Tuesday, February 27, 2007

20070219-0225

Last week is a wonderful week in terms of outcome. The 5-member team I am in had won the internal competition at Babson so that we will present Babson to compete again HBS, MIT, LBS, Cornell, Yale etc in NYC next weekend. The top 2 team of this NorthEast region competition will go to UNC for the national VCIC competition organized by the Kernan-flagler bschool of UNC. It's cool but also means I have less time for Rilik. Because M is in this team, Snowbasin Venture, as well so it's a double time loss. There is a pressure to win the regional competion in NYC, not for the excitement to compete with all those top 10 bschools (only missed stanford/wharton in this northeast regional competition) but to compensate my time spent on it. For more info, check http://www.vcic.unc.edu/. Last year Babson team end up at No.4.


We also had the first Sat gathering as an extension to our Wed lunch session. Surprisingly, totally 17 people had showed up and made T's place kinda crowd. It lasted about 3 hours and the discussion is very good. The intention for this Sat gathering is to have more and longer discussion since Wed version is only 1-hour long. I am very excited to see the atmosphere we had built through Wed session had been continued and integrated more others into it. I do hope we could finally see one or two or more start-ups can emerge from this gathering.

The final exam for MOD III is coming in two weeks. We will have our first DMS/MVC exam next Friday that conflicted with the VCIC event in NYC. Prof.Bliss is tough as usual to negotiate but I quite like his style, give me your reason while asking for anything. Straightforward, is it.


And weather, weather. We had another big snow. It's beautiful, it's winter and it's a pity that my scheduled meeting with J at AV had been cancelled due to the terrible condition of road. And It has to be postoned to sometime in April. It's a long push...



R wise. I feel bad because of the further limited time because of the VCIC competition. Spring break is coming, 9 days, will get the business plan done.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

20070129-0203

OMG, We are almost in the middle of MOD III. Can't you believe it! And I did start feeling pressure. Well, the MVC and SCS are really challening. Not in class wise but time wise. Those two do need I to devote certain time into it BEFORE the class like 2 hour per class. My strategy last semester that only reading the assignment and pay attention to the class doesn't work well this time. So now I spent about 3-4 hours per day on course preparation. If just this load, my life will still be totally fine...

My start-up plan makes my wife worse... Anyway, I skiped the DMS class on Friday for a nap at apartment and it's so good after I got up one hour later. And it made me felt SO BAD that I didn't skip the class to attend the MashUP camp two weeks ago in MIT. I will say this is one of the biggest mistake I had made here in Babson.


Interesting enough, the short conversation I had with the so-called Provost of Babson,Patricia G. Greene, at the BusinessDemo of the BacktoBabson event last year suddently pop up in my mind so here it is:

Provost: What is your business idea?
HONG: ^&^&%&^S%DF*(&S...
Provost: Had your professor taught you how to do a business pitch?
HONG: ...

Well, I understood my pitch wasn't compelling but hey, go to check curriculum first before asking. If you pay more attention to the pitch itself, you missed the whole picture.


Just an andecdote.


I had attended an event called WebInnovatorGroups @ http://webinnovatorsgroup.com/ and it's quite good. The details are in the website. I felt the passion, excitement, IT and bubble around the room. It's a cool feeling. Many may say, hey, it's bubble again. But you know what, view bubble as the catalyst. WIthout bubble, I won't be able to be here using fantastic product sucha s ZOHO office. Do you think Google is bubbled at $500 per share before?


I also decided to withdraw further research effort towrds R's idea. It's a good idea but I dont have enough time to pursue. Besides, may end the video talk with J as well as it's an expensive area with too many players. I am quite excited about the event one poped up in my mind a few days ago and I decided to puruse this one whatsever as it's really simple and effective.


Again, initiatives pay off. Trust, if you believe anything is possible and never say never without trying. you will see a totally different world..


Oh, at last, the most important part of this week is that I was invited to visit T&K's place. It's so closeby that it only takes them 5 minutes by driving to Olin hall, even faster than my walking from Woodland Hill. How badly the machiney had changed the world... ANyway, that's a very enjoyable discussion with T and I am very glad to meet mroe and more people who share similar mentality. No, don't get me wrong. I dont' mean we are the same and I dont want that. Just totally different people but similar mentality. Open, risk-taking, straight-forward... I just love it. Good period. Good week. and I will start catching up the MVC now...What's the cost of capital, Bliss?