UCLA Flashcards
1
Q
AMR
A
Applied Mgmt Research:
- Experiential learning
- 5-person team: 20 wks
- Mgmt Field Study vs. Biz Creation Option (BCO) vs. “Special Project Option” (?)
- Traditional=consulting: biz plans, pricing strategies & marketing campaigns, risk assessment, new product development
- BCO: launch ventures while still in school
- 2Y: Fall + Winter qtr, or Winter + Spring
- Camaraderie
- 2013-14: 18 int’l, 14 BCOs
2
Q
Clubs
A
- Entrepreneurship Association (EA). Largest student org, 150 events, close ties w/the Price Center for E, E in Residence, connections w/Westwood Venture Alliance (other grad pgms)
- High Tech Business Association (HTBA). Tech Treks, Career Nights, LA=access to a top tech city, leverage my networks to provide oppys for HTBA students.
- Anderson Veterans Association (AVA). Give back.
- Net Impact Club: Mondays at the Mission (Union Rescue Mission)
3
Q
Short term: management consulting
A
3 things:
- About becoming more comprehensive & complete; applying the strategic lessons & mgmt skills from Anderson
- Will thrive; AV units at home & abroad, developed passion for solving complex operational probs in ambiguous situations:
- Didn’t just fix probs; changed the way we did biz - Prep for entrepreneurship:
- Exposure=perspective, prob-solving skills, landscape
4
Q
Curriculum
A
- Quarter system: 3x 10-wk quarters
- 375 students: 5 sections of 75
- Tracks: Consulting, Finance, Marketing, Custom
- Specializations: Custom Track requires 2:Easton TL, Entrepreneurship
5
Q
Classes
A
- Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation (MGT 295A): good intro to entrepreneurship (spring 1Y or fall 2Y)
- Thinking on Your Feet (MGT 250D)
6
Q
Insight
A
- Insight:
- Tech solutions provider=multiple tech functions, partners
- Consulting + tech svcs to HW, SW
- B2B, F1000 space - Apple PM: manage $80M Apple biz:
- Mktg, Sales, Ops, Finance/Accting, Tng, Biz Dev
- Manage Insight-Apple relationship
7
Q
Long term goal
A
- Leverage gen mgmt skills from UCLA + consulting exp
- Build a wearable tech company
- Not fitness, but health.
- Aggregate broad set of data (biometrics, environment, social cues, diet)
- Improve lives: battle addiction, manage disease
8
Q
Pedagogy
A
- Case: 30%
- Lecture: 40%
- Experiential: 12%
- Simulations: 3%
- Team projects: 15%
9
Q
Hobbies
A
- Adventure/endurance racing (Rim to Rim)
- Reading (“What the Dog Saw” by Gladwell)
- Private aviation
- IM sports in PHX
- Volunteering w/United Food Bank + WWP
10
Q
Programs
A
- Easton Technology Leadership Program:
- Move Out track (tech entre)
- Mgmt skills for diverse tech settings (startup-big)
- Industry Mentors (IBM, Qualcomm, NBC)
- Beyond classes: workshops, enrichment, events
- My ldrship + tech background=strong candidate - Tech & Innovation Partners Program:
- Discover the commercial potential of ideas
- Maybe not my biz plan, but work on a project to understand the process
- Collaborate, network, and understand the processes behind venture development - AMR
11
Q
Questions
A
- AMR: “Special Project Option”?
- Something about Anderson that you can’t find on a blog or webpage that is particularly interesting/exciting?
- What do you consider to be Anderson’s strongest quality or asset?
- What advice would you give to someone starting at Anderson?
12
Q
Why UCLA?
A
- Technology + Entre spirit:
- Embodied in “Think in the Next” slogan
- Energy & ecosystem here
- Entrepreneurship track
- Easton Tech Ldrship Program: my ldrship + tech + my goals = ideal next step in my journey
- EA
- Tech & Innovation Partners Program
- On-campus Tech Incubator at Cal Nanosystems Institutue (CNSI) - AMR:
- Unique to Anderson
- Help me: Traditional (consulting), Biz Creation Option (entre) - Location: LA: not only culture+activity, also top 5 tech city US
- Culture: Awesome experiences w/students:
- Strong relationships
- Believe in surrounding myself w/good people, as good has always come from it.
- Thru Anderson, not only meet good people, but connect w/other great people.
12
Q
Greatest Leadership Challenge / Experience
A
S: OEF mission: summer 2008 - 1st deployment, new to SpecOps, 1st combat msn:
T: Air Cdr: 4x aircraft, 30x crew, 100 Rangers
-Infil/exfil under darkness
-Get everyone home safe
-Shots fired, can’t make planned HLZ, darkness running out
A: Alt exfil plan:
-Daylight=shoot downs
-Worked Intel to find alt sites: 1) Safe for pax, 2) Safe for helos, 3) **Pre-daylight
R: Safe exfil:
-Everyone home safely
-Technical competence=confidence of team, GF
-Personal confidence for 5 deployments, 200+ combat missions, lead on trips in 6 diff countries
13
Q
Why UCLA?
A
- Technology + Entrepre: “Think in the Next”
- Tech Entrepreneurship track
- Easton Tech Ldrship Program: my ldrship b/g + tech and my goals, this is the ideal next step in my development
- Tech & Innovation Partners Program
- EA - AMR: Traditional (consulting), Biz Creation Option (entre development)
- Location: LA = top 5 tech city US
- People: awesome experiences w/students
13
Q
Strengths
A
- Team building/relationships:
- Self-aware, understand people
- Construct strong, x-fnct teams
- EX: NSIT: from family events to client events - Versatility/adaptability:
- Comfortable in ambiguity
- Led in SpecOps, now in tech - Organization/planning:
- Extremely organized
- Structuring teams and creating realistic, supportable plans
14
Q
Weaknesses
A
- Meticulous=lost time.
- Don’t let perfect get in the way of the good. - As leader, need to let others find their own success:
- EX: Withers.
- PID, adapting - Technical abilities.
- EX: goals in tech; limited tech b/g.
- Taking cert courses.
15
Q
Greatest Accomplishment (Personal)
A
S: Pres and Finance Officer of a community outreach program in Hondo
T: Started w/5, ended w/30
A1: From Xmas parties to big brother/big sisters programs
A2: Raised nearly $15K over 2 yrs
R1: Impacted the lives of these children
R2: Set the stage for me for future volunteer events/magnitude
16
Q
Leadership Style
A
Participative/democratic leadership:
- Buy-in, cohesion, diff perspectives, morale
- Discussion=better ideas
- Leigh Thompson (Kellogg - “Creative Conspiracy”) ideas
- Army: flew by committee
- NSIT: marketing strategy
17
Q
Creative Solution
A
S: tng ex in Asia; HN won’t allow SOF to fly at nightT: find a way to fly at night or otherwise have to cancel an already-in-motion $4M exA: 1) con call w/GF and USN ship; 2) met w/leads for white board sesh; 3) intel/map analysis; 4) plan to leave shore at dusk and op each nightR: 1) approved around; 2) msn success; 3) high-level msn w/lots of great visibility
18
Q
Challenging Project
A
S: Project manager for base development in OEF
T: Conduct infrastructure assessment, resource, and prep new base for our TF in Afg
-Never been to this place
-2nd deployment
-Under constant attack
A1: Handpicked x-fnct team
A2: Created project plan + timeline
A3: Launched
R1: Built, refined, occupied base
R2: Launched our largest, longest opn to date
R3: Still used today
19
Q
Neg Feedback from Boss
A
S: Lead pilot on event & missed the HLZ w/SEAL team; lead instructor lost it T: Fix the situation A1: Analyzed what went wrong A2: Uncovered grid formatting error A3: Advised instructor A4: Something new; integrated into SOP R1: Improved our process & SOPs R2: Process inspired confidence of my leadership and peers
20
Q
Great uncertainty while leading a team?
A
S: Quick response mission w/o RATELO
T: Insert troops into hostile area w/o comms:
-Not good, but timing was key
A1: Refreshed everyone on contingency SOPs
A2: Created backup plans w/flares & smoke
A3: Open team comms to ensure all bases covered
R1: Inserted team
R2: Mission success
R3: Huge confidence booster in team, self
21
Q
REAPPLICANT
A
- More quant/analytics:
- Chose PM b/c comprehensive: MSOFT
- CC classes: Business Stats, Accting
- Continuing Ed at Insight (Advanced Excel, Finance, Reporting)
- Projects - More well-rounded in mgmt:
- Biz vs. Army: comms, negotiation
- Leverage/converted my skills to civ world: volunteer/social coordinator - Narrowed focus:
- Tech exp = wearables
- Apple exp = ideas
- Differentiator: not fitness; help people battle illness, addiction - Realize why UCLA is even more relevant for me:
- Tech+entrepreneurship strengths
- Easton Tech Leadership Program
- Tech & Innovation Partners Program
- Entrepreneurship Association
- Los Angeles
22
Q
3 words that describe me
A
Honest, Charismatic, Hard Working
23
How do you function in a team setting?
1. Pref for working in teams:
- Sports to SpecOps
2. Key is awareness of self & team:
- Strengths and weaknesses
- When to lead vs. when to empower others
3. Other keys:
- Active communication, collaboration
4. EX: FE12: Project Mgr for int'l ex:
- Led 50 pax, 3 acft
- Open, honest feedback + comms
24
How do you function in a team setting?
1. Pref for working in teams:
- Sports to SpecOps to NSIT
2. Key is awareness of self & team:
- Strengths and weaknesses
- When to lead vs. when to empower others
3. Other keys:
- Effective comms, collaboration, clear goals
4. EX: FE12: Project Mgr for int'l ex:
- Led 50 pax, 3 acft
- Open, honest feedback + comms
25
What do you think about your employers most recent evaluation? What would you improve?
- 80-90th percentile
- Fair: still new
- Self-aware, actively solicit feedback=no surprises
- Always learning and developing
26
Tell me about yourself.
- Close knit fam + small town in NorCal
- UCD on ROTC scholarship
- Aviator: 9 yrs AD
- Majority in SpecOps: "guys on the OBL msn"
- 5 combat deployments
- Multiple disaster relief missions
- From Supervisor and Mx mgr to Strategic project mgmt for SpecOps msns
- Entrepreneurial goals in fitness: Army=projects, leadership, creativity=confidence
- Left to pursue these dreams
- Tech job to increase understanding + biz
- UCLA's strength in tech+entre are key to my success
27
Past conflict - how did you solve it?
S: Project Mgr for tng ex in Korea; Pilots vs. Staff
-Conflicts leading up to event
-SpecOps pilots=super Alpha males
T: Improve cohesion across 50 pax Task Force
-Unique oppy as leader b/c I had both pilot+staff exp
A1: Listed out our collective priorities
A2: Gathered stakeholders
A3: Open comms to assess & compromise
A4: Nested sub-priorities into larger
A5: Enforced team-centric culture
R1: Phenomenal exercise, truly successful
R2: Cited by all as one of the most cohesive teams they'd been a part of in their careers - "first time I truly felt like a "NightStalker"
28
Greatest leadership experience 2 / Time you led/built a team
S: Handpicked to be mgr of Army's newest SpecOps helicopter company.
T: from 10 guys, 0 helps to 60 guys, 8 helos and combat-ready in a year
A1: Project plan: realistic, supportable
A2: Build the *right* team:
-Human element is most important
-Survival req collectively-minded, character driven teams w/a commitment to shared values
-From BBQs to rigorous tng=bonds
R1: one of the strongest teams I've ever built
R2: deployed nearly 2 mo ahead of sched (went on to be one of the most successful SOA companies in GWOT)
29
Plan B if not consulting or not wearables.
- Not consulting = mgmt in a tech startup. Developmental opp.
- Not wearables=mgmt in a tech company (e.g. VMWare, Apple)
30
Failure
S: Flt school Helo crash on day 3; nearly died
T: Resolved to keep going thru flight training
A1: Find the courage.
A2: Technical aptitude.
R1: TA=SME. Led teams in war; my knowledge was a bedrock in the worst of times.
R2: Courage=character + dedication. Pilot was lifelong dream; no fear or setbacks deter me. This resilience=success before, will help achieve success later. Also use these lessons to help my teammates.
31
How will you contribute?
1. Tech + entrepreneurship
2. Clubs: EA, HTBA, AVA, Net Impact
3. Biz idea may actually be a great AMR project
4. Leverage tech relationships to build out networking/learning opps thru clubs
32
What do you bring to the class?
1. Unique experiences/perspective:
- War in Afg to disaster relief in CA
- Travel
- Military & business
2. Unique leadership:
- Not just military: helo aviation
- Not just military: SpecOps
- Now tech+biz exp.
3. Team building:
- From Team Captain of sports to flying by committee in SpecOps to forging one of the strongest teams at a F500 company
33
Accomplishments at Insight
1. Improved biz acumen
2. Pricing+incentive strategy that increased qtryly rev by $2.6M
3. Audited budget: reduced qtrly expenses by 12%
4. Accting initiative that reduced exposure by $80K annually
34
Volunteer work
```
Orphanage: 2005-2006
TNT: 2011: $2,550
WWP: 2012: $1,550
Insight Supports Our Heroes: 2013 1/2 ton, $4,000
UFB: 2014
```
36
Why MBA? Why now?
"Improved technical acumen and help increase the velocity toward my entrepreneurial goals":
1. Help me become more grounded & comprehensive in my knowledge of general business principles:
- Not just concepts; approach (e.g. McAdams' game theory).
2. Concentration of Resources: Academic centers (CEI)
