I initially learned of the Mayfield Fellows Program from talking with Kevin Fine (MFP '98). We had initially met in winter 1999 before I left to Germany. I was interested in working for BMW as part of my Krupp internship and I wanted to meet with Kevin to discuss his experiences there. While he was generally positive about his experiences in Germany, he told me that the coolest thing he had ever done at Stanford was the Mayfield Fellows Program. So Kevin told me about the program, and I was sold on it right there. A program designed to teach students about entrepreneurship, and not just any students, engineers! But what also sold me was Kevin himself. He was a down to earth, good guy (like I perceive myself)...not the kind of person I had stereotyped as the classic Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
E145 got me even more excited about the program. Getting to examine cases was a fresh way of thinking for me, and the values that were encouraged in the course were comforting. The one thing that bothered me about the class was that there was a good number of students there who clearly liked to hear themselves talk and didn't quite get that entrepreneurship is more than just the money.
So as I entered the program, I was excited to learn more about the entrepreneurship process, but at the same time, I was a little concerned that I didn't belong. I'm not the schmoozy type, and I figured that many of the people in the program would be. Luckily, I knew some of the people who were going to be fellows:
So I guess I should not have been that concerned. I knew 6 of the other 11 fellows, and they were all very cool. As the quarter began, I learned that the others were very cool as well.
The whole application process was rather
stressful. In case the program was not competitive enough, the
January/February issue of Stanford Magazine had a great
article
about the program, which I was
certain the whole campus read. But then I figured the people who had the
best chance of getting accepted had already heard about MFP.
I spent more time rewriting and revising my essay than I had on any essay since my application to
Stanford. I did this because this program was something I very much wanted
and also something that I felt I could add significant value to.
The interview was another nerve-racking experience…at least waiting for it.
The interview process consisted of two 15-minute interviews--one with Tina and
Thomas and another with Tom and Mike. I apparently did OK in them--at one
point, Tom got up and started throwing darts at his dart board, comparing that
process to how students were selected for MFP (in a joking manner, of
course…right Tom?). And Thomas was quiet as could be...I thought I was
completely boring him. Only later did I find out that this was just his
demeanor. Soon enough, I received a call from Tina congratulating me on acceptance…and the saga began.
After my interviews and before getting the call from Tina, I had pretty much become comfortable with the outcome of my application. I had the revelation that while MFP would help me a great deal for reaching my goals, that I would reach my goals anyway. I had always thought of life as a tree: you start at the trunk and each decision you make branches you off, so that your life turns out drastically different depending on which decisions you make in the past. I decided that this theory is wrong. If you have a goal (such as a life mission statement), decisions you make lead you towards that goal. While there might be many paths to reach your goal, you will reach it if you truly desire it.
"So how do you attach a
Slinky to the cork of a champagne bottle?" my dad asked me, referring to a
holiday gag gift he was assembling for a colleague. Though he is the proud
owner of a Ph.D. in engineering, his experimentations with metal wire had not
yet yielded a successful result. A dozen solutions ran through my mind:
chicken wire (perhaps unstable), string and superglue (too messy), powerful
magnets (beyond the gag gift budget), or cable ties (that just might work).
"Cable Ties!" I thought. I quickly sketched out a schematic of a
cable tie design using one tie wrapped around the cork and four others attached
concentrically to it and the slinky. The expedient design utilized
multiple "spokes" in tension to stabilize and balance the slinky
around the cork. After a few iterations, it worked out quite well and my
dad's colleague got a big kick out of it.
Though probably not the best choice of a product to bring to market, the
slinky-cork apparatus filled a need: for my dad's colleague to have a good laugh
at a company party. But say the need or opportunity was bigger and I had a
solution; I want to be able to build my idea into a business. I feel
confident in my technical competence and creativity. Being a member of the
Mayfield Fellows Program will be a springboard to expand my repertoire for
starting a high-tech venture.
My innovative and entrepreneurial spirit surfaced in elementary school when I
decided that I wanted to build my own amusement park. I even kept a paper
pad under my bed in case I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea for
it (which I often did). In high school I spent days designing an
innovative new type of roller coaster. My dad encouraged me to do
something with the idea, so I proceeded by reading through a book on the patent
process and wrote a patent on my invention that I later submitted to the US
Patent and Trademark Office (all of my claims were accepted and the patent is
pending). Through this process, I learned early that launching a product
entails much more than design.
Between my sophomore and junior years of college, I worked at Theracardia, a
venture capital backed start-up medical device company developing a minimally
invasive device for direct cardiac massage. Through this job experience, I
became more driven towards entrepreneurship. I initially designed and
created an in-vitro model for testing the device. Later, I implemented my
own ideas to add to the iterative design process of the company's product.
After completing the in-vitro model for our device, I proposed a more anatomical
model for the purpose of doctor and investor demonstrations. Being given
the responsibility of pursuing the idea, I traveled to San Francisco to meet
with an artist to discuss fabricating the model for us. The culture at
Theracardia supported me to take the initiative to develop a proposal and follow
it through.
What perhaps impacted me most
from working at Theracardia was the sense of teamwork and affirmative spirit I
found there. We were all working together to reach a common goal. I
loved the rapid evolution of the company plan and the deep integration of all
aspects of business (i.e. engineering, marketing, and federal regulation) that
only a start-up could provide. I left Theracardia strongly motivated to
learn more about the non-engineering elements integral to the success of a
start-up company.
Combining technical expertise with an understanding of the market environment is
an aspect of entrepreneurship that really excites me. I learned more about
this integration in my mechanical design class during a team based redesign
effort of an existing household appliance--we chose to redesign the
infomercially-infamous Salad Shooter. Through dissection and analysis of
customer perceptions (found through a dormitory version of the classic mall
intercept test), we identified problem areas and minimum cost solutions. I
enjoyed taking a multi-disciplinary problem-based approach and applying the
solutions to the product's improvement.
Last summer, I was sponsored by the Krupp Foundation to work at the Institute of
Rail Vehicles at the Technical University in Berlin. Applying my
engineering skills in a foreign language environment was an enabling experience.
However, the institute was static and bureaucratic, and I found myself seeking
the rapid change and innovation that I had found at Theracardia. It is
clear to me that I thrive on the energy and creativity of a company at its early
stages.
Since returning from Germany, I have written a weekly opinions column for The Stanford Daily using a light and humorous style to make somewhat more meaningful points. In writing each editorial, I think about my audience, trying to meet their needs as well as mine. I am also working as the student advisor to the Stanford in Berlin program, recruiting students and managing their orientation before they leave for Germany.
The
opportunities of the Mayfield Fellows Program, such as a venture capitalist
mentor, will reinforce and develop skills essential to entrepreneurial success,
providing me with a foundation for starting my own successful technology
venture. Working with the CEO or other high level employee of a start-up
will give me an understanding of high-tech venture business strategy that I have
found difficult to find in a classroom. Being able to share the different
strategies with the other Fellows makes this aspect of the program very
appealing to me.
As I have continued upon my educational adventure, I have recognized the
essential components to turning an idea and opportunity into a successful
business. My engineering education has equipped me with a strong
foundation in the design aspect of product development. Through being a
part of the Mayfield Fellows Program, I will be able to acquire and reinforce
business skills integral to the development of a successful start-up.
Perhaps I could even learn how to turn my marginal Slinky-Champagne bottle idea
into a marketable product!