MBA Week Two

After a 3 day weekend, it's much harder to build momentum at school... although I did meet with my group every day this weekend to work on our numerous projects and presentations.

We presented a chapter of Crossing the Chasm, a book on how new businesses sink or swim. I compared the idea of crossing over from an early market base to a mainstream market to that of D Day, where the US troops and its allies crossed the English Channel to the Beachhead in Normandy. In business terms, securing their niche market, allowing them to explore other market segments and eventually dominating the mainstream market, or Liberating France from the Germans... anyway, it was a fun analogy to present.

We've also been researching and promoting a new technology for a local company (which I can't really talk or write about). That's been pretty cool too. The industry in which the technology is looking to emerge is booming, and the product has potential. I'm the pretend CEO of our company, and we're asking investors for only a million to get us started in production and marketing, once the prototype is perfected that is.

What else... a business case brief and executive summary on a company called E Ink who is behind the technology of E Books. They make a pliable electronic ink paper like product that can easily load information... we have to predict their survival... but the Harvard case we're basing our papers off of was written in 2005, and well, we all know the company survived and is doing well.

Anyway, I'm doing some fun things, having a good time. Still, it's a lot of work, but things should calm down once Fall quarter starts and boot camp ends. This group of 30 or so students will remain like family through this process, I have a feeling. There's something about suffering that can really bond people.

I'm off to redraft, then sleep. The additional research I was going to do tonight must wait until that 6 AM hour, when my mind seems to be much more clear than after 8 PM. Sad, I know. When the sun goes down, so do I, which is why winter months are so difficult! I become a bear hibernating :)

And how gorgeous is the moon tonight!? At 12% of full, there was just a faint sliver in the sky with the setting sun... pinks and purples, the silhouette of Mt. Madonna and the new baby moon. There's nothing really that can put me in a better mood. That in combination with walking my Tay, sipping good earth tea and talking to an awesome friend, makes for a happy girl.

Oh yes, redraft, research...