generally advance your career.

2.     Don’t accept the status quo. Erika Alexander (Co-founder of Color Farm Media) and Tracy Oliver (film and television writer, producer and actor) hosted a session around representation in media and how minorities can leverage their collective power. Tracy told the audience that early in her career, when she was writing and producing the web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl with Issa Rae, she was told by the networks that there was not an audience for shows starring black female leads. Despite this, she continued to write shows starring black female leads that became wildly successful, proving these industry “experts” completely wrong. Tracy’s experience of being marginalized as a minority is not unique. However, she did not change her vision to fit the status quo; instead she chose to challenge and helped change it.

3.     If I had to pick one overall takeaway from the conference, it’s that diversity in tech already exists, we’re just not looking in the right places. With over 10,000 (mostly black) attendees this year, AfroTech is living proof that there is a diverse pipeline for tech. Many businesses today blame a lack of diverse talent pools for making it difficult to find and hire people of color and women. AfroTech and similar conferences make it hard to substantiate this excuse and instead highlight the real issue: businesses need to change how they hire if they want to change who gets hired. Current candidate sourcing and hiring practices need to be challenged if any real progress is to be made.

Overall, I had an incredible two days learning from and connecting with some truly amazing professionals. I’d like to give a huge thanks and congratulations to Blavity and the entire team who puts on AfroTech! It is truly an inspiring experience for all who attend, regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity. I hope that each year brings a larger audience and that Anderson continues to show up in strong numbers!

-Vanessa Carvajal

The Dyson AirWrap

Written by Ava Kavelle, VP of Interview Prep Team 

This is one of my favorite products, it’s the first big innovation in the hair industry in about a decade, and is based on the technology that Dyson used for their highly successful vacuum cleaner. The AirWrap is the second hair dryer that Dyson has created, and uses the same engine technology that company developed for their other products. Dyson leveraged data and product suggestions from customers of their first hair dryer product, hired hair scientists to test heat levels that hair can withstand, and went through about 650 prototypes and $31.4 million in development costs before releasing the new Dyson AirWrap. All of this is to say, they deeply empathized with the customer’s pain points and desires, and leveraged innovative technology to improve a product men and women use everyday. What I love about their marketing is that they really understood customers’ problems, created a quality product that addresses it and provides a solution, and priced and marketed that product very precisely to a group that would buy into it, accept the cost, and become big fans.

Dyson as a company positions itself as a premium brand, and has the prices to back that up. At the heart of all Dyson products is innovative technology, stemming from their first product, the vacuum cleaner, and the unique suction and engine technology Dyson developed. The company has innovated multiple industries including vacuum cleaners, fans, air purifiers, hand dryers, and lighting, and Dyson’s innovation in hair dryers is no different. It uses Dyson’s motor technology, and something called the Coanda Effect, which uses unique airflow of the product to achieve the same styling without the traditional heat levels that flat irons or curling irons require. This results in polished hair in less time, using less heat, than normal hair dryers and irons, which is a huge deal in this industry!

The Dyson customer in general is someone who is looking for intuitive, innovative, cleanly designed products. They are willing to pay more for a higher quality product based on data and product innovation, as has been proved over the company’s history. When considering the AirWrap, the target segment is consumers looking for an easier way of doing their hair, and those who want to keep their hair healthy while achieving the desired aesthetic, who are willing to pay more for a quality product that is versatile. These could be working professionals or busy parents who don’t have time to spend on their hair, but have the desire to look polished and put together as they go out the door. These are also users who think long term about the potential damage heat and styling products cause their hair. The product is marketed mostly toward women, though men definitely fall into this target segment as well.

From a promotional standpoint, Dyson works with social influencers, salons, high-end department stores, and high-end beauty supply stores as their main channels, where they encourage trial through demonstrations and share the AirWrap product development and innovation story. Their storytelling is actually really important to the success of this product, as prospects want to understand the technology that makes this hair dryer so unique, effective, and different from the current options on the market. Messaging is highly focused on explaining the motor and Coanda Effect to potential customers, positioning Dyson as a unique product offering on the market. Dyson also leveraged social media influencers and social channels to build hype for their launch events, partnered with well-known hair stylists as social proof that the product is high quality and effective, and created hands-on experiences in their brick and mortar stores. Building that trust through influencers and styling examples, and explaining its technology and innovation throughout its marketing and ads, aligns with Dyson’s historical marketing approach and has worked in their favor. This was an effective approach for their target segment, and provided backing for the high product price (can be as much as $600). This pricing also falls in line with their previous hair dryer product, and is based on the research and testing that went into the AirWrap, as well as the quality of the product itself.

Overall, it seems like Dyson hit a home run from a product development perspective, and leveraged the right targeting, messaging, and tactics to really get the audience to understand the value that the AirWrap brings them, and why that’s so unique and worth the price. The only critique I would have is that the AirWrap doesn’t work super effectively for tightly textured hair—this is a product improvement I hope the company takes on, but also affects their marketing, as Dyson doesn’t show customer trials or advertising with this hair type.

Education:                     

Singapore Management University

Previous Employer:      

Grab

Day in the Life in:         

Business Development Manager, MBA Intern

Company:

Zillow

Location:

Seattle, WA

SUMMER OVERVIEW:
I am interning at Zillow this summer as a Business Development Manager, MBA intern. The business development team in Zillow cuts across all functions and products; as the product teams focus on solving “right now” issues, the business development team helps the company look ahead, determine and scope out potential partnerships or new projects in the pipeline to support company growth.  

For this summer, I am helping Zillow develop their strategy roadmap for ancillary services (e.g. property insurance, home warranty, moving services) that Zillow could prioritize and ultimately provide for their customers across Zillow Offers and their real estate online marketplace. I identified a suite of ancillary services and am assessing each service on certain metrics like margin opportunity, whether the service enhances the customer buying experience and whether Zillow could ‘win’ in that space. To make succinct and relevant recommendations, I have had to speak with both internal and external stakeholders to understand the nuances of each sub-industry and determine how each could fit into Zillow’s customer journey flow.

 All Zillow MBA interns (Bizdev / PM / PMMs) are given a project that they own. At the end of 12 weeks, the final deliverable is a powerpoint deck with the insight I have gained, along with my final recommendations. There will also be an opportunity for me to present my deck to managers of the relevant business units.

 Aside from actual work, Zillow has been very committed to ensuring that we are learning and enjoying ourselves as much as possible. This summer, I have had the opportunity to attend multiple intern speaker series sessions with C-level executives, as well as social events such as a boat cruise and a river tubing trip to Leavenworth!

COMPANY CULTURE

Zillow holds dear 6 core values – Act with Integrity; Move Fast, Think Big; Own It; Zillow Group is a Team Sport; Turn on the Lights; Winning is Fun. Everyone is always willing to help where they can and generally very open to sharing what they are working on. The environment is chill, and people typically leave by 5pm.

SKILLS AND RESOURCES UTILIZED:

• Leverage connections (both internal and external) that the rest of the business development team already have, to get the data I needed for my project

• Tap on the expertise and experiences of other teams within Zillow to better understand products and customer insights, which were very helpful in guiding my thinking and final recommendations

• Storyboarding and presentation making skills

INSIGHT/TIP:

• With such a broad project scope, I found it useful in the first few weeks to form my own presentation structure and storytelling arc. Working within my framework was very helpful in keeping me on track.

• Business development involves meeting with many stakeholders from different parts of the organization as well as external partners. I always took time to prepare questions for my meetings beforehand to help facilitate discussions, and always made sure I provided context at the beginning of each meeting, so everyone was aligned.

• Learn to read the room well – is the person you’re talking to big on details or prefers high-level brevity? Tweak your meeting/email styles accordingly for the best results.

DAY IN THE LIFE SUMMARY:

6:45-7:45am: I am very fortunate to have been allocated corporate housing that is just across the street from the Zillow office. As one of my outside-of-work summer goals, I leverage the time savings from my 5-minute commute, to work out on weekday mornings.

9:00-10:00am: I arrive at work – I usually grab a breakfast bar (sometimes a hot chocolate too!) from the pantry, that I eat at my desk while the computer starts up. I also check my work calendar to recap the meetings that I have planned for the day. I have my weekly 1-on-1 check-in with my manager today, and I prepare any questions or updates I have for him.

10:00-10:30am:  My manager enjoys being kept closely in the loop on my progress – mainly so he can help to link me up with any external or internal stakeholders that might be useful in helping me collect the data that I need for my project. It is a good check-in: my manager really liked the structure and storytelling arc that I came up with for my presentation! 😊

10:30-11:00am:  I work on my project deck (this is pretty much what I do whenever I’m not in meetings). I incorporate some of my manager’s feedback, continue the sub-industry research, and reach out to some co-workers on the product team that my manager recommended to get some quantitative data that I need for market sizing.

11:00-12:00pm:  I head down to the 36th floor with some other interns on my floor to attend one of the intern speaker series with C-level executives. Today, we have a Q&A session with our CTO. Interns get to ask him anything, from the company direction to how he got to where he is. Interns from the other offices can also get in on the action through BlueJeans and can ask their questions through Slack.

12:00-12:45pm:  Lunchtime! My team doesn’t have the tradition of eating together. I signed up for MealPal (a monthly lunch subscription service), so I collect my lunch and meet with one of the other MBA interns to catch up.

12:45-1:00pm:  I have a 1pm call arranged with a home inspection company to get industry market insight. I will taking the call on my own, and I prepare and consolidate the questions I have for them.

1:00-1:30pm: I conduct the call with the CEO of a home inspection company over BlueJeans. It is a fruitful discussion – I managed to get the information I needed for my project while being careful to not over-promise on any potential partnership opportunities down the line.

1:30-3:00pm: I continue working on my project deck. I also prepare meeting minutes from my earlier call with the CEO of the home inspection company, that I send to my manager. The objectives of the minutes are not only to keep him updated, but he also uploads my notes to “Copper” – a shared portal with the corporate development team so everyone stays updated on Zillow’s engagements with external stakeholders.

3:00-3:30pm: I attend a meeting that my manager arranged with several teams across Zillow that have a vested interest in having an “insurance product” for their customers (renters, homeowners, etc). One of the goals of the business development team is to ensure that efforts towards the same product (i.e. insurance) is aligned across teams so as to avoid double work. My manager presents part of his “Insurance Project Plan” deck to everyone. My manager notes all the feedback given and sends out a summary to everyone shortly after the meeting.

3:30-4:00pm: I head to the 36th pantry for a coffee chat with a principal PM at Zillow. His current work is closely related to my summer project, so I wanted to find out more and share the insights I have so far. In addition, I am still trying to find out the difference between a business PM, technical PM and PMM at Zillow and wanted to see if he could shed some light on the differences. We had a great candid conversation!

4:00-5:00pm:  By this time, my manager and other members of the BD team are gradually leaving (they leave earlier since they get in earlier; working hours are generally very flexible at Zillow). I continue working on my deck and prepare questions that I have for tomorrow’s meetings.

5:00-7:00pm: I head down to the lobby to meet the rest of the MBA interns for an MBA intern happy hour. Zillow’s office is right in downtown, so there are plenty of bars in close walking proximity. Today, we walk to a bar close to Pike Place market and catch up on how everyone is doing.

8:00-11:00pm: I meet up with some of my Anderson classmates for Wednesday trivia night at a bar. We made history tonight: we came in 2nd place and earned ourselves some free appetizers! Shout out to MVP Sandra Luu!!

Participants:

Daniel Figueiredo

Internship employer & role: Microsoft Corp., Business Program Manager and Operations

Pre-Anderson employer & role: LATAM Airlines, Sales Strategy

Yanting Li

Internship employer & role: Microsoft, Central Finance Manager

Pre-Anderson employer & role: Moss Adams, Audit Manager

Santiago Perez

Internship employer & role: Amazon, Senior Product Manager – Technical Products (PMT)

Pre-Anderson employer & role: Balfour Beatty, Senior Project Engineer

Connie Jiang

Internship employer & role: Facebook, Product Data Operations

Pre-Anderson employer & role: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Research & Strategy Analyst

Why did you decided to focus on tech companies in your recruiting process?

Santiago: I decided on recruiting for tech way before I even decided to go to business school. Wanting to work in tech was the reason for me to go to business school. My reasons for going into tech were: I was working in construction because I always wanted a career that had impact on people’s lives and in construction you get that very tangible impact. My reasoning was I was building 300 apartments for 300 families over the course of 2 years. They’re going to appreciate that. But with tech, maybe I can build a piece of software eventually that’s going to be used by 300 companies, each of which will build 300 apartments for 300 families. That amplifying of impact was my reason for going into tech. And because it provides you a better path into entrepreneurship. It’s easier to start your own company in tech rather than a development project, which costs millions of dollars in capital.

Yanting: I started recruiting more for function than industry. I recruited in finance, and I’m going into finance at Microsoft over the summer. I also interviewed with Nike and some other CPG companies, but I decided to go with tech because I think in our modern world every company is a tech company in some way. It’s a great launching platform for anybody looking to do anything to have tech experience and to be involved anywhere, like Microsoft, that sees so much and does so much. It would be a really good experience to see that. That was my reason for choosing tech over other industries.

What are you most looking forward to in your internship, and what skills are you looking to develop?

Connie: Something I’m looking forward to the most is being able to work within a company that has such tremendous impact, and working on specific products that make a huge difference in people’s day-to-day lives. I think that also working in a truly innovative space -- I came from broadcast media where everything was a dinosaur and moved really slow, and so working at a faster pace where you are encouraged to move fast, be bold, and break things will be really exciting for me. Specifically what I want to gain from this internship experience is not only a better understanding of the tech industry, but also process and product development, and learning R.

Daniel: I have a background in airlines. I’m used to working at a very slow pace with 3% margins and 5% growth industry...So I kind of want to confront those realities and just check what is actually transferable between industries. What can I bring from my background that can make a difference here, and what can I learn here with different people and a different setting? Especially coming in as an international student with a different setting with Americans and also international people, seeing different cultures and how people work.

How has Anderson/AnderTech prepared you to work in tech?

 Daniel: As an international student, location was very important for me. Being on the west coast, being close to universities… I came here, spoke with people. I learned a lot about the collaboration. Not only from students but people from Parker [Career Center] etc. That really made a difference because Anderson was the first school I visited and then I visited other schools, HBS for example, and it was a completely different setting, a completely different way of working. For example, this was the only class of all the MBA classes I visited where people really got into heated discussions… All of this collaboration isn’t just a selling point. It’s embedded in our DNA.

Santiago: My favorite part of Anderson is that we have this system built where second years help first years and then we pass it on and then we have this awesome wheel of successful people training people that want to be successful. My favorite experience in AnderTech was the IPT [Interview Prep Team] program because I was matched with somebody who was awesome and who had already successfully recruited, and they passed all those lessons onto me. And beyond that, I knew that if I wanted to go outside my individual IPT coach, anybody in AnderTech would be willing to meet with me, do an IPT session, and give me career strategy. I think that’s the secret of why Anderson is so successful in tech.

Connie: I think that’s what makes Anderson such a strong tech school. Because of the network effects there’s such a strong network of alums that are so eager to help out current students. And they’re able to refer you for current roles, which is essentially how I got some of my current offers. That sharing success is very integral in helping get roles in tech.

Are there any classes you are looking forward to that you think will help in tech?

Yanting: I signed up for a Customer Data and Analytics marketing class that has nothing to do with what I’m going into, but I think part of the reason I came to business school is to learn different skill sets that I wouldn’t have learned outside, so I’m constantly trying to push my boundaries and seek out classes that have nothing to do with finance so I can get a broader view. And I think that will eventually help. My role [at Microsoft] is very numbers based, but you have to understand what’s happening at the rest of the company, and at some level customer analytics as well.

 Any thoughts on going to school in the Bay vs LA?

Santiago: For me, LA is such a better city. I picked up surfing here, the weather is better, there are more things to do, it’s a little more diverse, and tech companies are starting to move here. That’s one. Second one: I’m one of those who’s going to be really in debt at the end of the MBA program. I’m actively not looking to work in San Francisco with the exception of a few companies that are super awesome and I’m actually targeting. But if I actually had a choice and those companies were in LA or Seattle, I would choose LA and Seattle to save money and be able to pay off my debt. I think that’s an advantage over those poor Berkeley and Stanford students who are going to have their debt for a long time.

Connie: I think that one of the coolest things about LA is, the Bay is known for being tech, but LA has so many other industries that are flourishing so you have the opportunity to leverage your tech experience in other industries, which is why I was like yeah I definitely want to go to LA because I’m interested in new media and entertainment and so that creates a better pipeline because that’s where the industries and the companies are. So I think being very intentional about which industry and what you want to do within that industry is really helpful in terms of deciding between the Bay and LA.

Daniel: I agree 100%. Coming to LA was actually better in my case because if I went to the Bay area I think that my MBA would be 100% tech, whereas here it also focuses on gaming and other things I never would have thought about. I feel that Anderson has such a great culture in terms of reaching out to alumni -- reaching out to people who are working in tech -- that the distance fades. You don’t have to worry about a one hour flight because you can call people. I did a lot of informationals with people in the Bay area so I feel that for location, I would definitely pick LA and have a fun 2 years, then move to the Bay if needed.

Last thoughts:

Connie: I would just say if I could go back in time and tell pre-MBA Connie some advice, I would say don’t be afraid of making two pivots. Because, it’s doable. When people tell you that you have to try to find something that is in line with what you did before, yeah that definitely helps but at the end of the day what’s most important is networking and talking to people and learning about what they do because that translates very naturally when you go into the actual application process and the interview process. I would just tell Connie “Chill out, it’ll be okay. Just network and you can do more than one pivot if you want.”

1. Could you explain what Blockfolio is in just a few sentences?

Blockfolio is a mobile platform that lets our millions of users track their investments in the cryptocurrency space. We track prices for over 6,700 crypto assets and offer features on the information side such as detailed market information, news, and the ability to receive direct updates from the leaders of crypto projects through our Blockfolio Signal platform.

2. How did you get into crypto?

After being a product manager at Google, I joined a mobile video creation startup called Flipagram as their first product hire. Flipagram was acquired by ByteDance (a multi-billion-dollar Chinese tech company) and we stayed on for a year after the acquisition. During that year, I discovered Ethereum – a blockchain platform that allows developers to build decentralized apps (Dapps). After reading  its whitepaper. I became excited about the possibility of a decentralized computing platform driven by the developer community.

I came across Blockfolio when I connected with Ed Moncada, the company’s CEO and founder. Ed helped  me realize the reach of Blockfolio’s scale - how it was already an important player and how much of an impact could be made in the blockchain space.

3. What is your proudest achievement at Blockfolio?

Building and launching Blockfolio Signal, a feature within our app that allows our users to directly receive news and updates from the leaders (CEOs, lead developers, etc.) of top cryptocurrency projects.

We had identified a need in the ecosystem that was not obvious at the time and that users did not necessarily realize they needed. The crypto space is so new that there is not an established flow of credible news and information that is free of noise, misinformation, and spam. This was a personal frustration point for both myself and our CEO Ed that we were both passionate about addressing.

Today we have over 130 cryptocurrency projects broadcasting their latest updates to our users. I’m proudest of Blockfolio Signal because it is the first of its kind communication platform for our space.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest problem in the crypto space?

Crypto is still nascent, so there is a lot of focus on short-term price speculation. This is a distraction from  the advancement of the technology, and I would like to see people focusing on understanding the benefits and value of blockchain instead.

5. What do you love about your team, and why are they the best ones for the job?

Everyone at Blockfolio puts the team first. We are all super competitive individuals, but in a healthy way where we are always working together to build the best product and company possible. The top thing we prioritize in our hiring is cultural fit. We ask ourselves: Is this person going to improve the culture coming in? Every one of our team members fits the bill.

6. How do you measure success at Blockfolio?

We look at traditional KPIs such as current number of users, how often they are using the app, etc. However, one of the key things we look at is how much our users are evangelizing the app to their networks. Blockfolio has never paid for advertising to acquire users (it has grown 100% organically), so this is a key thing to look at. Believe it or not, we even like to look at memes in social media for mentions of Blockfolio since our brand is so embedded in the zeitgeist of crypto. Our users are pretty witty with the types of memes they create about us.

Lastly, we are also very present in the popular crypto channels (Twitter, Reddit, Telegram, and others) to engage with our users.

7. What is the long-term vision for the company?

We want to become an important pillar of the crypto ecosystem. There is a general need for a trusted source of news, information, and data. We want to be the platform that connects everyone in the crypto space through this.

8. Any parting words of wisdom for an AnderTech student in your shoes a few years ago?

Once you identify what you want to do, go all in on it.

If you are into crypto, go ahead and open an account on a few exchanges, buy some and experience what it’s like so you become familiar with the process.

Personally, I was at some point recruiting for a gaming company while at Anderson. I went as far as playing their games hours and hours per week to become as knowledgeable about them as I could. Once I was at the interview, I actually found out that they only considered candidates who had reached a certain level of achievement in their games, which I luckily had.

My second piece of advice is to lean on the Anderson network. Don’t be afraid to reach out to alumni!

by Phil Han

During the past few years at UCLA Anderson, about 30% of all FTMBA students have found summer internships or full-time employment in the Technology industry. As students go through the recruiting process, one of the most important and common questions they need to answer is “Why Technology?”, especially if they are career switchers. On the surface, this seems like a very simple question, but in this day and age in which the popularity of the Tech industry as a career option is extremely high, it’s actually quite difficult to answer in a unique and/or memorable way. Having advised many students through that process at Parker, here are my top (or not) recommendations on how to best answer that question.

5. I’ve loved technology since I was young and use it all the time.

One of the most common answers that I hear from students is a variation of how they “love” technology and use it all the time (i.e. “I built my own computer in high school” or “my parent brought home a computer and I fell in love with it”).  While this may be the truth, compared to when “loving technology” or being a “tech geek” was novel and perhaps even rare, this answer doesn’t have the same impact today. If today’s MBA student is about 29 years old, that means that GUI was the normal way to interact with one’s computer and the internet has always been available (even if it was through a 2400 baud modem) to them. By middle school, mobile phones were pretty common, and the iPhone was just around the corner. So, while I am not dismissing the validity of your interest in technology, unless the there is a truly unique story to illustrate this passion, it may not leave much of an impression anymore.

The next two are also common answers that I hear from students that are definitely true, but…

4. Tech industry is “innovative” or “disruptive.”

This is very much a true statement, but it can be a bit cliché and generic unless you have specific and relevant examples to back it up. We all understand how various industries, including tech itself, have been (and will continued to be) changed/revolutionized/”disrupted” by technology, and most people can come up with the multiple examples of this, such as e-commerce (retail), fintech (payments/banking/lending), cloud (storage, IT, workplace collaboration, or actually everything), mobile (communication, or actually everything), streaming content (media), adtech (advertising), social media (communication, society, news), etc. However, these and other examples become common knowledge enough that you need to be extremely articulate and specific in order to effectively use this as a “why technology” answer.

3. I want to make a big or bigger “impact” through my work.

This answer has started to surface in recent years, and it is also a true statement in that many of today’s leading technology companies can have large scale impact on millions, if not billions, of users through their products and services. Having said that (I know I say this a lot during advising meetings), you should first consider whether the idea of making an impact is applicable or relevant to the interviewer and the company that you are interviewing with. Also, does “making a big impact” mean just affecting a large group of people or organizations as users of the product, or is there some sort of a desire for a “social impact” that you truly care about? Does that even matter to the company? Students often throw around the word “impact” without context or relevancy to the organization they are interviewing with, and that lessens the validity of this answer.

2. I am interested in this specific sector of technology.

Tech is a broad industry that covers product and service categories that are too numerous to list. So, a good approach to answer the general “why technology” question would be get specific about the technology area/topic that the company plays in and why you are interested in it. This requires a deeper level of research and understanding of that particular sector and how you relate or connect to that particular technology and its development. Utilizing examples from the company’s own position and contributions to that sector can also be useful. This type of specificity serves two purposes: 1) it shows that you’ve done your research and have a deeper understanding of the technology and products of the company and 2) it can be easily integrated into the research you need to do anyway for the company and its product itself. A downside to this approach is that it can be harder for the tech giants that have products in multiple areas, unless you can pinpoint the core technology of that company and articulate  how everything fits together to form an “ecosystem.”

1. I personally experienced how technology changed/affected my profession/employer/life, etc., and I want to be part of an organization that is creating that impact.

I believe that one of the best ways to answer the “why technology” question for career switchers is an elevation of the #3 & 4 answers above, taking them up to a professional (and may be a personal) level that frames and solidifies the “disruption” or “innovation” offered by the technology to you and the interviewer. As mentioned previously, various forms of technology has affected most people in one form or another, and each innovation/disruption has changed how we live, work, and play. My guess is that in your past professional experience (preferably), you’ve seen, felt or experienced that disruption directly in various ways, either positively or negatively. I don’t mean that you can’t live without your phone or that a streaming service has changed how you consume content, but more specifically and seriously how a technology or product has significantly impacted the actual job or function that you performed or the organization itself, resulting in an honest-to-goodness desire to join the industry or company creating those products and services. Rather than expounding on a generic concept of “impact,” personalizing it and making it specific helps that story be “real” and memorable. Obviously, this answer is most impactful if it illustrates a product or service in a professional context, but even if is more of a personal story, this shows that technology and its innovations had a real impact on you which serves as a deep-seated motivation to join the industry.

All of these suggestions are under the caveat that context is important. Your “why technology” answer during an interview needs to be framed appropriately depending on the role and organization that you are interviewing with and how it fits with the rest of your story. So, as you think about this question both now and in the future, remember to be personal (within a professional context), specific and authentic on how you want to be a part of this awesome industry that changed how you and many others live and work every day.

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Phil Han

Director, Recruiting Operations and Career Advisor Healthcare and High Tech

Parker Career Management Center

Phil joined UCLA Anderson in August 2004 as a Career advisor. In late 2007, Phil transitioned into his role as the Director of Recruiting Operations, supervising the Parker CMC's Recruiting Team and overseeing on-campus recruiting operations, data and technology management, and office logistics. He also manages and develops several employer accounts to facilitate their campus recruiting activities and strengthen the connections to UCLA Anderson students. 

Prior to joining the Parker CMC, Phil was a Career Advisor at Claremont Graduate University, working with graduate students in business, organizational psychology, and economics. He also taught middle and high school science in New York City for four years. 

Phil has a BS in biology and psychology from the University of Michigan, an MA in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business.