My Reaction to The Missing Basics of Engineering Education

August 26th, 2010 1:48 pm View Comments

I am all settled in at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. One of the main reasons I choose the University of Illinois over the University of Texas is because of the program iEFX (Illinois Engineering Freshman Experience), a product of iFoundry.

One of our first assignments yesterday was to set up a blog.  Throughout the semester, I will be writing eight blog postings relating to the course.

We were told to watch this video below and react:

I am in total agreement with what Dr. Goldberg says.  There is a stereotypical engineer that Dr. Goldberg describes.  It’s an engineer that has mastered the basics – math, science, and design.  If this is all that you are good at, in today’s world, it will be tough for you to succeed.  You must master the missing basics, which is what iFoundry is attempting to teach their engineers.

Here are a few missing basics that were described in the video:

1) The inability to ask great questions.

2) The inability to model conceptually (they know how to model equations).

3) The inability to decompose a large problem into a set of smaller problems.

4) The inability to communicate.

I have worked with many engineers over the past few years.  The most fundamental missing basic I have seen is described in number four – the inability to communicate.   Let me give you an example: A few years ago I was  working on a side project, and I needed an engineer to help.  Through a friend, I was introduced to a stereotypical engineer.  He graduated from the top of his class at a great engineering school.  He was interested in starting a company, but had no social skills and could not communicate.  This may sound harsh, but I felt like I was speaking to a shy elementary school student.  Long story short, the potential partnership fell through.  This was a guy who had mastered the basics of engineering education.  Because it is tough for him to communicate, it will be hard to succeed as a founder of a company.

Throughout this semester, I want to further develop my communication skills, question asking skills, and the ability to model conceptually.  The best way to learn is to actually do. So, I plan to start today.  I am putting myself in a position where I have to use these skills.  I recently joined a startup company (more to come in a future post).  Later this afternoon, I am meeting with an student entrepreneur in the computer science department who wants to learn more about my startup.  I plan to use at least two of the skills listed above during the meeting.  I need to be able to ask appropriate questions and communicate what my company does during the meeting.  I know I need to use all of these missing basic skills in order for me to learn, grow, and succeed at this startup company.

Be Persistent: How I Attended The Fortune Brainstorm Tech Conference

July 26th, 2010 2:44 pm View Comments

Thursday, July 22nd:

My shoulder after being hit by a rock

I have been in Aspen for a week.  It is my best friend’s last day here with me. His flight left around noon. We decided to wake up earlier than usual, so his day would not be wasted.  We wanted to do one of the most physically challenging hikes in Aspen that I know of – the Ute Trail.  This trail is 2.2 miles straight up hill (1300 feet in elevation). On our way down the trail a big rock came tumbling down the mountain.  It hit me right in the shoulder.   I was a bit in shock that I almost got knocked off a mountain 1,300 feet in elevation. I then hear a scream, “watch out!”. I looked up and saw another rock tumbling down heading my way. I quickly dodged that rock. As I was in a little pain, I continued to walk down the mountain.  Good news is that we made it down without dodging or getting hit by another rock.

After my friend left for the airport, I walked to the pharmacy to get Hydrogen Peroxide cream for my shoulder. On my way back from the store, I saw a bunch of Infiniti cars with signs saying Fortune Brainstorm Tech Conference.  “This looks interesting,” I said to myself. I Google’d it on my phone and recognized a few speakers. I looked at the agenda, and I knew I had to attend. I ran back to the place I am staying at to change into nicer cloths.

I then walked back towards the Infiniti cars and hopped in a convertible Infiniti G37S. The driver said, “wanna drive?”  I opted out and said, “No thanks – I’ll let you drive”.  I show up to the conference and jump in the registration line.  After a few minutes of waiting, it was my turn in line.  I step up and said, “I am an 18 year-old entrepreneur from Houston.  I am here with my family in Aspen and just found out about this conference.  I Google’d it, recognized a few speakers, and I was wondering if I could sit in on one session”.  I was hoping to hear a “Yes, of course!”  But, I heard quite the opposite: “This is an invitational only conference – admission is $3500. We are sorry but we can not just let you in.”  I walk outside to call Larry Chiang.  He is a pro at “crashing events”.   He gave me some advice, and I walk back into registration asking to speak with the Head of PR.  He wasn’t there, but two other people who worked in PR were.   So, I spoke to them.  I gave her my website and two minute background.  From her language, I knew it wasn’t looking good: “Please wait over there while I see what I can do”. Hoping for the best to simply sit in one session, she comes back saying “We are sorry but the press contact us weeks before the event, we can’t just let you in the day of the event”.  I walked out and asked Infiniti for a ride back to my place.  They happily did.  I was talking to my driver and told him what happened.  I asked if Infiniti, a gold sponsor of the conference, might be able to get me into one session.  I called the head Infiniti guy who then gave me the email address of the Head of PR for the conference.  I sent an email to Daniel Kile, and then called his office.  Someone in his office who works for him said he would flag it.  No response.  I sent a cold text to Scott Raymond, who is a founder of Gowalla. The Founders Fund (a VC firm that I interned for last summer) invested in Gowalla.  I texted him saying I had an externship at the Founders Fund last summer.  He is speaking tomorrow morning, and I was hoping he would be able to get me in to watch his session.  After a few back in forth texts, he told me about an after party / meet up that was happening at 10:30 P.M.

I showed up early to an already packed room.  Before walking in, I was in the lobby emailing Keith Rabois (he spoke at my conference back in November) to see if he was there.  Scott went to bed early as he had an early morning session tomorrow.  I was hoping to at least know one person.  Keith responded saying he wasn’t planning on going.  As I was about to walk in, the person who “kicked me out” earlier in the day ran right into me.  She said something like this, “you found the after party – I’m impressed”.

I soon ran into Jessi Hempel, and I introduced myself to her as she interviewed me when I was 14! After meeting a bunch of people including a ton of people who worked for Fortune, I weaved my way into the conference. I ended up meeting Daniel Kile.  My goal at the beginning of the day was to sit in on one session.  Fortune exceeded my expectations.  The following morning, I had my conference pass and was able to attend the entire conference on Friday and Saturday. This is the best conference I have ever attended! The people I met were brilliant, the speakers were engaging, and I had an all around amazing time. Pictures and interviews to come!

Interview with Young Entrepreneur, Sean McCleese (StudentOfFortune.com)

July 20th, 2010 10:00 am View Comments

Sean McCleese was 15 when he was accepted at Occidental College (he skipped high school)!  At Occidental,  Sean faced a homework problem he could not solve.  The assignment was due the next day, and Sean had no  way to search for help online.  That evening, Sean’s business idea was born – StudentOfFortune.com.  I hope  y’all enjoy the interview!


Cory: Please tell me about yourself in a couple of sentences.
Sean: I’ve always been something of a computer nerd and wrote an incredibly basic video game at age seven. I’m fluent several programming languages and studied computer graphics at the prestigious Gnomon School of Visual Effects when I was 13. After skipping high school (I was the youngest student ever accepted to my alma mater), I majored in physics while taking enough time to get a solid liberal arts background. Most of my academic professional background covers science research, software, systems engineering, and rapid successful startup management. As CEO of Student of Fortune, Inc., I’ve had the opportunity to experience the smaller and more rapid end of business. I’ve built a successful startup team, lead highly experimental and successful marketing campaigns, pitched investors and potential corporate partners, and developed one-sheets and pitch decks. I’ve also had an active role in the design, development and implementation of the business software. Running a startup from initial idea to significant revenue growth gives you experiences like no other.


Cory: How did you become interested in entrepreneurship?
Sean: I’m not sure, as my interest was a pretty organic growth. When I was a kid, I started a video game magazine out of my home computer and printer. It was pretty meager with a readership of, say, 10 kids at the school, but it was my first experience taking a business from idea to product. I think everyone has ideas that they think would make a great product or service, I just haven’t felt satisfied leaving them just as ideas. When I have an idea that seems like a possible business, I let it percolate for a while and if it still seems viable I’m more likely to give it a try than not.


Cory: Please describe your company in a couple of sentences.
Sean: Student of Fortune.com is an online tutorial marketplace that provides smart homework help to students. It’s a site where people can get help with individual problems. For example, maybe they have a math problem, or there is something they do not understand in science class, or maybe they need help with an English paper. Anyone else — other students, professors, stay-at-home moms, anyone — can provide what that student needs, and earn some money in the process. Our leading tutor has earned more than $120,000 from Student of Fortune. We have more than 600 categories, everything from music, to art, to science – we cover just about anything that a student is studying in college.


Cory: Do you feel that you missed out a bit on your childhood by skipping high school, going to college, and starting a company?
Sean: No. Not at all. In fact, because I skipped high school, I’m a much stronger individual, and an even more competitive, determined entrepreneur. I’ve always had a strong family foundation and a wide network of supportive friends who have helped me along the way. One of the advantages of running a successful company is that although I work hard, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet and cultivate relationships that I wouldn’t have if I had gone the traditional route. I loaded up on a lot of liberal arts classes in college so my background would be more rounded and complete.


Cory: What do you like most about running Student of Fortune?
Sean: I love talking to tutors who have made a lot of money on our site. It gives me tremendous satisfaction. For example, we have a husband and wife tutor team who are both unemployed. They have a sick toddler and the money they’ve made from the site has helped them keep a roof over their heads, and help them get better healthcare treatment for their daughter. People like them help keep me motivated – I want to grow this company and benefit more people who can really use the money.


Cory: Have you made a mistake with Student of Fortune?  Please describe a failure and a lesson learned.
Sean: Oh, yes! There have been mistakes but I also look at them as opportunities. I’m not afraid to take on anything or try different marketing ideas. My philosophy is this: If I’ve tried an idea and it’s failed, we try to learn from it and iterate on the things we’ve learned. I know that’s a really cliché answer but I think that’s only because it’s a very successful way of developing a
strong product.


Cory: What is your daily schedule?  How many hours do you spend working on Student of Fortune?
Sean: My schedule varies week to week but one of the things I focus on is customer service. That’s really important to me. We constantly try to be open and upfront to our customers. We’re very customer oriented, and don’t spend time thinking of features we want to put online. Instead, we make an effort to make Student of Fortune as useful as it possibly could be. We’re soliciting feedback constantly, so that we can build the best, and most loyal customer base we possibly can.


Cory: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Sean: There’s no question that I want this company to grow. I want Student of Fortune to be a household name, both nationally and internationally. and help thousands of individuals make a lot of money on our site. We’re on our way to do just that.


Cory: Do you have any interests aside from entrepreneurship?  If so, what are they?
Sean: Well, I am a self-proclaimed gadget geek. I love all things gadget-wise, and I’m also a huge movie fan. My friends regularly make fun of me for having the most arcane and depressing Netflix queue they’ve ever seen. I’m also a big foodie – I grew up with some amazing cooking and have become a little bit of a food snob, though I try (somewhat unsuccessfully) to fight against that. Oh, and I love fast cars, too.

July 29th: Mentorship Mixer at Kauffman Center

June 22nd, 2010 9:55 am View Comments

Register!

Register for The Mentorship Mixer in Palo Alto, CA on Eventbrite

Interview with Young Entrepreneur, Benjamin Lang

June 8th, 2010 4:24 pm View Comments

I always enjoy chatting with young entrepreneurs. I recently spoke to and interviewed Benjamin Lang, a sixteen year-old entrepreneur living in New York.

Can you introduce yourself in a few sentences?

I am Benjamin Lang, a 16 year old entrepreneur living in New York. I’ve started a few businesses, been interviewed in many places and continue to gain more knowledge online. My goal in my business life is to become a successful entrepreneur on a large scale.

How do you define an entrepreneur?

In my opinion, an entrepreneur is someone that goes through the process of establishing a new business and running it.

Why do you choose to be an entrepreneur?

It’s simply forfilling for me. I enjoy the process and running several businesses. I think that’s a main factor that drives my success.

Tell me about your blog.  Why did you start it?  How did you attract your audience?

I started my blog 6 months ago in order to share all that I’ve learned through my entrepreneurship. With all of the mistakes that I’ve made, and everything that I learned from them I figured it would be valuable to share. I think many people agree which is why readership has been consistently going up in the past few months.

What advice do you have for fellow young entrepreneurs?

Be patient and persistent. Something that I’ve learned is that entrepreneurship takes time, you have to be patient with everything that you do, but at the same time you must be persistent. As long as you keep trying you will have the greatest chance of succeeding.

Please describe your biggest failure.  What lessons did you learn from this failure?

My biggest failure was a site called TeenBizStarter. I bought the domain and set up the blog at the same time that I set up my main blog on www.Ben-Lang.com so I was split between the two. I decided to concentrate on my main blog and let go of TeenBizStarter. I had wanted it to be a blog for teen entrepreneurs to share their stories but I soon learned that concentrating on one venture was the best way to go.

What are your plans after high school?

I plan on joining the Israeli Army after high school. Maybe after that I’ll attend college. Who knows maybe I’ll start some more businesses instead of going to college.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I hope to see myself as the CEO and founder of a prosperous high tech company.

What are your other interests aside from business?

My other interests include, running, swimming, biking, travel, tennis and internet.

« Older Entries